WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – A recent annual summary revealed that nine grain dust explosions were reported in the United States in 2023, resulting in 12 injuries but no fatalities. These incidents, all occurring in the Midwest, highlighted the dangers faced by workers in the grain industry, particularly in corn handling or processing facilities.
Professor Kingsly Ambrose, from Purdue University’s agricultural and biological engineering department, emphasized the severity of dust explosions in the industry. He highlighted the potential financial and personal losses resulting from such incidents, including downtime, repair costs, injuries, and even fatalities.
Despite no increase in the number of reported incidents from the previous year, the 10-year average of 8.4 explosions remains relatively stable. This average is significantly lower than the figures seen before the implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s grain handling standard in 1988.
The explosions in 2023 were distributed across various facilities in the Midwest, including an ethanol plant, a wheat mill, grain elevators, soybean and corn processing plants, and a corncob processing plant. The primary ignition sources were identified in some cases, including fire, equipment malfunction, and unknown sources, all fueled by grain dust.
These incidents occurred in four different states, with Illinois and Minnesota experiencing three explosions each, followed by two in Iowa and one in Indiana. Ambrose stressed the importance of educating workers and employers on dust explosion prevention and implementing relevant prevention technologies in grain handling facilities.
To address this critical need, Ambrose highlighted the necessity to develop practical educational materials and raise awareness among workers to prevent future incidents. Purdue University has been actively involved in collecting data related to grain dust explosions in the United States since 2015, aiming to improve safety measures in the industry.