The Grain Bin Entrapment Simulator
Throughout South Carolina, farms use grain bins to store harvested crops such as corn, soybeans, and small grains. At times, farmers will have to enter these grain bins and put themselves in a dangerous situation if not properly equipped to work in a filled grain bin. The stored crops act like quicksand, and the person can become submerged very quickly, resulting in entrapment or engulfment. Clemson Extension’s Agricultural Safety program is dedicated to training fire and rescue teams across South Carolina to rescue victims’ entrapment in grain bins.
The Grain Bin Entrapment Simulator is the only one in South Carolina to give fire and rescue teams the opportunity to learn how to rescue victims from entrapment. The Clemson Agricultural Safety Program is looking forward to continuing its education across the state and neighboring states in grain bin entrapment rescues!
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History
In 2019, Jacob Koch, a former graduate student at Clemson University, began the development of the Grain Bin Entrapment Simulator to be used to educate about grain rescues in South Carolina. Koch, along with other Clemson University faculty and staff, designed the trailer to be used as a prop for Ag Safety Field Days and to train fire and rescue personnel. His ideas came from his internship with ADM, which is a large-scale company that purchases and transports grain. During his internship, he was involved in many grain bin rescue trainings, leading him to wish to continue this education in South Carolina.
In 2020, with the help of students in the Agricultural Mechanization and Business major at Clemson University, they started the creation of a mobile grain bin entrapment simulator for the Agricultural Safety program. Hunter Massey, a Principal Agricultural Mechanization Lecturer at Clemson University, created the curriculum to train fire and rescue squads during training. His curriculum was created from extensive research about grain bin entrapments and the rescue process. He attended many workshops, talked to many experts, and worked with the Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads (TARS).
Today, Shelley Lovern, the Ag Safety/AgrAbility Associate for Clemson Extension, has been busy hosting fire and rescue training across the state, free of charge to each department. Since the beginning of 2023, she has reached 66 fire and rescue teams and other events in South Carolina! The program also uses the trailer at their Ag Safety Field Days to educate high school students about the dangers of grain bins.
Ag Safety Monthly Newsletter
Each month, the Clemson Ag Safety Program publishes an Ag Safety Newsletter, featuring a variety of agricultural safety topics and updates from the program.
Visit our blog to see all past newsletter information and additional information for each newsletter!
