DATE: 

August 4, 2020

TIME:

9:00 p.m.

VICTIM:

11-year-old boy from a 

Mennonite farm family 

INDUSTRY/NAICS CODE:

Beef Cattle Farm/112111

EMPLOYER: 

Family farm

SAFETY & TRAINING:

Attended safety sessions in 

schoolhouse

SCENE: 

Silo on the family farm

LOCATION:

New York

EVENT TYPE:

Contact injury: Caught in

INCIDENT HIGHLIGHTS

REPORT#: 20NY025 REPORT DATE: 8/5/22

Farm youth killed when caught in sweep 

auger inside a silo at family farm —New York

SUMMARY

On August 4, 2020, at approximately 9:00 p.m., an 11-year-old youth 

from a Mennonite farm family was fatally injured while cleaning corn 

off a silo floor. The silo is 50 feet in height and 14 feet in diameter 

and has a bottom unloader (Photo 1). The sweep auger of the 

unloader circles the silo floor, moving corn towards a center hopper 

and the exit auger located underneath the silo floor... READ THE FULL

REPORT> (p.3)

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include:

• Lockout/Tagout procedures were not followed

• Standard Lockout/Tagout procedures did not exist

• Occupant, the decedent youth, was in the silo with the sweep

auger rotating and circling around the silo ...

LEARN MORE> (p.12)

RECOMMENDATIONS

New York FACE investigators concluded that, to help prevent 

similar occurrences, farm owners should:

• Ensure that no one enters a silo unless the power to the sweep

auger is turned off and locked out.

• Deploy engineering controls to prevent workers from contacting

energized sweep augers.

• implement a safe silo/grain bin entry procedure to eliminate

confined space hazards and ensure entrants’ safety...

LEARN MORE> (p.12)

New York FACE Program
Page 2

The New York State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (NY FACE) is a research program funded by the National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health and administered by the New York State Department of Health. NY FACE collects information on workrelated fatalities, investigates the incidents to identify the causes and contributing factors, proposes prevention measures, and shares 

the injury prevention information with employers, workers, and other organizations interested in promoting workplace safety. NY FACE 

does not determine fault or legal liability associated with a fatal incident. Names of employers, victims and/or witnesses are kept 

confidential. Additional information regarding the NY FACE program can be obtained from: 

New York State Department of Health FACE Program

Bureau of Occupational Health and Injury Prevention

Corning Tower, Room 1325

Empire State Plaza

Albany, NY 12237

866-807-2130

518-402-7900

Email | Twitter | Facebook| Website
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 3

SUMMARY

On August 4, 2020, at approximately 9:00 p.m., an 11-year-old youth from a Mennonite farm family was fatally injured 

while cleaning corn off a silo floor. The silo is 50 feet in height and 14 feet in diameter and has a bottom unloader (Photo 

1). The sweep auger of the unloader circles the silo floor, moving corn towards a center hopper and the exit auger 

located underneath the silo floor. The exit auger transports and deposits the corn to a collection container outside the 

silo. At the time of the incident, there were approximately eight inches of corn on the silo floor. The decedent went 

inside the silo alone and proceeded to shovel and move the corn towards the center area of the silo and into the 

hopper. The sweep auger had been left on to aid in the removal of corn. It was rotating and circling while the decedent 

was inside shoveling. The decedent finished cleaning out one side of the silo and was proceeding to clean the other side. 

At approximately 9:00 p.m., minutes after the father last saw his son, the father discovered that the decedent was 

caught by the sweep auger. It appeared that the tip of the sweep auger, which is approximately 10 to 12 inches from the 

silo wall, caught the decedent’s pant leg. The father immediately shut off the unloader and called 911. Even though the 

emergency responders arrived at the scene quickly, they were unable to save the youth. He was pronounced dead at the 

scene by the coroner at 9:25 p.m. The cause of death was due to multiple crushing injuries.

