Increase In Ag Fatalities and Injuries Highlights Need for Training

By Kathleen M. Dutro

Last year saw a roughly 40% increase in the number of reported cases nationwide involving agricultural confined spaces, according to a report recently released by the Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program.

The Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalitiesis released annually and documents the previous year’s frequency and causes of confined space and grain entrapment incidents in the agricultural industry. It also provides a historical analysis of agricultural confined space hazards.

In 2022, the summary reported 83 cases – 24 fatal and 59 non-fatal – involving agricultural confined spaces. This represents a 40.7% increase over the 59 cases reported in 2021. Not every case may be reported, and as a result, these numbers are approximate.

Of the total number of confinement cases, 42 grain-related entrapments represented a 44.8% increase over 2021. This was the highest number of reported grain entrapments in over a decade. According to the authors, grain entrapments are the most common type of agricultural confined space incident.

The states with the most documented confined space cases of all types in 2022, including fatal and non-fatal, were Iowa with 24; and Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio with six each.

The four states with the largest number of cases historically have been Iowa, 288; Indiana, 238; Minnesota, 225; and Illinois, 218.

“In the summary, an issue we try to point out is the role of out-of-condition grain in grain entrapments,” said Edward Sheldon, research associate with the program and one of the authors of the study. “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.”