WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA, US — A total of nine grain dust bin explosions were reported in the United States during 2023, down from 10 incidents in 2022 and compared with the 10-year average of 8.4 explosions, according to an annual report from Kingsly Ambrose, Purdue University professor of agricultural and biological engineering.

Ambrose said there were 12 total injuries during 2023, which compared with 18 in 2022. Eight of the injuries in 2023 were associated with a September explosion at an ADM soybean processing plant in Decatur, Illinois, US. An additional three injuries were related to a separate explosion at the same complex in April. The other reported injury took place at a grain elevator owned by Chandler Feed Co. in Chandler, Minnesota, US, in late November, according to the report.

For the second year in a row, no fatalities were reported.

The explosions occurred in one ethanol plant, one flour mill, one corn cob processing plant, two grain elevators, two soybean processing plants and two corn processing plants, according to the report. The probable ignition sources were identified in one case as fire and one case as equipment malfunction, while six cases were from unknown sources. Fuel sources for all nine explosions were identified as grain dust.