Agriculture and Natural Resources

FSA1010
SuffocationHazards
inGrainBins
Bodie Drake
Grainbinentrapmentsare
Program Technician remindersthatgrainstorage,espe-
ciallyflowinggrain,maybecomevery
Subodh Kulkarni, Ph.D.
dangerous.TragediesinArkansas
Program Associate
haveincludedsuffocationwhenhan-
dlingpoultryfeed,livestockfeed,
Karl Vandevender, Ph.D.
cottonseed,corn,riceandsoybeans.
Professor - Extension
AccordingtostatisticsfromTexas
Engineer
A&MUniversityExtension,over200
farmershavediedasaresultofgrain
binsuffocationaccidentsoverthepast
30years.
AccordingtoanarticleinResource
byMattRobertsandBillFields,in
Someharvestyearsmaybe
2008and2009theratiooffatalitiesto
verywet,causingcrustingof
non-fatalincidentshasdecreased
grainandcloggingofgrain
whencomparedtoearlieryears.In
handlingequipment.When
2009,42percentofentrapments
theseproblemsoccur,individ-
resultedindeathascomparedto
ualsmaybetemptedtoenter
45percentin2008and74percent
between1964and2005.This
grainbinsandattempttodis-
increasedrateofsurvivalmaybe lodgeorunbridgethegrain.
causedbyincreasedemphasisonsafer
Individualsmayworkalone
procedures,firstrespondertraining
whenmonitoringormoving
andcommerciallyavailablegrain
grain,evenifonlyfor
rescuetubes(Figure1),whichwere
shortperiods.
notavailableuntil2007or2008.
However,grainbinsarestilldeadly.
Workershaveinadvertently
Considersomefactorsthatcontribute filledfeedbins,startedgrain
tothishazard. handlingequipmentorfailed
Arkansas Is
toidentifywhereco-workers
Newgrainbinsareusually
Our Campus
wereandwhattheywere
muchlargerandgrainhandling
doingbeforestartinggrainor
ratesaremuchgreaterthan
Visit our web site at: workersareaccustomedto.
feedtransfer.
http://www.uaex.edu
Figure 1. A rescue crew using a
commercially available cofferdam to rescue
a victim trapped in grain (Photo courtesy of
Liberty Rescue System)
University of Arkansas, United States Department of Agriculture, and County Governments Cooperating

Grainorfeedfacilitymanagersorowners
mayoverlookthenecessityofhavinganacci-
dentresponseplanthatisunderstoodby
everyonebeforeapersonbecomesengulfedin
feedorgrain.
Unfortunately,managersorworkersmaynot
understandorplaceenoughemphasison
flowinggrainhazardsespeciallyconsidering
thatapersoncanbecompletelycoveredwith
graininlessthanoneminute.
Inoneinstance,a22-year-oldmandiedinacorn
storagebininMissouriafterhemadeacellphone
callforassistance.Assistancearrivedwithinminutes,
buttheyweretoolate.Dont make the mistake of
your life. Be aware of the dangers of flowing grain
or feed.
Why Enter a Bin?
Successfulowners/managersofstoredgrainor
feedmonitortheirinvestmentregularly.They
mayenteragrainbinorsendsomeonetovisually
checkthegrainorfeedcondition.Someprobe
grainbinstodetermineifgrainmoistureislow
enoughforsafestorage.Othersmayattemptto
detecthotspotsorheatingduetomoisture
migration,poorairflowdistributionorpest
activitywherebrokenkernelshaveaccumulated.
Byenteringabinbeforeaddingfeedorgrain,an
operatorcanbemoreconfidentthatthebinis
readyforadditionalfeedorgrainstorage.The
operatorverifiesthatnew(andpossiblystored)
productwillbepreservedinthebinenvironment.
Grainstoredforseedmaybeinspectedor
sampledforitsviability.
Childrenmayenterastoragebintoplay,ora
trespassermayseekshelter.
Someonemayneedtocompletelyempty,cleanthe
interiororsprayinsecticidesinthebin.
Grainmaycake,clumporbridge,hindering
attemptstoremovegrainfromabin.
