Boundary County: Sand Bag Filler Chute

Problem: Boundary County Road and Bridge crews can often be called out to fill sandbags to reoccurring flooding problems occurring simultaneously throughout the county. In the past, this required a dump truck to dump a load of sand in an accessible spot and then sand bags were filled by crew members with hand shovels. This was a slow process and took many workers to complete the task. It was also a safety concern due to the possibilities of back injuries, and the need for speed to keep ahead of the water.

Solution: Boundary County Road & Bridge employees designed a sand chute to be quickly installed on the back of a sand box in place of the sand spinner. The employees also wired and installed a remote control switch that attached to an electronic solenoid. The end result taking just 3 employees to complete the process in 10 seconds (filling, tying and placing) and can be accomplished by 2 employees if needed. This increased the efficiency of filling sand bags, drastically reduced possible work injuries and increased the overall safety of the operation.

Expenses:

$150 Labor
$20 Scrap Aluminum with Welding Materials
$35 Switch Control/Wire/Nuts and Bolts 
$30 Reflective Sheeting and Tape

$235.00 Total

Savings: Bags now filled in 10 seconds with just 2 or 3 employees. This increased efficiency and safety, while decreased injuries. Overtime expenditures were also minimized due to speed of filling sand bags. This solution has been very beneficial during emergencies, such as flooding, when time is of the essence.