Sheriff: Worker Killed After Being Trapped in Grain Silo in Nebraska

A worker was killed after he became trapped in a grain silo on Monday evening in Roseland, Nebraska.

Travis Thelander, 34, of Hastings, was identified as the deceased victim, according to the Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) via KSNB 4.

The 34-year-old was pronounced dead after his body was recovered from the silo.

Since the incident occurred while Thelander was working at a CHS Agri Services Center facility, it is considered a workplace death, which prompts the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to be notified.

Multiple fire and rescue agencies in the county, plus the ACSO and county emergency management, rushed to the facility upon the accident being reported at around 4:05 p.m., the Hastings Tribune noted.

It is unknown how the victim became trapped in the grain elevator, as authorities are still investigating.

In 2019, there were approximately 38 grain entrapment incidents in the country, with 23 of those cases being fatal, according to Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program via the Telegraph.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration three most common scenarios that lead to grain entrapment accidents include:

• A worker stands on moving/flowing grain typically caused by an auger running or grain being moved out of the bin by gravity.
• A worker stands on or below a grain bridging situation. Bridging happens when damp grain clumps together, creating an empty space beneath the grain as it is unloaded. A worker above or below this bridge of grain is at risk should the bridge collapse.
• A worker stands next to an accumulated pile of grain on the side of the bin and attempts to dislodge it. It can collapse onto the worker.

Being trapped in moving grain is akin to quicksand. An individual standing on top of moving grain can be trapped within seconds and completely submerged within under a minute.

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.