The Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program released the 2022 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities, which showed a 40.7% increase in the number of reported cases from 2021 to 2022.
Of the 83 incidents reported, 42 were grain-related entrapments, which made up 44.8% of cases — the highest number reported in over a decade. Because not every case is reported, these numbers are approximate.
States having the most documented confined space cases of all types in 2022, including fatal and non-fatal, were Iowa (24), Indiana (6), Minnesota (6), and Ohio (6). The report findings follow the aftermath of a grain elevator collapse in Tynan, Texas outside of Corpus Christi where silos ruptured and collapsed causing fatalities on the July 4 holiday.
Out-of-condition grain plays a large role in raising the risk for accidents.
“Many entrapments result from someone entering a bin or structure to break loose clumped, spoiled grain. Keep the grain in good condition to eliminate the need to enter the bin,” says Edward Sheldon, research associate, Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program.
Purdue urges farmers and agribusiness employers to recognize the hazards of grain bins, silos, manure storage and other confined spaces and use educational resources, such as Gearing Up for Safety by Purdue’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
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