Farmers encouraged to focus on safety around grain bins

Injuries and fatalities involving entry into grain bins reached new highs in 2010 – with 52 cases being reported nationwide through November 2010. Half of those cases ended with a fatality (see chart, left).

Of those the 52 total cases, 35 occurred on farms.

Kelly Brunkhorst, director of research for the Nebraska Corn Board, said in a news release that the numbers, compiled by Purdue University, are alarming because they are the highest recorded in a single year by the researchers at Purdue.

“On average, 70 percent of incidents happen on farms and half of all incidents result in the death of a farmer or farm worker,” Brunkhorst said. “Working in and around grain bins can be very dangerous. Flowing grain can completely engulf a worker in seconds.”

Horizontally crusted grain is like a bridge and can collapse and immediately bury farmers walking across the top of it. The collapse of crusted grain on the side of a bin is like an avalanche that can break bones or bury workers.

“People can suffocate with only 12 inches of grain covering them because the weight of the grain prevents movement,” Brunkhorst said.

To alert farmers to this important issue, the Nebraska Corn Board’s latest “CornsTALK” newsletter features a cover story on grain entrapment, including the types of engulfment and contributing factors.

“Out of condition grain is the number one contributing factor of grain entrapments,” Brunkhorst said. “In 2009, a lot of out of condition corn was put into storage simply because it didn’t dry down in the field. Unfortunately, we saw the results of that in 2010’s grain entrapment numbers. We want to encourage farmers to be diligent and train their family members and workers on the hazards of working in and around grain bins and discuss what to do should an accident occur.”

The National Corn Growers Association has produced a video (below) on the subject in conjunction with the National Grain and Feed Foundation (related to the National Grain & Feed Association) that talks about the hazards of flowing and lodged grain. It also discusses how an engulfment can impact a family and farm operation.