With harvest season comes awareness of safety not only with farm equipment but also in the storage of crops.
A Purdue University 2022 Summary of All Documented Agricultural Confined Space Related Cases documents 83 cases, 24 fatal and 59 non-fatal, representing a 40.7% increase over the 59 cases in 2021.
There were at least 42 grain-related entrapments in 2022, representing a 44.8% increase over 2021. This was the highest number of entrapments in over a decade.
The balance of 41 cases involved livestock waste handling facilities, entanglements in confined space, falls from structures and grain dust explosions or fires.
The study found that Iowa reported the most cases at 24. Fifteen of these cases resulted from a single explosion incident. Indiana reported six; Minnesota, six; and Ohio, six.
The Purdue study also found Iowa reported the most grain entrapment cases in 2022 at nine.
Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois, in that order, have historically recorded the most grain entrapment cases.
Jeff Adkisson, president of the Grain Handling Safety Coalition, said grain bins are not inherently unsafe. He said the main cause of grain bin incidents is poor grain quality or the grain going out of condition.
The number of engulfment or entrapments varies each year with the quality of the crop.
“In 2009 the grain crop didn’t store well, and we had higher rates of engulfment and entrapment that year,” Adkisson said.
Grain can become clumped or hung up on the wall of the bin. The grain may also form a bridge where a hard crust develops on the top of the grain and can leave a void underneath. If the crust breaks a person could fall into the grain.
“If a farmer goes in with a pipe or rod to break a hole in the grain or on the side of the bin and the equipment is running, the grain will flow which could cover them up, causing an engulfment,” Adkisson said.
One of the ways to mitigate this issue is a lock-out, tag-out system. A person turns off the augers, locks them and puts the key in their pocket, ensuring that anyone else that comes along will not be able to turn equipment back on.
Adkisson recommends having an observer when anyone goes into a bin as well as using a harness and lifeline. If someone else is there they can call for help in an emergency.
grain bin safety
Photo courtesy Illinois Fire Service Institute
According to OSHA, suffocation is the leading cause of death in grain bins.
Incidents in grain bins also often result in multiple deaths because other workers attempt to rescue their coworkers and become trapped or overcome as well.
The Illinois Fire Service Institute has a Grain Bin Rescue Operations Program to educate first responders about grain storage facility types, their construction and operating features.
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