The number of confirmed grain bin entrapments and other confined space incidents dropped last year, according to a Purdue Extension study. It is likely, however, that many cases go unreported, a Purdue Extension farm safety expert says. And there is no mandatory national reporting system for confined space incidents, according to Purdue Professor of Agricultural Safety and Health Bill Field.
“Based on prior research through media sources and public safety records, it is estimated that the documented annual cases of agricultural confined space injuries or fatalities represent only about 70 percent of the total incidents that have occurred in the Corn Belt,” Field said. “There has been reluctance on the part of some victims and employers to report nonfatal incidents since doing so could result in work delays or higher insurance costs.”
Nationwide, 47 confined space incidents were reported last year, a 34 percent decrease from 2014, when 71 cases were confirmed, according to Purdue’s annual Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities. It was the fewest number of reported confined space cases since 46 were recorded in 2006.
The study showed the number of fatalities fell from 31 in 2014 to 25 last year.
The most common type of confined space incident was once again grain entrapments, with 24 reports nationwide. There were 38 documented entrapments in 2014.