Photo 1. An 11-year-old farm youth was fatally injured by a sweep auger inside the silo that is in the foreground.
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 4

INTRODUCTION

On August 4, 2020, at approximately 9:00 p.m., an 11-year-old youth from a Mennonite farm family was fatally injured 

while cleaning corn off a silo floor. He was caught by the sweep auger of a bottom silo unloader. The New York State 

Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (NY FACE) staff learned of the incident from news media reports. The New 

York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH)/Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety (NEC) 

assisted NY FACE to set up a site visit with the family. A Mennonite community leader was instrumental in arranging for 

the visit to occur. In July 2021, NY FACE investigators visited the family farm accompanied by NYCAMH/NEC staff and the 

community leader. During the site visit the investigators observed the silo and the unloader from outside and took pictures 

of the scene. The decedent’s father, who is the owner of the family farm, provided information related to the incident and 

the family farm operation. The NY FACE investigators reviewed the silo unloader manual and researched the technical 

information regarding silo technology and silo safety measures. This report summarizes the findings of the NY FACE 

investigation. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) did not investigate the case since the decedent was not an 

employee. Immediate family members of farm owners are not within OSHA’s jurisdiction.

FAMILY FARM

The family farm was purchased by the parents of the decedent in 2005. They built a house, barn, and various other 

outbuildings since its purchase. The farm is composed of seventy acres, with forty-eight of those tillable. The family also 

leases land on the neighboring property where they grow hay, alfalfa, corn, and soybeans. Additionally, the family grows 

vegetables. The farm currently has 100 head of young beef cattle as well as a few pigs. The farm is run by the father with 

the help of his wife, children, and brothers. The children of the family began assisting with family chores and farm work 

at an early age. The farm does not employ hired help.

COMMUNITY BACKGROUND and FARM SAFETY EDUCATION

The Mennonite community where the incident occurred has approximately 700 families, 11 churches, and 40 

schoolhouses. Most families operate small dairy farms with no hired help. All farm work is done by family members 

including children who start helping with family chores and farm work at an early age. Approximately 75 to 80% of school 

age children live on farms in this community. The remaining students who do not live on farms often visit farms owned by 

their relatives or neighbors. Therefore, the whole school age population is potentially exposed to agricultural hazards; 

incidents of serious injuries including death have occurred. 

In responding to community concerns about the safety of the children who work on family farms, the community leader 

and three other members of the community formed a Farm Safety Committee in 2008. The Committee, in collaboration 

with NYCAMH/NEC, launched a schoolhouse farm safety training program for school age children. The curriculum covered 

a variety of typical and common hazards found on most family farms along with protective and prevention measures. The 

Committee also constructed a farm safety hazard display board which is a miniature operating farm with demonstrations 

of typical safety hazards for children to learn and identify. The Committee members conduct the training sessions in all 

schoolhouses. Most school-age children in the community have attended the training sessions since the program’s 

inception. 
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 5

The members of the community have no access to the internet or e-mail since they do not own cell phones nor computers. 

They receive most of the safety information and training through attending community events. Farm Safety Day for 

Families is a biannual community event. It is organized by the Farm Safety Committee and is typically held in August with 

the collaboration of the local fire department. The event, which is widely attended by community members, has hosted 

demonstrations and seminars on varied topics ranging from tractor safety, skid steer safety, general machinery use, safe 

animal handling techniques, and general silo hazards. To note, many of the family farms in this community have silos and 

silo unloaders. 

The Farm Safety Committee also hosts evening sessions called “Farm Safety for Families” every other winter. Each session 

attracts anywhere from 100 to 150 attendees. 

The local fire department is actively involved in community farm safety and health education. It has a grain bin rescue 

team that is trained and fully equipped with a grain rescue tube and other appropriate equipment for rescues in grain 

bins. Firefighters attend community events to demonstrate rescue techniques, equipment, and general farm safety 

information. 

