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. Like carbon dioxide, this gas takes the place of oxygen in the air and affects the organism in the same way as carbon dioxide.
Training farmers and his employees on how to avoid the dangers of these gases is recommended as well as the implementation of certain safety procedures:.
In order to reduce the risk of poisoning hazards, a safe facility complying with the Canadian Farm Building Code will provide :. Skip to content. Home Our expertise Team and partners News and blog Contact us. Website by Instynct All rights reserved. Slurry gases. Risks and Precautions Slurry gases Slurry, like any organic matter that ferments, produces different gases. Ammonia NH3 Its very characteristic acrid and pungent odor makes it possible to identify its presence very quickly.
Methane CH4 Methane is the main fuel gas produced by active micro-organisms in stored manure. Health and Safety Executive slurry advice. However, the warning signs are not immediately obvious as a high concentration knocks out your sense of smell. It causes breathing difficulties, then disorientation. After only a few breaths, it can displace air from the lungs and affect your nervous system.
As soon as the slurry is mixed, the gas is released very quickly. Lethal risks of working with slurry. Wearing a facemask will not help, according to the Health and Safety Executive. Anyone entering a slurry tank must wear breathing apparatus with its own air supply, it says. If possible, slurry should be mixed on a windy day so that fumes can be more easily dispersed in the air. Doors and windows should be kept open and tank openings should be properly covered.
The decomposition of this waste material produces deadly gases, making slurry pits potentially lethal without precautions such as the use of a breathing apparatus with air supply.
There is no such thing as a safe slurry tank, as incidents involving slurry occur regularly on farms in Great Britain including people, not just farmers, being overcome by toxic gases. This is because during decomposition slurry is broken down by bacterial action which produces gases that settle in a thick cloud and can kill humans and animals almost instantly.
Slurry gas includes methane, carbon monoxide and ammonia all of which create a risk to health. Some are flammable and others are toxic, displacing oxygen from the air and causing a risk of asphyxiation. As soon as the slurry is mixed, toxins can be released very quickly and precautions need to be taken to protect from dangerous gases. For safety, slurry should only be mixed when doors and windows are open and when there are high winds so that fumes can be dispersed in the air.
People should also stay out of the building for as long as possible when the slurry mixers are running, and all livestock should be moved out.
Simply wearing a facemask will not help, as anyone entering a slurry tank must wear full breathing apparatus with its own air supply. Farmers are facing increasing environmental pressure when it comes to safe use of manures and fertilisers.
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