Grain bin entrapment fatalities at record high in US
The Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program reported 46 entrapments in the US this year, the most since the university began tracking farming accidents in 1978.
The 2010 record tops the record of 42 set in 1993. Twenty-five of the 46 entrapments resulted in death. Of the entrapments, 33 were on farms and 13 at commercial grain facilities.
The increase was expected in part due to last year’s late harvest and poor crop conditions, which created mouldy and caked grain in bins, Purdue Farm Safety specialist Bill Field said.
Because many non-fatal grain-related entrapments go unreported, Field estimates the total number of actual cases could be 20 to 30% higher nationwide.
Join 26,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the feed sector, three times a week.
