Contributing Factors to Engulfments in On-Farm Grain Storage Bins

Towards a software architecture to manage occupational safety at grain handling and storage facilities

The study had as objective to evaluate occupational hazards on grain storage unit to define a conceptual model, implemented in an algorithm to manage the grains storage facilities safety standards compliance. Sampling points location were defined for static quantification of noise, dust and heat stress hazards in grains pre-processing operations to indicate the effectiveness of the control measures implemented. Safety standards applied to grain handling and storage facilities were identified and selected. Chart flows were elaborated to the algorithm logics and conceptual modeling. The highest level of noise was present in the grain cleaning operation (99.1 dB), while the expedition operation has the highest level of dust (20.27%). The heat stress was present in the grain drying operation (43.64 WBGT). Noise analysis did not show a difference between grains, only between operations. The flow of corn grain mass caused higher dust concentrations in the expedition operation. The method applied to characterize and quantify the hazards in grain storage units was satisfactory, and it is recommended as standard, for use in corn and soybean grains handling and storage units. The algorithm to manage occupational safety at storage facilities collaborates to monitor the safety compliance on postharvest operations.

Systematic review of occupational hazards at postharvest grain operations

INTRODUCTION

Agriculture stands out in relation to the high number of occupational incidents and diseases. In this sense, grains postharvest operations, such as receiving, precleaning, drying, storage and shipping the grains, are highlighted in the number of injuries and fatalities.

AIM

To identify and extract qualitative and quantitative data related to the main occupational hazards present in grains postharvest operations at preprocessing and storage facilities.

METHODS

A systematic review was carried out in the databases of Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science for papers published between 1980 and 2019. The abstract should have described a study related to any occupational hazard (physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic and mechanical) and at least one of the occupational hazards should be related to any postharvest operations.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

In total, 42% of 38 analysed papers were published between 2015 and 2019. Three journals were responsible for 45% of publications related to occupational hazards present in grains postharvest operations. The most part of analysed publications related to confined spaces, grain entrapment, machine entanglement and falls hazards are related to Purdue University's Agricultural Safety and Health Program which applied research in occupational safety at grains postharvest.

CONCLUSIONS

The creation of standardised internationals can collaborate to reduce occupational risks in grain storage units. It is suggested the development of monitoring technologies to obtain real-time information on noise, dust, gases and heat in postharvest operations and equipment. The use of intelligent algorithms can create prevention mechanisms for possible occupational risks and avoid injuries to employees.

Acute Respiratory Obstruction due to Accidental Inhalation of Perlite: A Novel Mechanism for Upper Airway Occlusion with Cast Formation

A 56-year-old man died following a fall resulting in complete submersion into a deep pit containing insulation material, expanded perlite. The most striking finding at autopsy was of impacted, moist pale yellow perlite that extended from the epiglottis into the main bronchi resulting in complete obstruction of the larger and smaller airways with cast formation. Perlite inhalation differs from inhalation of inert materials such as sand and wheat due to its hygroscopic properties and ability to expand forming an occlusive cast. Subsequent analyses of perlite from the worksite and within the airways indicated that hydration of perlite and adsorption of organic molecules into the perlite glass flakes had formed an interlocking, three-dimensional structure that was likely responsible for triggering a coagulation-flocculation process causing strong cohesion between the aggregates of glass flakes. This unique mechanism was likely responsible for the formation of the plug of perlite that obstructed the upper airway.

Contributing Causes of Injury or Death in Grain Entrapment, Engulfment, and Extrication

OBJECTIVES

Grain entrapments and engulfments are one of most common hazards associated with grain storage facilities, with over 1,140 such entrapments/engulfments documented since the 1970s. The objective of the study was to determine the factors that contribute to injury or death in grain entrapment, engulfment, and extrication cases.

METHODS

A literature review, including data contained in the Purdue Agricultural Confined Spaces Incident Database (PACSID), was conducted to determine the conditions that the body experiences during an entrapment or engulfment in grains and during extrication efforts.

RESULTS

Based on the review, the conditions a human body faces during an entrapment, engulfment, or extraction can be split into two broad categories-environmental and physiological/psychological. The environmental factors depend on the grain's properties, depth of entrapment or engulfment, position of the victim's body, and characteristics of the storage unit, which include the grain's lateral pressure, vertical pressure, and weight, as well as friction, oxygen availability and diffusion rate, and grain temperature. The physiological and psychological factors are related to the individual's age and physical and psychological conditions, and manifest themselves in terms of oxygen consumption, asphyxiation (including aspiration, lack of oxygen, compression or splinting of the thorax), blood flow, and heart rate.

CONCLUSION

Of all the above factors, a review of fatality data contained in the PACSID indicate that aspiration, asphyxiation, grain weight, and lateral pressure are most likely the primary cause of death for most entrapment victims. Research gaps found by this study include an understanding of the impact of lateral pressure on lung expansion and oxygen availability and consumption rate, and the need for more case studies to accurately determine cause of death.

Analysis of factors contributing to 674 agricultural driveline-related injuries and fatalities documented between 1970 to 2003

Unguarded agricultural power take-off (PTO) drivelines and related components, including secondary drivelines powered by the PTO, have been historically recognized as serious farm-related hazards that can cause severe, permanently disabling injuries and death when entanglement occurs. The lack of longitudinal and causative data on these incidents has been a barrier for developing relevant and effective intervention strategies. A study was conducted at Purdue University to design, develop, and test a system to document, code, store, and analyze a large amount of agriculture driveline-related injury and fatality data to allow for identification of causative factors and trends that could be used in developing engineering, educational, and regulatory solutions. This was accomplished by first developing a standardized injury reporting form and coding system and then developing an electronic database, using Microsoft(R) Access 2002,(R) which could be used to document, store, query, and analyze agricultural driveline-related incident data. Incidents resulting in injury or fatality identified between 1970 and 2003 were documented and the available data coded and entered into the database using a systematic approach. A pilot-test of the usability of the database was conducted on data collected from 92 incidents involving children and adolescents. Using the validated data management system, an analysis was conducted on data collected from 674 cases entered into the database. Findings from the analysis of the data included the following: the frequency of documented agricultural driveline-related incidents increased from the 1970s to the 1980s, but then decreased through the 1990s and into the 2000s; the 11 to 15-year-old age group had the highest frequency of cases; incidents occurred more often in the fall season; and augers, elevators, or conveyors were the type of implements most frequently involved. Recommendations were made to reduce the risk of agriculture driveline injuries and for future research.