FARM YOUTH DECEDENT

The 11-year-old decedent had been working on the family farm since an early age. Since he was the eldest son, he became 

his father’s main help for farm work. The other siblings assisted with household chores and light farm work with the 

mother. In addition to receiving instructions from their parents, the 11-year-old and his school age siblings had also 

attended the schoolhouse farm safety sessions at their schoolhouse conducted by the Farm Safety Committee and other 

community farm safety events. 

MACHINERY INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT AND RELATED SAFETY REGULATIONS

The father purchased the silo with the bottom unloader used from a dealer in 2016. The unloader manual came with the 

purchase, but the silo manual did not. The father erected the silo and installed the unloader with the help of his brother. 

The silo, 14 feet in diameter and 50 feet in height, is an oxygen limiting type. When sealed, the interior silo is an oxygen 

deficient environment which reduces excess fermentation and oxidation and improves the quality of the feed. The 

unloader is powered by a 3-horsepower 208V-electric motor and a pulley which form the drive unit (Photo 2). A sweep 

auger, which is mounted on a gearbox in the center of the silo floor, circles the silo moving the stored material towards 

center and into a hopper underneath the gearbox (Figure 1). There are paddles inside the hopper that assist in moving the 

collected material into an exit auger located underneath the silo floor. The exit auger is encased in a steel tube and directly

driven by the motor through a pulley. It transports the grain and deposits it in a collection container outside the silo. 
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 6

Photo 2. The unloader drive unit that has an electric motor (3 horsepower 208v) and a pulley. It also has a ratchet 

mechanism that drives the sweep auger drive shaft.

Drive unit guard

Ratchet pawl
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 7

Figure 1. Main components of the bottom silo unloader (Valmetal Owner’s Manual).

The sweep auger, which is mounted 8 inches above the silo floor and not guarded, is approximately 56 inches long. The 

diameter of the sweep auger tapers from 5 inches at the gearbox end to 3 inches at the periphery with approximately 10-

12 inches of clearance to the silo wall (Photo 3). To move the stored material towards the hopper, the sweep auger rotates 

around its center shaft and circles the silo circumference counter clockwise. The sweep auger was observed circling the 

silo floor at a slow speed. The exact speed was not available in the silo manual. According to the father, there are 

protruding objects on the sweep auger. The investigators were not able to get inside the silo to examine the number, 

shape, and location of the protruding objects on the sweep auger. 

A ratcheting gear mechanism drives the sweep auger drive shaft (Figure 2) which circles the silo floor. The ratchet pawl 

spring tension, which is preset, dictates the maximum resistance/torque that the sweep auger can overcome. The 

manufacturer requires setting the ratchet pawl spring tension to allow the sweep auger to overcome a maximum torque 

of 125 pounds per foot length (The exact preset ratchet pawl spring tension was not available in this case). Once the sweep 

auger encounters a resistance that equals or exceeds the maximum torque, the ratchet wheel will stop turning, and the 

sweep auger will stop circling the silo. There is no mechanism to stop the sweep auger's axial rotation in responding to an 

obstruction. 
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 8

Figure 2. The ratcheting gear mechanism that drives the sweep auger drive shaft (Valmetal Owner’s Manual).

Photo 3. The unguarded sweep auger was mounted in the gearbox 8 inches above the silo floor 

(Courtesy of NYCAMH/NEC).
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 9

The controls and emergency shutoff devices for the unloader were located on a nearby wall, approximately 20 feet away 

from the drive unit (Photo 4). The manufacturer required disconnecting and locking out of the power at main disconnect 

before working on or near the unloader. The following warnings and requirements are in the owner’s manual: “Lock out 

power at main disconnect before working near equipment”, “When in operation, no one is permitted in the silo or 

within falling distance from all moving parts”, and “Do not allow anyone near the machine before or while the unloader 

is running” (Photo 5). 

