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Estimates of Human Surface Area for a Partially Entrapped Grain Victim and Associated Extraction Force Loads

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  2020 ASABE Annual International Virtual Meeting  2001477.(doi:10.13031/aim.202001477)
Authors:   Charles V. Schwab, Lauren E. Schwab, Pamela J. Schwab
Keywords:   Farm safety, Grain entrapment, Prediction model, Rescue, Safety

Abstract. A prediction model for estimating extraction forces on a victim was enhanced and modernized in 2018 from the original model. The prediction model is divided into two conditions based on the entrapped victim‘s relative position to the grain surface. The first condition is when the victim is completely below the grain surface. The second condition is when the victim‘s shoulders are above the grain surface; this condition is the primary focus of this paper. A variable in the prediction model that changes with the depth of entrapment is the surface area of the victim. A sample of 60 male models was used to approximate the human surface area at optimal discrete positions selected based on visually identifiable anthropometric landmarks. Extraction forces for twelve male human body types combining stature and body mass indexes were calculated for partially entrapped victims. The extraction forces were calculated for conditions when the victim‘s arms were raised up (above the grain) and were lowered (in the grain). Results from the prediction model showed that surface areas from short and underweight bodies contributed less to the required partial extraction force than tall extreme obese bodies. The contribution from surface areas at the lower human landmark identifiers Medial Malleolus (MM) and Knee Crease (KN) did not contribute noticeably to the partial extraction forces. It was not until the human landmark identifier of Crotch (CR) that the contribution from surface area was noticeable.

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