Grain Bin Deaths & Safety Awareness

Agriculture continues to rank among the nation’s most dangerous industries. A new report from Purdue University shows at least 48 grain entrapment cases were reported last year, including 22 deaths. While those numbers have improved from past years, researchers say the danger inside grain bins remains very real. Bill Field, a longtime farm safety expert with Purdue, says the numbers only tell part of the story.

Field says tracking these incidents is challenging because there is no single national reporting system. Purdue relies on media reports, word of mouth, and even obituaries to build its database. But beyond the numbers, he says communities need to have realistic conversations about what happens when someone becomes trapped.

Field is not discounting the importance of rescue training. In fact, he helped develop the first commercial grain rescue tube and has trained thousands of emergency responders. But he says the industry may have focused too much on the rescue after an accident happens, rather than preventing the accident in the first place.

Iowa, historically, has recorded more cumulative agriculture confined space and grain bin entrapment cases than any other state in the U.S, totally 296 documented historical cases, according to Purdue University’s agriculture safety data. The most effective rescue is the one that never has to happen. That means keeping grain in good condition, avoiding entry into bins whenever possible, and never going inside alone.