According to OSHA, a silo is a permit required confined space. OSHA allows a worker to be physically inside a bin/silo 

with an energized sweep auger provided: 1) The sweep auger is properly guarded at both the top and back areas (The 

only unguarded portion of the sweep auger should be the front point of operation); 2) The sub-floor auger (exit auger) is 

guarded by secure grates; 3) Acceptable engineering controls (such as a standard guardrail attached to the auger, a 

portable guard rail trailing seven feet behind the auger, or a dead-man switch on an operating control inside an 

enclosure or attached to a handle that keeps the employee seven feet back from the auger) are in place; and 4) The 

permit required confined space entry procedures are followed. 

Unless all safe-entry practices are followed, no one should be inside a silo when the sweep auger is energized. The 

National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) outlined the best industry practice in its “Guidance for Sweep Auger 

Operations in Grain Bins” which incorporated the OSHA requirements. Family farms without employees like the one 

involved in the incident are exempt from OSHA regulations. 

Photo 4. Unloader controls and emergency shutoff devices.
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 10

Photo 5. The warning sign on the silo hatch door requires that all operators disconnect the main power source 

before working near the unloader (Courtesy of NYCAMH/NEC).

INVESTIGATION

The oxygen limiting silo involved in the incident is used to store high moisture ear corn. The silo gets emptied and 

refilled once a year in late June or early July. After the silo is emptied by the unloader, there is corn left underneath the

sweep auger and around the silo wall. Before the silo can be refilled with new feed, a person must enter the silo to 

manually move the remaining corn to the center hopper so that it can be transported out by the exit auger. 

Manual cleaning of corn left on the silo floor is a routine task that has been done at this farm every year. Entry to the silo 

is through an access door located at the base of the silo. The access door/opening is 15.5 inches in height, 24 inches in 

width, and 36 inches off the ground (Photo 6). The father did not have a gas monitor to test the silo air. He used a silo 

blower to ventilate the silo before entry. While inside, he never turned off the power to the unloader since the sweep 

auger appeared circling the silo in a slow speed, and he needed the exit auger to transport corn out. He worked alone 

most of the time, and it was inconvenient, difficult, and time consuming to go in and out through the access door to turn 

the power on and off. 
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 11

Photo 6. Access door in the base of the silo.

On the evening of the incident, the family including the decedent was busy performing various tasks around the farm. 

The silo had been emptied for the season a few days before. It was ventilated with the access door removed. The 

decedent was instructed to clean the corn off the silo floor. The child had performed the tasks several times under his 

father’s supervision. The father had instructed him to stay clear from the sweep auger. 

There were approximately eight inches of corn on the silo floor. The silo floor is flat concrete. The decedent went inside 

the silo alone and proceeded to shovel and move the corn towards the center area of the silo and into the unloader 

hopper. The sweep auger had been left on to aid in the removal of corn, so it was rotating and circling while the 

decedent was inside shoveling. Visibility was poor at the time of the incident. There was no artificial lighting inside the 

silo. The silo interior was only illuminated by a small amount of natural light that entered through the roof fill door and 

the access door/opening in the base of the silo. 

The decedent finished cleaning out one side of the silo and was getting ready to clean the other side. At approximately 

9:00 p.m., minutes after the father last saw his son, he discovered that the decedent was caught by the sweep auger. It 

appeared that the tip of the sweep auger caught the decedent’s pant leg. The father immediately shut off the unloader 

and called 911. The emergency responders arrived at the scene quickly. However, they were unable to save the youth. 

He was pronounced dead at the scene by the coroner at 9:25 p.m. due to multiple crushing injuries. 
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 12

CAUSE OF DEATH

According to the death certificate, the decedent died as a result of multiple crush injuries to his head, trunk and 

extremities.

CONTRUIBUTING FACTORS 

Occupational injuries and fatalities are often the result of one or more contributing factors or key events in a larger 

sequence of events. The NY FACE investigation identified the following key contributing factors in this incident:

• Lockout/Tagout procedures were not followed. Power to the silo unloader was left on, which provides power and

drive to the sweep auger.

