Monsanto cornfield electrifies 2 teens in IL

[MNeagle]

Teenage best friends killed after being electrocuted in farm freak accident



Two teenage girls died after being electrocuted in a freak farm accident while working in a cornfield on Monday.


Fourteen-year-olds Jade Garza and Hannah Kendall of Sterling, Illinois, were electrocuted after coming into contact with a field irrigator. The two best friends were working in a cornfield in northwestern Illinois.


According to a statement released by their employer, the Monsanto Corporation, the pair were ‘electrically shocked by a centre pivot irrigation system’.




Seventy-two other workers were working in the field at the time. Two other workers were seriously injured. Six other workers received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.


Monsanto Corporation CEO Hugh Grant said in a statement: ‘I am saddened by this terrible accident and loss. We place the highest priority on the safety of our contractors and employees



'Our greatest concern at this time is the well being of the family and friends of those involved in today’s devastating accident.’

The Sauk Valley Media newspaper reported that the girls would have entered their freshman year at Sterling High School this fall.


Fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds may be employed for non-hazardous farm work during non-school hours, according to Department of Labor Youth Employment laws.


The accident is being investigated by Occupational Safety and Health Administration representatives and may take up to six months to complete.

After the horrific tragedy, friends took to social media websites to pay tribute to the young girls.

Matthew Belcher wrote: 'No words can do justice - nor express our collective sorrow - may Hannah and Jade rest in peace - and may the joy they brought forth, live forever on.'

Sara Jo Kahly added: 'This is such a horrible tradegy. Who knew such a cruel thing could happen like this at work.


'Kidz are out there trying to make money because theres no way else to. This hits me hard. This could have been prevented if the managers wouldnt have had them work... R.I.P girls. You will be missed by many.'



http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/07/27/article-2019144-0D2D8C5200000578-309_468x344.jpg


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2019144/Jade-Garza-Hannah-Kendall-killed-electrocuted-farm-accident.html

[osoab]

That is more info than the local rags gave.

One thought that I had heard is that the machine was wired wrong and the whole thing was hot.

[palani]

You had to go to a UK site to read about that accident? It happened less than 100 miles way from us.

[MNeagle]

Yes. Though it's a lot of trash articles, there's also a ton of U.S. stories, with far more coverage than anything here. (I also changed the headline to be more accurate. I hope Monsanto doesn't come knocking...)

[osoab]

You had to go to a UK site to read about that accident? It happened less than 100 miles way from us.

180 miles for me, but only one local paper covered it. And that was bloomington about 120 miles.

[MNeagle]

Sure didn't like this line:
This could have been prevented if the managers wouldnt have had them work.

Umm, how about if wouldn't have happened if the safety procedures were followed??

[palani]

Umm, how about if wouldn't have happened if the safety procedures were followed??
You ever detasseled corn?

[osoab]

Sure didn't like this line:

Umm, how about if wouldn't have happened if the safety procedures were followed??


Young kids mourning their friends is how I read it. The completely irrelevant arguments should be taken under that context.

[MNeagle]

No I haven't. 14 too young?

[palani]

No I haven't. 14 too young?

Probably about the right age ... get up early in the morning and get done by 10 a.m. because it surely gets hot.

Thing is, no safety procedure is going to tell you to avoid touching the center pivot irrigation system ... they aren't supposed to be live

[palani]

No I haven't. 14 too young?

Probably about the right age ... get up early in the morning and get done by 10 a.m. because it surely gets hot.

Thing is, no safety procedure is going to tell you to avoid touching the center pivot irrigation system ... they aren't supposed to be live

I would guess that it was a 460 vac 3 phase system ... can't see 120/240 doing anything more than tingling a little

[midnight rambler]

This is inexcusable, clearly a case of cutting corners to cut costs. If a qualified, competent electrician had been responsible for the wiring on that job this would have never happened. Obviously this was a result of some unqualified party taking it upon themselves to 'try their hand at electrical stuff'. I pray that the responsible party (or parties) gets charged with manslaughter.


No need to call an electrician! We're in a hurry here! Hey Juan, go over there and hook up those wires to make that pump run. It's a simple enough job, here ya go, all you need is a screwdriver and a pair of pliers.

[palani]

180 miles for me, but only one local paper covered it. And that was bloomington about 120 miles.

Local TV stations covered it .. but not a lot of detail.

[osoab]

Local TV stations covered it .. but not a lot of detail.

I won't lower my intellect (of what there is) by watching the local news. I seriously feel that I lose brain cells while listening to their spiels.

Yes, it is that bad around here.

[palani]

I won't lower my intellect (of what there is) by watching the local news. I seriously feel that I lose brain cells while listening to their spiels.

Yes, it is that bad around here.

Both newspapers and TV/Radio stations are next thing to bankrupt ... they can't afford really interested news hawks

[iOWNme]

This is a very sad story no matter what.......




.....And no matter what, Monsanto will continue to POISON this planet and its inhabitants using the Democratic and Legal process, all with little to no abatement.

