Grain entrapments down; fatality rate still high

Fewer grain bin entrapments and other confined-space incidents were documented in 2021 than in years past, but more than one-third of those cases still resulted in fatalities.

Each year, Purdue University publishes the Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities. Data is coded and stored in the Purdue Agricultural Confined Space Incident Database (PACSID).

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In 2021, the most recent year for which data is available, 59 cases were documented: 29 grain entrapments, two falls into or from grain storage structures, seven asphyxiations, seven entanglements with equipment such as in-floor and sweep augers, seven cases involving grain handling facility fires or explosions, and seven miscellaneous cases.

Of those 59 cases, 23 fatalities occurred, with victims ranging from age 16 to 79. The report says that historically, there have been considerably more fatal than non-fatal entrapments documented, but in 2021, there were 18 non-fatal and 11 fatal cases. Between 1962 and 2021, 59% of all confined-space cases were fatal. Fatalities resulted in 39% of cases in 2021.

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While the report points to an increased level of training for emergency first responders and more effective rescue strategies as possible reasons for the shift in percentage of fatalities, it also estimates 30% of cases go unreported.

The total number of confined-space incidents in 2021 was down 7.8% from 2020 and below both the five and ten-year average. "Regardless, the frequency of documented cases remains a concern considering the substantial resources being invested in solving the problem," the report states.

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Confined space incidents were documented in 25 states in 2021, with the most occurring in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Texas, and Washington. Historically, the four states with the most cases have been Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota, and Illinois.

Download a PDF of the full report.