• Standard Lockout/Tagout procedures detailing how to lock out the unloader before entering silo for cleaning or

maintenance tasks did not exist.

• Occupant, the decedent youth, was in the silo with the sweep auger rotating and circling around the silo.

• The sweep auger was not guarded.

• The protruding objects on the sweep auger increased the risk of entanglement.

• The lighting inside the silo was inadequate.

• The occupant, the decedent youth, was in the silo alone with no attendant outside to aid or rescue.

• The decedent youth, who was assigned to work in an environment with high risk of entanglement, may have lacked

the maturity to understand the nature of the risk due to his age.

RECOMMENDATIONS/DISCUSSION

Recommendation #1: Farm owners should ensure that no one enters a silo unless the power to the sweep auger is 

turned off and locked out.

Discussion: Many fatalities, amputations, and other serious injuries have resulted from workers entering silos or grain 

bins without deenergizing sweep augers. Most often, these occur when a worker’s clothing, shoestrings, or body parts 

become entangled in the rotating screw of the auger. The silo floor in this case was covered with uneven corn, the 

lighting was inadequate inside the silo, and there were protruding objects on the sweep auger. All of these subject 

workers to slip and fall hazards and further increase their risk of being caught and entangled by the rotating sweep 

auger. The manufacturer in this case specifically requires users to disconnect and lockout the power at the main 

disconnect before entering the silo. 

Farm owners should ensure that all machines including the sweep auger inside a silo are deenergized, locked, and 

tagged before allowing anyone to enter the silo to work. In this scenario, the reason for allowing the decedent to enter 

the silo without turning the unloader off was to allow the exit auger, which is under the silo floor, to transport the corn 

out. This practice could be safely augmented by first turning off the unloader. A worker only enters the silo to sweep 

after the unloader is turned off. Once corn is swept to the center of the silo, the worker should exit the silo to turn the 

power back on so that the exit auger can transport the corn out. Technologies described in Recommendation #2 can also 

be utilized. Some of these technologies allow workers to remove grain safely without having to enter the silo or use 

equipment which are less hazardous than sweep auger. 
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 13

Recommendation #2: Farm owners should deploy engineering controls to prevent workers from contacting energized 

sweep augers.

Discussion: The silo unloader in this case was not equipped with technologies that would prevent accidental contact 

with the energized sweep auger. Many modern commercially available unloaders utilize guards around the top, rear, 

and tip of the sweep auger to prevent a worker from contacting the energized auger accidentally. 

Sweep augers can also be outfitted with Sweep Auger Safety Handles, or SASHs. These devices create distance between 

the worker and the sweep auger, allowing the worker to safely manipulate a sweep auger without having to touch the 

actual auger or any guarding attached to the auger. These handles can be equipped with electronic switches mounted to 

a lever that the worker pulls down in order to actuate the auger, but also stops the auger if the lever becomes 

disengaged. This technology is like dead-man switches on lawnmowers, which stop the lawnmower if the user releases 

the lever mounted to the handle of the mower. 

There are also unloaders that come with zero clearance sweep augers. Zero-clearance sweep augers are augers that do 

not have a substantial gap between the floor and walls of the silo and the auger, allowing the sweep auger to remove 

most if not all grain from a silo floor. Not only does this prevent workers from having to enter a silo while the sweep 

auger is engaged, but it increases efficiency by not having to rely on manual sweeping. There are scenarios where the 

type of grain being stored or the design of the silo and unloader does not allow for a zero-clearance sweep auger, but it 

should be included as a reasonable alternative to elevated sweep augers.

