Suffocations in grain bins--Minnesota, 1992-1995.
Suffocation in flowing grain is the most common cause of death associated with grain storage structures in the United States: during 1985-1989, suffocation accounted for 49 grain- and silage-handling-associated fatalities. During 1992-1995, nine persons in Minnesota died in separate incidents from asphyxiation after becoming engulfed in flowing grain within a grain storage structure. The Minnesota Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program (FACE), a program sponsored by CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), was notified of the incidents by the state Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MN-OSHA), Minnesota Extension Services, and a newspaper clipping service. This report describes the investigation of three of these incidents by FACE, summarizes surveillance for grain bin suffocations during 1992-1995, and provides recommendations to prevent suffocations associated with grain storage bins.
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000401:mortality* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology