Prevent Grain Bin Accidents by Keeping Grain in Good Condition

Every year we hear of accidents involving farmers who are entrapped in grain bins as they try to dislodge spoiled grain. However, these incidents can be prevented if stored grain is kept in good condition.

For the past 40 years, Bill Field, with the Purdue Ag Safety and Health Program, has been documenting farm accidents across the country, including grain entrapments. He says the resounding theme in all cases is the accidents could have been easily avoided with proper grain management practices.

"There’s a direct correlation between grain that's out of condition or spoiled and the increased probability of someone becoming entrapped," he says. "They’re actually trying to work to get the grain out of storage, it's crusted, it's moldy, it's plugged, so people get in there and try to get it. They fight with it to try to get it out and that’s when they get in trouble."

Remember — storing grain when it's too wet can cause it to spoil and crust in the bin. It's important to dry down crops to 15% moisture or below and maintain that level while the grain is in storage. Monitor grain bins regularly because it only takes a few days for grain to spoil.

"As grain begins to warm up, it's spoiling, it produces heat. If you can monitor the grain before it gets too bad and start moving it out of storage, getting it utilized, getting it shipped off to market, whatever needs to be done, you’re going to save an awful lot of grain," according to Field.

The ultimate goal is to maintain grain quality in storage, so farmers won’t have to enter a bin to try to move spoiled product, thus preventing a potentially costly and deadly entrapment.

For more information, visit Purdue Extension's Ag Confined Spaces website.

 

Latest News

Where Did All the Corn Acres and Principal Crop Acres Go? The Two Biggest Questions from USDA's Big Prospective Plantings Report
Where Did All the Corn Acres and Principal Crop Acres Go? The Two Biggest Questions from USDA's Big Prospective Plantings Report

USDA says farmers intend to plant 90 million acres of corn this year, which was lower than what the trade expected leading into USDA's big Prospective Plantings report.

Vestaron and Simplot Announce Distribution Agreement
Vestaron and Simplot Announce Distribution Agreement

The distribution agreement focuses on Vestaron’s Spear Lep insecticide, which is a peptide-based control method meant to provide growers with a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional chemicals.

The Scoop Podcast: How To Gear Up For Carbon And Sustainability Programs
The Scoop Podcast: How To Gear Up For Carbon And Sustainability Programs

Tim Hushon, sustainability and technology director at The Mill, details how sustainability factors into their ag retail business and how to partner with farmers on the technology adoption required.

Two Crop Protection Partners Divest Postharvest Solutions Company
Two Crop Protection Partners Divest Postharvest Solutions Company

Sumitomo Chemical and Valent BioSciences have announced Pace International will become part of AgroFresh Solutions.

The Untold Farmer Stories Of Ukraine: Q&A With Howard Buffett
The Untold Farmer Stories Of Ukraine: Q&A With Howard Buffett

Farmer and philanthropist Howard Buffett held a fireside chat during the 2024 Top Producer Summit to share his experiences visiting the front line of Ukraine over the past two years.

Get the Facts Straight on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Get the Facts Straight on Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Now that the mystery illness impacting some dairy herds has been revealed as the same strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza that has been impacting the U.S. poultry flock, pork producers are asking questions.