Grain vacuums are being used by many commercial storage facilities as well as family farms as an alternative to manual 

removal of stored material. Numerous fatal injuries occurred in which users or rescuers were trapped and engulfed by 

the free-flowing stored material while using grain vacuums. To reduce the risk of entrapment and engulfment, family 

farm owners could choose grain vacuums that have an intake control mechanism which can be used to turn off the 

vacuum in the event of an emergency to stop or diminish the flow of grain. A grain vacuum would have been useful in 

this case, as there was only eight inches of corn on the floor of the silo, limiting the chance of engulfment by a grain 

vacuum operator. Farm owners should ensure that operators are trained in safe methods for using a grain vacuum, 

provide operators with appropriate personal protective equipment (dust mask, respirator, hearing protection, etc.), and 

monitor the environment during grain vacuum use to ensure dust, mold spores, or other potentially airborne hazards 

are mitigated. 

Recommendation #3: Farm owners should implement a safe silo/grain bin entry procedure to eliminate confined 

space hazards and ensure entrants’ safety.

Discussion: Approximately 134 U.S. workers died from silo related incidents between 2011 and 2019 according to the 

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Occupational Fatal Injuries. These workers were killed by falls, electrocution, 

engulfment, oxygen deficiency, and contact with energized machinery. Storage structures such as silos or grain bins are 

permit required confined spaces by OSHA definition. A confined space is a space that is not designed for continuous 

human occupancy and large enough for a person to enter and has limited means of entry or exit. Permit required 

confined spaces have the potential to have a hazardous atmosphere, energized equipment, or the potential and capacity 

to trap, engulf, or asphyxiate an entrant. 
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 14

OSHA requires that employers develop specific procedures to be followed prior to allowing workers to enter or work in a 

permit-required confined space. The safe entry procedure at the minimum should:

• Ensure that the atmosphere contains a safe level of oxygen and is free of gases and particles that can pose an

immediate danger to life and health,

• Identify and control hazards associated with unstable surfaces,

• Identify and control other hazards, such as mechanical or electrical hazards,

• Train employees in permit-required confined space entry, testing, and the use of personal protective equipment

including safety harnesses, respirators, clothing, etc.,

• Station a stand-by person outside the space for communication and visual monitoring, and

• Summon and provide emergency rescue.

The silo in this case is an oxygen limiting type which has all the openings sealed to prevent oxygen from entering. Silo 

gases (carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide) generated during fermentation can cause permanent lung damage and 

death and reduce the oxygen inside the silo to a level that is too low to support human life (<19.5%). Family farm owners 

should follow the proper confined space entry procedure to ensure that the silo atmosphere is safe before sending 

anyone in. An electronic direct reading instrument should be used to measure the oxygen level and the concentrations 

of carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. 

Among the 134 victims who died from silo related incidents in the United States (2011-2019), approximately 48% were 

self-employed individuals including farm family members. Even though family farms without employees are exempt 

from OSHA regulations, it is imperative for family farm owners to set up and follow safe confined space entry procedure 

to keep family members safe. 

Recommendation #4: Farm owners should provide adequate artificial light source to illuminate silo interior.

Discussion: In this case, the silo interior was illuminated by only a small amount of natural light that entered through the 

roof fill door and the access door/opening in the base of the silo. The incident occurred in a midsummer evening 

approximately 9:00 p.m. when the last remaining natural light was diminishing. Poor visibility caused by inadequate 

lighting could have contributed to the fatal entanglement. Farm owners should provide artificial lighting to ensure that 

the work can be safely done inside a silo when natural light does not provide good visibility. 

The interior of most if not all upright farm silos are poorly illuminated due to their basic overall design and structure. 

Working in a poorly illuminated confined area greatly increases workers’ risks for slips and falls, as well as contact 

injuries including entanglement. Therefore, it is imperative to de-energize all machinery before entry to ensure worker 

safety. 

Recommendation #5: Farm owners should ensure that no one wears loose fitting clothing around rotating or revolving 

machinery.

Discussion: During the course of the investigation, it was determined that the decedent was likely caught in the auger 

from his pant leg causing the fatal entanglement. This particular sweep auger has protruding objects on it, which likely 

increase workers’ risk for entanglement. Farm owners should ensure that no ones’ clothing and hair are loose or long 

enough to get caught in rotating or revolving pieces of machinery.
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 15

Recommendation #6: Farm owners should assign age-appropriate tasks to farm youth and provide proper training 

and supervision.

