Agricultural or farming operations are among the top industries in both Indiana and Illinois. According to the Indiana Department of Agriculture, not only is Indiana the 8th largest agricultural exporter in the nation, over eighty percent (80%) of Indiana land is dedicated to farms, forests, and woodland. Each year, the Hoosier State tallies in the top five states in the country for the production of everything from tomatoes and eggs to pumpkin, soybeans and importantly, corn for grain.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture for the State of Illinois reports that Illinois farms take up seventy-five percent (75%) of the state’s total land area with a comparable variety of crops grown annually as those in Indiana. Of note, grains (particularly corn) make up the majority of Illinois’ annual crop output.
The dangers of a catastrophic or fatal industrial accident involving commercial grain storage, handling, or transport in our agricultural communities remains unacceptably high. While injuries can come from a variety of incidents, such as motor vehicle accidents during harvesting, the greatest risk to farm workers involves the particular characteristics of working with grain itself.
Dangers of Grain Storage, Handling, and Transport for Agricultural Industrial Workers
Warns the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”): “…[t]he grain handling industry is a high hazard industry where workers can be exposed to numerous serious and life threatening hazards.”
Workers in our local farming operations, no matter the size, face the possibility of serious personal injury in any of the following types of agricultural accidents involving grain crops:
- Amputations or loss of limbs from incidents involving grain handling equipment;
- Burns from fires from grain dust accumulation;
- Burns from explosions caused by grain dust accumulation;
- Crushing injuries (back, neck, internal organs) from incidents involving grain handling equipment;
- Falls from heights during the process of working with the crops in storage, handling, or transport; and
- Suffocation when engulfed or entrapped by grain.
The deadliest threat to these farm workers is suffocation. Grain is heavy and thick and can prevent a human being from being able to get enough oxygen into their lungs. These are horrific on-the-job events where the farm worker can perish literally in seconds.
What happens in a grain suffocation accident?
In these tragedies, a person is buried in the grain itself (“engulfed”) and cannot extricate themselves from the corn (or other grain), becoming entrapped in the grain. OSHA reports that this type of worker death usually happens when the farm worker is walking on the grain or trying to clean up grain from the sides of a bin.
Shockingly, Illinois in particular, as well as Indiana, are both recognized by experts as being two of the most dangerous states in the country for this type of worker accident and resulting harm.
The High Risk of Grain Entrapment in Illinois and Indiana
Each year, Indiana’s own Purdue University publishes an annual report regarding severe or deadly grain entrapment incidents in this country. From the latest Purdue University report, we know the following:
- Illinois reported the most fatalities in 2020;
- Illinois had “more than double” fatalities as the next two highest reporting states, Minnesota and North Dakota;
- Illinois also reported the most grain-entrapment cases in 2020; and
- Indiana and Illinois (along with Iowa and Minnesota) have historically recorded the most grain entrapment cases.
See, “2020 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities,” published by Purdue University in May 2021.
For those who are earning a living working with grain in our local agricultural industry, as well as their loved ones, it is vital that they understand the great danger of severe or deadly harm, particularly that of suffocation, when working in farming operations in Indiana and Illinois.
Other Hazards and Risks Facing Grain Workers
While suffocation is the greatest danger facing workers in Indiana and Illinois when working with grain, other dangers are also present that are unique to this type of work. Consider the following:
Explosion
OSHA warns that a great many workers can be hurt or killed if grain dust is not properly monitored and processed. Grain dust explosions are particularly deadly when the grain combusts within a grain elevator where the number of victims can be especially high.
Falls
Additionally, falls are a known risk of severe or fatal harm to grain workers. Since their tasks require maneuvering on surfaces at some height, including skylights and catwalks, as well as performing work on ladders, scaffolds, or heavy machinery, the chance that footing will fail and a fall will happen is very high.
Crushing or Loss of Limb
Added to this is the use of special machinery and equipment in grain operations which can harm or kill the farm worker or cause loss of limb or amputation. These include things like augers and conveyor belts.
Employer Has a Legal Duty of Care and Safety for Workers in Grain Operations
Farming and agricultural operations of every size here in Illinois and Indiana are heavily regulated because of the known dangers facing these workers. Of particular concern are the dangers of grain storage, handling, and transport.
Both state and federal laws are on the books that demand farm workers be protected by all reasonable and prudent efforts from the dangers they face, such as burns; suffocation; amputation; or fatal crushing injuries.
The employer and those who own or are in control of the grain operations have legal responsibilities that include doing things like:
- Training personnel in the dangers of grain operations so they can monitor daily operations for possible hazards;
- Training all workers in the hazards of their worksite and their particular jobs;
- Keeping all workers from walking down grain on the site;
- Providing personal protective equipment (“PPE”) for workers, including safety harnesses, a boatswain’s chair, or lifelines to prevent entrapment;
- Having proper and up-to-date electrical wiring and equipment designed for hazardous locations;
- Establishing and maintaining proper lockout and tagout policies for repair or maintenance of machines and equipment; and
- Monitoring and protecting against the accumulation of grain dust.
For more, read “7 steps to grain safety,” written by Erica Quinlan and published by AgriNews on April 16, 2021 and 29 CFR 1910.272.
If a worker has been hurt while working with grain in the farming or agricultural operations of Illinois or Indiana, then that accident victim has a legal right to investigate the incident to determine if the facts show that a legal duty of care and safety was breached which caused the harm. This can establish legal rights to recompense that can include medical expenses, long-term care, lost wages, pain and suffering, physical and psychological rehabilitation costs, and more.
For more, read:
- Amputation Injuries from On-the-Job Work Accidents in Indiana or Illinois
- Burn Injuries from Accidents: Permanent Harm, Disability, or Death
- Serious or Deadly Farm Accidents in Indiana and Illinois
- Grain Accidents in Indiana and Illinois: Danger of Death in Engulfment, Entrapment, or Explosion
- Accident Dangers for Indiana Agricultural Workers: Farming, Fishing, Hunting, Forestry
- Lockout Tagout Accidents in Indiana and Illinois: Employer Liability.
Working in the agricultural and farming industries is a longstanding tradition with a great history here in Indiana and Illinois. Sadly, statistics have proven that these workers face a high risk of serious injury or even death as they go about their daily tasks because employers neglect established duties of care and safety on the job site. Please be careful out there!
