Fatality Investigation: Farmworker Engulfed in Grain Bin

A farmworker enters a grain bin to spread corn when it unexpectedly collapses. On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, a 44-year-old male farm employee (victim) was unloading corn from a large, 80,000-bushel grain bin via a bottom-mounted auger. During the course of the unloading process, the flow of corn seized due to bridged corn. According to OSHA, “bridging’’ occurs when grain clumps together, because of moisture or mold, creating an empty space beneath the grain as it is released. Bridged grain resists the downward pull that normally moves loose grain to the bin outlet and rarely becomes […]