Discussion: According to National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, a child (<18 years of 

age) dies about every three days in an agriculture-related incident (U.S. 1995-2000). The leading causes of these fatal 

injuries were transportation incident (47%), contact with machinery (20%), and violent contact with animals or other 

humans (13%). From 2001 to 2015, 48% of all fatal injuries to young workers occurred in agriculture. Since 2009, youth 

worker fatalities in agriculture have exceeded all other industries combined.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets federal standards for youth employment in agriculture. The FLSA prohibits 

youths under age 16 years from performing “hazardous” jobs on a farm for employment. The hazardous jobs range from 

operating a tractor of over 20 PTO (power take off) horsepower or farm machinery, such as an auger conveyer to 

working inside a grain storage structure that is designed to retain an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. However, FLSA 

exempts family farms owned or operated by parents of the working youths: “Youth of any age may work at any time in 

any job on a farm owned or operated by their parents.”

Youth who work on family farms are often assigned and perform varied farm tasks at a very young age. These tasks 

range from simple chores such as feeding small animals to operating modern farm equipment. Farm youth often 

perform tasks that are deemed by child labor laws as hazardous for minors below certain age.

Compared to adults, youth may lack work experience, physical size, and attention to tasks. The ability of youth to safely 

operate farm equipment may be compromised by cognitive abilities that are less well developed than in adults. 

Whenever youth are assigned any work task, it is essential that the task is appropriate for the age and maturity of the

youth. Family farm owners should assess the work environment to ensure that it is safe and free of hazards. In addition, 

youth should always be trained to safely perform any assigned task and properly supervised by an adult until it is 

determined that the youth has learned how to safely perform the task. 

DISCLAIMER

Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by the NY FACE and National Institute of 

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In addition, citations of websites external to NY FACE and NIOSH do not 

constitute NY FACE and NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring organizations or their programs or products. 

Furthermore, NY FACE and NIOSH are not responsible for the content of these websites. All web addresses referenced in 

this document were accessible as of the publication date.

REFERENCES

Valmetal. Valmetal Silo Unloader Grain-o-matic CK. Owner’s Manual Service Parts. Revised on November 14, 2014. 

Quebec, Canada.

OSHA. Grain Handling Facility Sweep Auger Enforcement Policy. Retrieved November 3, 2021 from

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2013-05-03.

OSHA. Permit-required confined spaces. 29CFR1910.146. Retrieved November 3, 2021 from

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.146. 
REPORT#: 20NY025 Page 16

National Grain and Feed Association. Guidance for Sweep Auger Operations in Grain Bins. Retrieved November 3, 2021 

from https://www.ngfa.org/wp-content/uploads/Guidance-for-Sweep-Auger-Operations-in-Grain-Bins-FINAL-1-28-

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WI FACE. Youth killed in tractor roll-over while moving large hay bales. Investigation 02WI058. Retrieved November 3, 

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MI FACE. Farmer Asphyxiated Due to Lack of Oxygen After Entering an Oxygen Limiting Silo 3 Days After Filling. #2MI143. 

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NIOSH FACE. Youth farm worker dies after falling into operating feed grinder/mixer. Retrieved November 3, 2021 from

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/In-house/full200210.html

Carol L. Jones. Oklahoma State University Extension. Are you “sweeping” your grain bin safety? Retrieved November 3, 

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INVESTIGATOR INFORMATION

This investigation was conducted by NY FACE, Bureau of Occupational Health and Injury Prevention, Center for 

Environmental Health, New York State Department of Health.

ACKNOWLEDGEMEMENT

The NY FACE Program would like to acknowledge the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health 

(NYCAMH)/Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (NEC) and the 

Mennonite community leader for their assistance with this investigation. 

Our deepest gratitude goes to the family of the decedent, who graciously agreed to provide information that is 

invaluable for future prevention of similar incidents.