You may not have noticed any problems until now but the gas is always there during mixing. A combination of conditions can easily result in you and your animals suddenly being in serious danger. Slurry gas is a mixture of gases including methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, all produced by bacteria during the decomposition of slurry. A high concentration knocks out your sense of smell, causing difficulty in breathing, then disorientation. After only a few breaths, collapse and death can occur.
This gas rapidly displaces air from the lungs and affects the nervous system. Some gas may bubble to the surface but most remains dissolved in the liquid in a similar way to gas held within a bottle of fizzy drink. As soon as slurry mixing starts, the gas is released rapidly.
The addition of other materials such as silage effluent may increase the quantity of gas produced. The rate of gas release is variable and difficult to predict, adding to the danger.
At high concentrations it is not possible to smell hydrogen sulphide. The gas is generally given off in large volumes very soon after mixing starts in any area of the tank. The first 30 minutes are the most dangerous. As mixing continues, the quantity of slurry gas released falls off. However - each time the pump is repositioned to mix another part of the tank, gas concentration rises again. Stay out of the building for at least another 30 minutes or longer depending on the size of the tank.
Slurry pumps that are designed to allow the PTO shaft to remain attached to the tractor when the pump is being transported have a high centre of gravity and it is important to follow the advice below:. It is essential that the two lower lift arms on the tractor are properly latched and locked into the two brackets on the slurry pump linkage frame before the top link or PTO shaft are attached. Gas concentration is measured, using special equipment, in parts per million of the atmosphere - ppm.
Another farmer, Noel Tierney, remembers the day in when his son Fergal died trying to save him after he was exposed to the lethal substances.
Farmers keep the waste under barns during the winter and then use it during the warmer months as a natural fertiliser. Before it can be spread, the manure must be broken up and mixed with water. This usually happens in a slurry tank. It is at this point, that the killer gases are created.
There are two main dangers — drowning and asphyxiation. And there are very few warning signs. The gases — at a dangerous, high level — are both odourless and invisible so they are, essentially, a silent killer.
While in the tank, toxic gases are released during the bacterial decomposition of slurry. The gases include hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, methane and carbon dioxide. They can all be lethal. Hydrogen sulphide is particularly dangerous and is extremely poisonous.
It affects the nervous system and even the smallest concentrations can cause death. High levels can be released when slurry is agitated. The HSA warns that one breath or lung-full of hydrogen sulphide at this high level will cause instant death. Open journalism No news is bad news Support The Journal Your contributions will help us continue to deliver the stories that are important to you.
There have been six people including one child killed in and around slurry tanks since Accident statistics now indicate that drowning in slurry storage tanks is the cause of more fatal accidents than poisoning by slurry gases, according to the HSA. The HSA has a list of best practices for farmers who handle slurry. It also issued a safety DVD earlier this year. The list includes:. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www. Please note that TheJournal.
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Workplace Stress. Safe Handling of Slurry In Ireland, over 40 million tonnes of slurry are stored, handled and spread each year. Toxic gases Toxic gases are released during the bacterial decomposition of slurry in tanks. Prevention Evacuate and ventilate before you agitate. Never agitate slurry in still air conditions. Move all animals out of the shed before commencing. At least two people should be present at all times.
Keep children and elderly persons away from the area when agitating. Open all doors and outlets to provide a draught. Never stand over slats or near tank access points when agitation is in progress.
Avoid vigorous agitation in confined spaces. Do not allow slurry to rise within mm of the slats or tank covers. Keep all people away from the agitation point for 30minutes after starting agitation. Where possible agitate from the outside the building. Avoid smoking or the use of naked lights as slurry gases are highly flammable.
Put up warning signs to warn of the dangers when working with slurry. Drowning Drowning is by far the most common cause of death involving slurry. Prevention Open slurry tanks should be protected by an unclimbable fence or wall at least 1.
Scrape holes on outdoor lagoons should be adequately protected. Beware of the risk of back injury if you need to lift slats in the shed. Drowning in water Several people were drowned in water on farms in recent years.
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