Flowing grain can draw in a person within five seconds. That time is decreased with the use of high capacity unloading equipment, such as large wagons emptied quickly with large augers or legs. As farm equipment becomes faster, humans have less time to respond before they are helpless to the effects of flowing grain. For example, a high capacity conveyor can move 5,000 bushels of grain an hour. At that rate, a 6-foot tall person would become submerged in only 15 seconds.
Children are at an even greater risk around flowing grain.
They are shorter and become submerged quicker than adults. They also do not have the physical strength to pull themselves out of grain before they become entrapped. A grain surface may appear solid, but it is not. A small opening in the unloading gate gives the entire surface the quality of quicksand. When a single kernel is removed from the bottom of a wagon, kernels directly above it rush to fill the void, creating a fluid motion.