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Agriculture Safety

From the environment and farming equipment, to the machinery and livestock, work in the agriculture industry is hazardous. Farming is one of the few industries in which families, who often work and live on the premises, are also at risk for fatal and non-fatal injuries.

This webpage has been developed to connect employers and employees with critical information and resources to ensure worker safety and health in the agriculture industry. The information, checklists, links and other resources found on this page are not a substitute for worker safety and health training.

Fatal Occupational Injuries in Indiana's Agriculture Industry

The information provided below was extracted from the Indiana Department of Labor's preliminary analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) data for 2020.

  • 21 workers in Indiana's agriculture industry died on-the-job in 2020.
  • 19 of the workplace fatalities in the agriculture industry in 2020 are attributed to the crop production segment.
  • About 1 in every 8 fatal workplace injuries in Indiana in 2020 occurred in the agriculture industry.
  • 12 of these fatal workplace injuries were transportation-related.

Non-fatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses in Indiana's Agriculture Industry

The information provided below was extracted from the Indiana Department of Labor's analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) data for 2020.

  • The agriculture industry has the second highest non-fatal worker injury and illness rate (4.3 per 100 workers) in Indiana.
  • Approximately 60% of the non-fatal injuries in this industry required the affected worker to spend 1 or more days away from work.
  • The average number of days away from work for the affected worker was 10.
  • The most common nature of injury in the agriculture industry in Indiana is fractures (38%).

Website Links and Additional Resources

The Indiana Department of Labor's INSafe division provides free, confidential and onsite consultation to Hoosier employers. Employers will not receive citations for safety and health hazards identified by INSafe Consultants. Instead, INSafe Consultants proactively work with employers and employee to identify and correct these hazards. Requests for onsite consultation or technical assistance will not initiate and IOSHA inspection.

For more information about INSafe, click here. Employers may request a free onsite consultation online by clicking here.

To review OSHA standards for the Agriculture industry, click here.

Other helpful links and resources may be found below.

Safe Entrance of Grain Storage Bins  

1. Turn off and lock out all powered equipment associated with the bin, including augers used to help move the grain, so that the grain is not being emptied or moving out or into the bin. Standing on moving grain is deadly; the grain acts like “quicksand” and can bury a worker in seconds. Moving grain out of a bin while a worker is in the bin creates a suction that can pull the workers into the grain in seconds.
2. Prohibit walking down grain and similar practices where an employee walks on grain to make it flow.
3. Provide all employees a body harness with a lifeline, or a boatswains chair, and ensure that it is secured prior to the employee entering the bin.
4. Provide an observer stationed outside the bin or silo being entered by an employee. Ensure the observer is equipped to provide assistance and that their only task is to continuously track the employee in the bin.
5. Prohibit workers from entry into bins or silos underneath a bridging condition, or where a build-up of grain products on the sides could fall and bury them.
6. Test the air within a bin or silo prior to entry for the presence of combustible and toxic gases, and to determine if there is sufficient oxygen.
7. Ensure a permit is issued for each instance a worker enters a bin or silo, certifying that the precautions listed above have been implemented.

Worker Safety and Health In Grain Handling Facilities

1. Prevent falls: Provide all employees with a body harness and lifeline, or a boatswains chair, and ensure it is properly secured before entering a grain bin.
2. Prevent electrocution/auger entanglement: Before grain bin or silo entry, shut down and lockout all equipment power sources. Station an observer outside the bin or silo who continuously monitors and tracks the employee inside the bin.
3. Prevent engulfment: Prohibit employees from walking-down the grain or using similar practices to make the grain flow. Prohibit entry into bins or silos underneath a bridging condition, or where there is a build-up of grain products on side walls that could shift and bury a worker.
4. Prevent dust explosions: Prior to any entry, test the air within a bin or silo for the presence of combustible and toxic gases and make sure there is sufficient oxygen for safe entry.