Report: Grain Dust Explosions Killed 5, Hurt 12 in 2017Report: Grain Dust Explosions Killed 5, Hurt 12 in 2017
February 27, 2018

Seven grain dust explosions in the United States last year killed five people and left 12 injured, according to an annual report on agricultural dust explosions created by Purdue University reviewed by Powder & Bulk Solids.
2017 had the second highest number of fatalities over the last decade, following the 10-year high of six deaths in 2011, according to a draft version of “Agricultural Dust Explosions in 2017” by Dr. Kingsley Ambrose of Purdue’s College of Engineering Food and Feed Particulates Research Group.
The number of explosions in 2017 fell below the 10-year average of 9.3 incidents per year. Over the last decade, 2008 saw the highest number of reported grain dust explosions in the U.S. with 19 incidents. Five dust explosions were documented by Ambrose in 2016, the lowest number in the 10-year stretch.
Five explosions of the documented explosions last year occurred at grain elevators, one at a grain mill, and one at a pet food production facility. Of the seven total facilities where incidents occurred, six were handling corn at the time of the incident. The fuel source was confirmed to be grain dust in two of the incidents and was unknown in the other five, Ambrose’s research said.
Purdue’s draft report lists the grain dust explosions in 2017 as:
5/31/2017 – Didion Mill – Cambria, WI – Corn Mill – 5 Dead, 11 Injured
6/2/2017 – Dunkerton Co-op – Dunkerton, IA – Grain Elevator – 0 Dead, 0 Injured
6/30/2017 – Frontier Co-op – Mead, NE – Grain Elevator – 0 Dead, 0 Injured
7/18/2017 – Farm-City Elevator Inc. – Brodhead, WI – Grain Elevator – 0 Dead, 0 Injured
7/26/2017 – 3D Idapro Solutions LLC – Stanfield, OR – Pet Food – 0 Dead, 1 Injured
7/31/2017 – White Farms – Switz City, IN – Grain Elevator – 0 Dead, 0 Injured
12/28/2017 – LB Pork – Northrop, MN – Grain Elevator – 0 Dead, 0 Injured
A total of 91 dust explosions have occurred in the U.S. from 2008 through last year, Ambrose’s research said, leaving 15 killed and 101 with injuries.
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