Cambria County, PA — Farmers and first responders say harvesting season is here, which can bring dangers when working in structures like silo’s, remembering deadly incidents both recent, and in previous years. They note the amount of safety measures on their equipment to prevent injury or death. They say this includes ladder cages on silo’s, respirators, working with a partner, and air blowers to ventilate gasses from the crops.

Dairy farmer Megan Hostetler says these precautions are easy to miss and can be why we see harvesting related deaths each year.

RELATED | 55-year-old found dead in corn silo, identified in York County

“Sometimes, making sure that runs seems like it’s an extra step that you don't want to do, but it can be very necessary to get that out of there. The gasses can hang around even for longer than three weeks, but three weeks is usually what we say that the gasses can be very harmful.” Hostetler says.

This comes shortly after a 55-year-old York County man was found dead in the unloading chute of a corn silo, on September 3rd. Last year a similar incident, in Centre County where a father and his two sons were found dead in a silo due to the gasses.

Somerset county E.M.A. director, Joel Landis, is sharing how you can help prepare not only yourself, but first responders who may be needed. “If there are farms that have certain hazards, please reach out to their local emergency responders, so they get familiar with those farms ahead of responding there.” says Landis. He says to also watch out for an increase of farm machinery on roads.

Hostetler says that if the corn silage’s quality is less than expected, it can be another factor to cause these deadly gasses.

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