Duetohealthrisks,enteringbinsshouldbe
avoidedifpossible.Ifenteringabinisbeingconsid-
ered,alloptions otherthanenteringthebin
shouldbetriedfirst.Ifitisessentialforapersonto
enterthebin,wear a proper full body safety harness
and tether manned by others outside.
Entering a BinYou May Not Come
Out Alive
Whyisflowinggrainsodangerous?Whenthe
valvecenteredunderthebottomofthebinisopened
orthebottomunloadingaugeristurnedon,grainor
feedflowstotheoutlet.Figure2illustrateshow
thegraindirectlyabovetheoutletreplacesthe
dischargedgrain.Thisdownwardflowpatternimme-
diatelytransmitstothetopgrainsurface,startinga
columnofflowinggrain.Verylittlegrainvolume
moveswithinthebin.Thegrainacrossthebottom
andawayfromthecenterofthebindoesnotmove.
Figure 2. As grain leaves the outlet, grain directly above the opening flows down
without stoppage. A continuous column of grain moves from the top surface to the
bottom outlet.

Howrapidlythecentercolumnofgrainisunloaded
fromthebindependsonthesizeoftheopening
and/ortheconveyorcapacity.Theweightofaperson
standingonthegrainforcesthegrainsupportinghim
orhertoflowtotheoutletrapidly.Thispersons
weightisextraforcethataddsvelocitytothegrain
underfootandspeedsthesinkingvictim.
Therateatwhichgrainisremovedwiththe
unloadingaugerorbygravitydischargefromavalve
makesengulfmentmorelikelythanmanygrain
workersmayrealize.Binunloadingaugerstypically
movegrainfromfarmstorageinArkansasat2,000to
10,000bushelsperhour.Attheslower2,000bushels
perhourrate,thisisapproximately41cubicfeetof
grainmovedperminute.Thevolumethata6-foot-
tallpersontakesupisroughly7.5cubicfeet.At41
cubicfeetofgrainmovementperminute,theentire
bodyofa6-foot-tallpersoncanbecoveredwithgrain
in11seconds.Ifthishappenedtoyouinrapidlymov-
inggrain,youwouldbeunabletofreeyourselfbefore
5secondselapsed(Figure3).
Grainmayseemlikeflowingwater,inthatit
exertspressureovertheentiresurfaceofanysub-
mergedobject.However,theamountofforcerequired
topullsomeoneupthroughgrainisfargreaterthan
torescuesomeonefromunderwater.Infact,water
hasabuoyantforcethatfloatsshipsandassists
lifeguardsinrescuingvictimsmuchlargerthanthe
lifeguard.Grainismuchdifferent.Thepredominant
forceisduetoindividualgrainsrubbingtogetherto
createalargefrictionforce.Thisfrictionforcealong
withtheweightoftheindividualmakesitverydiffi-
culttoremoveavictimburiedingrain.Thosewho
haverescuedchildrenwhowerepartiallycovered
withgrainweresurprisedatthestrengthrequired.
Typically,grainresistancepullsapersonsshoesoff
whenheorsheisdrawnout.Researchshowsthat
900poundsofpullisrequiredtoraiseanadultman-
nequincoveredwithwheatorcorn.Inessence,allbut
verywell-preparedandwell-equippedgrainbin
entrapmentrescuesaredoomedtofail.
Asimilartragedymayoccurifsomeoneentersa
binaftergrainbridgesratherthanflowingasindi-
vidualkernels(Figure4).Grainspoilagemaycause
graintocrustorbridge,thusresistingdownward
forcethatreadilymovestheloosegraintothebin
outlet.Anyhollowvolumebecomesatraptoaperson
whodoesntavoidthesehollowareas.Crustedgrain
rarelybecomeshardenoughtosupportaperson
(Figure5).Ifagrainhandlerstopsthegrainfrom
flowingoutofthebinbeforeheorsheenters,that
personmaybecoveredanywaywhenthesurfacecol-
lapsesunderthepersonsweight.Asgraincascades
down,thevictimiscoveredwithanavalancheof
grainthattrapsandsuffocateshimorher.