[JDRock]

180 miles for me, but only one local paper covered it. And that was bloomington about 120 miles.


because the cornbelt is OWNED by monsanto

[osoab]

because the cornbelt is OWNED by monsanto

This article is the first I heard of the field being owned by Monsanto. The owner wasn't reported in the local media here.

Honestly, I am surprised the Monsanto would be the headline owner of the field. I would have expected one of their subsidiary companies as the owner of the land or even that they were on a private farmers field that had contracted out to whatever seed company.

[palani]

This article is the first I heard of the field being owned by Monsanto. The owner wasn't reported in the local media here.

Honestly, I am surprised the Monsanto would be the headline owner of the field. I would have expected one of their subsidiary companies as the owner of the land or even that they were on a private farmers field that had contracted out to whatever seed company.

OSHA would be connected through Monsanto. Pioneer is a subsidiary. Pioneer would have been running the crew but the farmer owned the land (and irrigator). This is all guessing though. The farmer would have no contractual relationship to the crew. Pioneer (and Monsanto) would have had the contract with the crew.

[osoab]

OSHA would be connected through Monsanto. Pioneer is a subsidiary. Pioneer would have been running the crew but the farmer owned the land (and irrigator). This is all guessing though. The farmer would have no contractual relationship to the crew. Pioneer (and Monsanto) would.

Pioneer is DuPont. And OSHA is involved because it was a work crew with a certain number of employees and deaths occur. Nothing gets OSHA as hot and bothered as a workplace death.

[palani]

Pioneer is DuPont. You are right. My bad. Maybe Pioneer is not connected although they run a lot of detasseling crews.

[osoab]

You are right. My bad. Maybe Pioneer is not connected although they run a lot of detasseling crews.


The one in my area bring in families from Texas to do it. ie all Mexicans that can't speak a lick of English. The libtards around here get all high and mighty that resources aren't available for those that can't speak English.

Here are a few of the corn companies. I didn't realize Trissler was one.


2006 (http://www.monsanto.com/whoweare/pages/monsanto-history.aspx)
Monsanto’s ASI subsidiary acquires several regional seed companies, including Diener Seeds, Sieben Hybrids, Kruger Seed Company, Trisler Seed Farms, Gold Country Seed, Inc., Heritage Seeds and the seed marketing and sales business of Campbell Seed.
2005
Monsanto's ASI subsidiary acquires NC+ Hybrids, Inc., headquartered in Lincoln, Neb.

Monsanto's ASI subsidiary acquires four companies that are the shareowners of the CORE Group - including Fontanelle Hybrids, based in Fontanelle, Neb.; Stewart Seeds, based in Greensburg, Ind.; Trelay Seeds, based in Livingston, Wis.; and, Stone Seeds, based in Pleasant Plains, Ill. In a separate transaction, ASI also acquires Specialty Hybrids, a leader serving the Eastern Corn Belt.
2004
Monsanto's ASI subsidiary acquires Channel Bio Corp. and its three seed brands: Crows Hybrid Corn, Midwest Seed Genetics and Wilson Seeds.

[palani]

The one in my area bring in families from Texas to do it. ie all Mexicans that can't speak a lick of English.

Funny because Monsanto will not allow anyone who doesn't speak English on any of their chemical plants. If you don't understand what the loudspeaker tells you when there is an alarm they figure you are a safety hazard. Rule probably don't hold true in the middle of a corn field.

At the local Monsanto plant they had a tank of AN (acrylonitrate). If the tank ever leaked it WAS going to find a source of ignition and they figured it would take out about a 1/4 mile radius. That tank is now gone as the plastics division got sold to Bayer and moved.

[MNeagle]

In Minnesota, you can drive by fields, and see the rows of corn identified by their manufacturer. They have small steel signs right in front of each section: i.e. 50 rows of Midwest, then 50 rows of something else.

[osoab]

In Minnesota, you can drive by fields, and see the rows of corn identified by their manufacturer. They have small steel signs right in front of each section: i.e. 50 rows of Midwest, then 50 rows of something else.


Some are seed test plots. Something for the dealers or banks to get people to oogle over the varieties. Farmers need something to do in late July and early August.

Some will compare multiple companies hybrids and not just the different numbers from one company.

Some are also probably fields of farmers that are seed dealers. The random ones you see on the side of the roads.

[MNeagle]

Yes, I know. I grew up in a small town that has a U of M extension ag area, with many fields in their testing programs. My Mom would drive our car through the cornfields when the huge irrigation systems were blasting. I was terrified we'd drown for sure!

[JDRock]

This article is the first I heard of the field being owned by Monsanto. The owner wasn't reported in the local media here.

Honestly, I am surprised the Monsanto would be the headline owner of the field. I would have expected one of their subsidiary companies as the owner of the land or even that they were on a private farmers field that had contracted out to whatever seed company.
monsanto, conagra, dupont ,as well as arthur daniels midland,own virtually all the seeed/fertilizer and press ( via advertising $)