5 MIN READ

Grain Bin Safety for Grain Storage

April 6, 2026

  • Grain storage facilities are hazardous.
  • Only trained personnel should be allowed around grain storage facilities.
  • Never work alone around grain bins.
  • Never enter grain bins when unloading equipment is operating.
  • Never enter grain bins without proper safety equipment.
  • Family and employees should be trained in grain facility hazards and have emergency procedures in place.

The handling and storing of grain are far from safe activities that can quickly cause injuries or deaths. Accidents around grain facilities can include entrapment, falls into or off grain bins, suffocation, entanglement in equipment, and poisoning by toxic gases (Figure 1). An action as innocuous as placing a child on grain in a wagon can become a tragedy within moments if the child starts sinking into the grain and, without supervision, succumbs to suffocation.

Large grain storage facilities where grain bin safety is key
Figure 1. Grain storage facilities can be hazardous regardless of size or complexity. Image Courtesy of Purdue Agricultural & Biological Engineering Department.

At the end of 2023, the Purdue Agricultural Confined Space Incident Database (PACSID) documented 2,378 grain storage and handling facility incidents between 1962 and 2023.1 Grain entrapment or engulfment accounted for 58.7% (1396) of these incidents with about 58% being fatal.1 On average, grain entrapment claims the lives of about 24 people each year.2 But this need not be the case. Regardless of the cause, hindsight usually reveals that any accident could have been avoided. Awareness of and respect for the hazards is critical to grain bin safety.

Grain Bin Safety Education

Grain bin education and safety implementation procedures are keys to help reduce the potential for injury or death. Everyone involved with the farming operation—including family and employees—should attend or be involved in a grain handling safety awareness program. Signs should be visible around storage facilities to alert everyone of potential hazards. There should always be more than two trained individuals participating in any grain storage activity, with at least one person remaining available to notify rescue crews if needed. If a person is inside a bin, there should be one person outside of the bin hatch who has a visual on the person inside and at least one person on the ground who can call 911 in an emergency. The person in the bin should be wearing a safety harness attached to a hard point.3,4,5,6

Grain Bin Safety Equipment

  • All grain moving equipment (augers, conveyors) should be turned off and locked out if people are going into a bin. For trucks or wagons, gravitational flow can suck a person through the grain exit point and into an exterior auger.
  • The power source for storage equipment should be turned off and locked out before any repairs are made. Locking the power source out is essential to keep an unknowing person from restarting the equipment when others are involved in repair operations.
  • Power take off (PTO) shafts should be properly covered to prevent entanglement.
  • Augers should be adequately covered to prevent contact with the auger flighting when operating.
  • Power lines should be underground to prevent inadvertent contact when augers, ladders, or other equipment are raised into operating position.
  • Personal safety equipment should include a dust mask or respirator and a safety harness that is attached to a solid point with a rope that has limited range.
  • A Lifeline System should be installed, which involves attaching a harnessed person to a rope going through a pully at the bin roof center and a rope anchored outside the bin wall.7

Grain Entrapment from Grain Crusting

Grain crusting is a leading cause of grain entrapment. The potential for grain entrapment increases in spoiled or out-of-condition grain because surface crusting can form and create a non-supportive bridge over the grain below. If an individual breaks through the crust and falls into the void below the crust (Figures 2 and 3), surrounding grain can quickly flow into the void and cover the person—particularly if the unloading auger is operating (Figure 4). Grain below 15% moisture content is less likely to spoil. Cracks and other openings in storage facilities should be filled or closed to deter moisture from being absorbed by the grain.4

When spoiled grain is present, the potential for molds and toxic gases exists. Therefore, it is important to run aeration systems and open hatches to allow fresh air to enter the bin. Appropriate protective masks and respirators should be available.

For more information on best practices for storing grain, please visit Post Harvest Grain Storage Management and Storing Grain Compromised by Mold and Mycotoxins.


Farmer standing on moldy grain bridge in a grain storage facility
Figure 2. Person standing on a moldy grain bridge. Picture courtesy of and used with the permission of Aaron Yoder, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health.


Farmer sinking due to broken moldy grain bridge in a grain storage facility
Figure 3. A moldy grain bridge has broken, causing a person to fall into the void and flowing grain. Picture courtesy of and used with the permission of Aaron Yoder, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health.