Inasimilarfashion,victimshavediedwhenrice
orsoybeanscollapsedfromaverticalwall.Ifastack
ofgraindoesnotflowtothebinoutlet,apersonmay
Figure 3. Entering a bin while grain is being removed may be a fatal mistake.
Measurements with dummies indicate that an adult may be engulfed in 11 seconds and,
without immediate rescue, suffocate.

Figure 5. It appears that up to four basic principles were violated: (a) The victim
doesnt seem to have a co-worker when attempting this hazardous task. (b) The
victim entered the bin without a safety harness or lifeline manned by co-workers.
(c) He or she doesnt know or fails to recall the bin unloading history. When grain
doesnt discharge from the unloading auger, be wary! (d) He or she may not have
followed a lock out/tag out measure or failed to keep the key in his/her pocket to
prevent someone from starting the unloading auger.
Figure 4. Potential hazard created by bridging. As the hollow volume under bridged
grain increases, the potential for the grain to collapse increases.
bepronetogetascooporpoletopokethegrainloose.
Eventhoughawallofgrainmayappearperfectly
safe,onescoopofgrainremovedmaystartan
avalanche(Figure6).Ifyouareknockedoffbalance
bythemassofgrain,youarelikelytobecoveredand
suffocate.Incertaincases,bumpingthegrainusinga
polethroughoneofthebinaccesscoversmayrelease
thegrain.Otherwise,donotenterthebinuntila
rescuecrewisassembledshouldyougetintotrouble.
Dontenterwithoutabodyharnessandalifeline
mannedbyatleasttwoothers.Lockoutandtagout
thepowertotheunloadingaugerbeforeentry.Then
startbreakingupthehardenedgrainclosetothetop
ofthepile.Thisreducestheamountofloose,moving
grainandthusitsmomentum,whichcouldknockyou
over.(Also,thereislessgraintocoveryou!)
Dislodgingcrustedgraincanbeveryriskyand
shouldnotbeattemptedwithoutthecorrecttoolsand
awell-plannedresponse.Thisincludeshavingat
leasttwoothersassistingyouasateam.Theteam
shouldbewelltrainedingrainrescueshouldsome-
onebecometrapped.Dontstartthisdangeroustask
ofdislodginggrainuntilyourteamandappropriate
toolsareathand.Evenduringabusyperiodofwork,
youmustbecautiousenoughtoprotectyourselfand
notcompromisesafetyforthesakeofgettingthejob
donefaster.

Figure 6. Beware of a steep wall of cottonseed or grain. Like an avalanche, it can
break loose and force a person down, covering him or her with grain.
Enteringabinwhiletheaugerisoperatingis
dangerous.Thereisnoreasontoenterabinwithan
augerengaged.Aslipnearanaugerwithgridcovers
removed,whetheritiscausedbyflowinggrainora
misjudgment,mayresultinatraumaticentangle-
ment.Alwaysadviseothersofyourintentionsbefore
youenterabin.Equipyourselfbygettingothersto
holdatetherattachedtoyourbodyharnesswhileyou
workinthebinsafely.
Personallyensurethatnoonewillengagepower
toactivateaugersorloadintothebinwhileyouare
inside.OSHA29CFR1928.57regulationsrequire
employees*tofollowlockout/tagoutprocedure.
Locktheleveroffontheelectriccontrolboxwith
yourpadlockandplacethekeytothepadlockin
yourpocket.Padlocksarereadilyavailableforthis
purposeatlocalelectricalsupplybusinesses.
Engulfmentislesscommoningravity-unloaded
systems,butitcanoccurwhengrainorfeedis
dischargedintoordumpedontoanunsuspecting
personinabin.Notworkingalone,coordinatingwith
arescueteamandnotenteringabinwithouta
safetyharnessarenecessaryprecautionsforavoiding
thesetragedies.
Confined Space Entry
Airbornegraindust,microbialsporesand
inadequateoxygentosustainbreathingcancausethe
deathorsicknessofapersonenteringagrainbin
(confinedspace).Persistentexposuretotheseairborne
particlesmaycausefarmerslung,whichmaylead
toanirreversiblelungconditionandmayeventually
causedeath.Flowinggrainhazardsplusmoldand
dusthealthhazardsmayexistwhenworkingwith
grainthathasgoneoutofconditionorhasbridged
intoaprecariousstack.Thosewhoentershouldwear
NIOSH-approveddust-filteringrespiratorsto
protecttheirlungs.Othermoreeffectivefiltering
equipmentmayprovetobeabetteralternativefor
extendedexposures.
