A review on the environmental impact and physiological conditions on the human body during an engulfment, entrapment and extrication.

Abstract. Grain entrapments and engulfments are one of most common hazards associated with grain storage facilities. Since 1970’s over 1000 grain entrapments and engulfments incidents have been documented. However, there have been very few attempts to understand the forces and physiological conditions on the victims involved in these incidents, and understand why and how injuries are caused. This research will contribute to a better understanding of the conditions a body faces when entrapped/engulfed in grain. This is critical to understand to be able to address the low survival rate (12%) of engulfments. Based on literature review, the human body can be impacted by two sources. First there are environmental conditions such as grain pressure, oxygen levels that can determine the survivorship of a victim. Second there are physiological conditions such as asphyxiation, suspension trauma and heart rate that also have an impact on the human body. In conclusion the human body is impacted by multiple conditions and forces both internally and externally that impact the likelihood for survival. To be able to have an impact it is critical that studies are conducted on the impact of lateral pressure on lung expansion and if suspension trauma might be a contributing factor in the deaths.