Farmer engulfed in moldy corn in a grain storage facility
Figure 4. Person engulfed in moldy corn after breaking through a grain bridge. Picture courtesy of and used with the permission of Aaron Yoder, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health.

Flowing Grain Entrapment

When grain flows out of a bin, truck, or wagon by gravity or augers, the downward suction can quickly pull individuals into the mass. Within 3 to 5 seconds, an individual can be entrapped to their knees or waist, and complete coverage can occur within 20 to 30 seconds. If not rescued, suffocation can quickly occur (Figure 5). The deeper a person sinks into the grain, the dramatically greater the required force is to pull the person free (Figure 6). The flowing mass can also pull the individual into the unloading auger (Figure 4). Even if the person’s head is above the grain, the force pushing against the chest can prevent the person from breathing and result in asphyxiation.3,4,5

Image showing how quickly a farmer can be engulfed and suffocate in a grain bin from flowing grain entrapment
Figure 5. Within seconds, a person can be drawn downward into flowing grain and suffocate. Picture courtesy of and used with the permission of Aaron Yoder, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health.


Image showing pulling force needed by depth to save a farmer from flowing grain entrapment in a grain bin
Figure 6. As a person sinks deeper into the grain, the pulling force required to pull the person from the grain increases dramatically. Picture courtesy of and used with the permission of Aaron Yoder, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health.

Avalanche Grain Entrapment

Avalanche entrapment can occur when a person attempts to break down a wall of crusted grain within the bin. When the crusted wall is compromised, large chunks of hardened grain can fall onto the person and cause entrapment or injury (Figure 7).3,4,5

Image of farmer where grain entrapment was caused by grain avalanche
Figure 7. Grain wall collapsing on person trying to break it loose. Picture courtesy of and used with the permission of Aaron Yoder, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health.

An excellent grain bin safety video is available from the National Corn Growers Association. It can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaZlS-GZoIA&feature=youtu.be.

The Grain Handling Safety Coalition provides training modules for farm and commercial operations. The modules are a good resource for information on grain bin safety and other farm-related hazards.


Sources

1Cheng, Y-.H., Field, B., Nour, M., Ambrose, K., Sheldon, E., and Sheldon, B. 2023. 2023 summary of agricultural confined space-related injuries and fatalities. Purdue University, Agricultural Safety and Health Program. https://www.purdue.edu/engineering/abe/agconfinespaces/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2023-Summary-of-US-Ag-Confined-Space_v2-edited9.5.24.pdf
2Ohnstad. K. 2020. University of Minnesota Extension discusses grain bin safety for Minnesota farmers. Wright County Government, Press Release Desk, News Partner. https://standup4grainsafety.org/2020/04/university-of-minnesota-extension-discusses-grain-bin-safety-for-minnesota-farmers/
3Krekelberg, E. 2020. Grain bin safety. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/farm-safety/grain-bin-safety
42026. Agricultural confined spaces. Purdue University. https://www.purdue.edu/engineering/abe/agconfinespaces/about-us/
5Jones, C.L. 2016. Grain bin entrapment: Don’t let it happen to you! Oklahoma State University, OSU Extension. BAE-1113. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/grain-bin-entrapment-dont-let-it-happen-to-you.html
6Grain bin safety. Ag Hub Topics. North Dakota State University. https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/ag-topics/farm-safety-health/farm-safety/grain-bin-safety
7Keimig, J. 2023. Grain bin safety improvements. South Dakota State University, South Dakota State University Extension. https://extension.sdstate.edu/grain-bin-safety-improvements.

Other Resources
Hellevang, K. 2023 (revised). Original author Maher, G.G. (1995). Caught in the grain! North Dakota State University Extension. AE1102. https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/sites/default/files/2024-01/ae1102.pdf
National Ag Safety Database (NASD). AgHealth Central States Center for
Agricultural Safety and Health. University of Nebraska Medical Center. University of Nebraska-Omaha. http://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/cscash/
AGDAILY Reporters. 2019. NCGA urges farmers to practice proper grain bin safety this harvest. National Corn Growers Association, from AGDAILY. https://www.agdaily.com/news/ncga-urges-farmers-harvest-safely-fall/
Grain Handling Safety Coalition. https://grainsafety.org/
Web sources verified 3/31/26.1018_157258



Disclaimer

Always read and follow pesticide label directions, insect resistance management requirements (where applicable), and grain marketing and all other stewardship practices.