How to Reduce the Risk
Rule 1
Workersenteringagrainorfeedbinshouldhave
abodyharnesstetheredtoalifelinethatismanned
bytwoothersoutsidethebin.Oneworkershouldbe
abletoseetheworkerinsidethebinthroughan
access.Thissupportcrewcanretrievetheonewho
enteredthebin.Onerescuercangetaid,ifnecessary,
afterthevictimisretrieved,whiletheotheristreat-
ingthevictim.Dontdependonbeingabletobe
heardfromtheinsidetotheoutsideofthebin.The
useofprearrangedarmandhandsignalsisonesug-
gestionfortheseconditions.Itisdifficulttohearwhen
grain-handlingordryingequipmentisoperating.
*Farms are not covered by OSHA jurisdiction unless they employ more than 10 employees. The Federal Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) has confined space entry regulations under 29CFR, article 1910 146, that may apply to workers.

Rule 2
Neverenterabinof
flowinggrain.Ifyoudropa
grainprobeorshovel,first
stoptheflowofgrain,take
theprecautionsgivenin
Rule1,thenretrievethe
lostitem.Remember,no
pieceofequipmentis
worthahumanlife
(Figure7).
Rule 3
Youshouldknoworbe
waryaboutagrainbins
historybeforeentering.
Gethelpifthegrain
surfaceappearsmoldyor
caked.Getatleasttwo
helpersandhaveatether
andasafetyharness
(Rule1).Strikethegrain
surfacehardwithapoleor
long-handledtoolbefore
entry.Probethroughthe
toplayeranddetermineif
thereisacrustedsurface
(Figure8);nevergetoutof
communicationwithyour
co-workers.
Rule 4
Dontfailtolock
out/tagoutrelatedpower
equipmentbeforeentering
anybin(Figure9).Itmay
alsobewisetopostasign
onthecontrolboxifitis
possiblethatothersmay
arriveafteryoupadlock
thecontrollevers.Ifabin
isunloadedbygravity
flow,padlockthecontrol
gatetokeepitclosed.
Figure 7. Be prepared with help and a safety harness before entering a grain bin.
Always use the lock out/tag out procedure to prevent any equipment from being
energized and putting you at risk while you are in a cottonseed, grain or feed bin.
Figure 8. Bridged grain presents a danger, even when the bin is not being unloaded.
Figure 9. In modern grain facilities, bins may load or unload when automatic
controls energize the circuits. Be aware of automated controls for grain sys-
tems, never entering a bin until the vital circuits are locked out and tagged out.

Figure 10. Follow your accident response plan. Make adjustments to fit the
circumstances of the rescue without putting yourself or others in harms way.
The first rule of rescue is to avoid becoming a second victim, doubling the
demands on others. Take the proper precautions the first time. You may not
have a second chance.
Rule 5
Anaccidentresponseplanwasmentionedtoward
thebeginningofthispublication(Figure10).Any
adjustmentstorescueanothershouldnotendangera
secondvictim.Arescueshouldnotincreasethe
numberofnortheseverityofinjurytovictims.
Havingappropriatebreathingapparatusisessential
ifthevictimhasbeenunabletogetsufficientoxygen
orhasbeenbreathingaircontaininggraintoxins.
Useadequatedustprotection,andtakearopeto
removethevictimfromthebinwithoutusingyour
tether.Again,anadequatecrewisessentialto
retrieveavictimwithoutplacingyourselfinthesame
danger!Beforeconcludingthatyoushouldentera
bin,makesureadequatehelpisavailabletopullyou
outwithyourtetherandsafetyharness.
Rule 6
Preventativesafetymeasuresshouldinclude
properladders,scaffolds,etc.Modernbinshavean
interiorladder,andthesecanbeinstalledinolder
bins.Haveabodyharness,tether,breathingappara-
tusandaminimumoftwoothersinyourcrewifyou
havereasontoenterabin.Remember,alwaystryto
alleviateaproblemwithoutenteringthegrainbin.
Donotenterwithoutfollowingallaccidentpreven-
tionmeasures,havingatrainedcrewandusingthe
recommendedequipment.
What Should I Do If I
Become Trapped
Remember,ifyoubecometrapped,youwillneed
togethelp.Gettinghelpandsuccessfullybeing
rescuedismucheasierifyouhaveanaccident
responseplan.Contactyourhelpwaitingoutsidethe
bin.Pullingapersonfromgraincanbeverydifficult
duetothefrictionforcestransferredfromthegrainto
theperson.Donotattempttowinchapersonfrom
grainifthepersonisburieddeeperthankneedeep.
Thismaycausejointdislocation,paralysisandother
severeinjuries.Thegrainmustberemovedfrom
aroundthepersontogethimorherout.Youcando
thisbycuttingholesinthesideofthegrainbinorby
creatingacofferdamaroundthepersonandbailing
outgrainwithashopvacorabucket.Graincoffer-
damscanbeconstructedbydrivingsheetsofplywood
aroundtheperson.Theycanalsobeconstructedout
ofplasticbarrels.Currently,thereareseveralcom-
merciallyavailablegrainrescuetubeswithinterlock-
ingpiecesthatareconnectedanddrivenintothe
graintocreateacofferdam.Commercialrescuetubes
typicallyhavestepsontheinsidetoassistthevictim
inclimbingoutofthegrain.
PleaseBefore Its Too Late
Discussthesafetyhazardsofgraindryersand
binsandfeed-handlingandstoragefacilitieswith

yourfamilyandemployees.Makespecificaccident
responseplanswithemployeesandanyone,suchasa
trucker,whofrequentlyworksaroundthefacility.
Eachhastheresponsibilitytobeawareofpotentially
unsafeconditionsandtotakestepstoremedythem.
Byworkingtogetherasateam,moreofthedangers
willbeidentifiedandmorepracticalremedieswillbe
taken.Ifyouuseateamapproach,thepotentialof
entanglementorsuffocationisalmosteliminated.
References
HandSignalsforUseinAgriculture,ASAES351.2005.
AmericanSocietyofAgriculturalEngineersStandards,
St.Joseph,MI.
Kingman,D.M.,W.E.FieldandD.E.Maier.2001.
SummaryofFatalEntrapmentsinOn-FarmGrain
StorageBins,1966-1998,Journal of Agricultural
Health and Safety,Vol.7(3):169-184,St.Joseph,MI.
McKenzie,B.L.A.,SuffocationHazardsinFlowingGrain,
AgriculturalEngineeringDepartment,Purdue
University,WestLafayette,IN.
Roberts,M.,andB.Field.2010,July/August.ADisturbing
Trend:U.S.GrainEntrapmentsontheIncrease.
Resource,AmericanSocietyofAgriculturaland
BiologicalEngineers,10-11.
Acknowledgments: DennisGardisser,retiredExtensionengineerandprofessor,andGaryHuitink,retiredExtension
engineerandassociateprofessor,areacknowledgedfortheirdevelopmentofthispublication.Thegraphicswere
adaptedfromapublicationbyBringleJennings,formerextensionspecialist,UniversityofArkansasDivisionofAgricul-
ture,LittleRock;Dr.OttoLoewer,Jr.,professor,BiologicalandAgriculturalEngineering,UniversityofArkansas,
Fayetteville;andDr.DavidH.Loewer,Wynne,Arkansas.
Printed by University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Printing Services.
BODIE DRAKE isprogramtechnician,DR. SUBODH KULKARNI is
programassociateandDR. KARL VANDEVENDER isprofessor-
Extensionengineer,BiologicalandAgriculturalEngineering,University
ofArkansasDivisionofAgriculture,LittleRock.
FSA1010-PD-9-10RV
IssuedinfurtheranceofCooperativeExtensionwork,ActsofMay8and
June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department ofAgriculture,
Director, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas. The
ArkansasCooperativeExtensionServiceoffersitsprogramstoalleligi-
ble persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender,
age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected
status,andisanAffirmativeAction/EqualOpportunityEmployer.