Your health and livelihood can change very quickly this slurry season if an accident happens. Like most tasks on the farm during the year it requires good practice and consideration to ensure the safety of both the animals and the operators. There are many hazards to watch out for especially deadly gases, drowning and machine entanglement. Here we highlight some of these dangers and more importantly explain how to avoid them.
Slurry Mixing
Mixing of slurry is one of the critical steps in getting ready to spread the slurry on to the land. It is important to mix up the nutrients for a good slurry mix. However, it is probably one of the dangers that often forgotten in that the gases that are released during the mixing can affect farmers or the operators. There is a myriad of gases in slurry, the four main ones being carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia and the deadly gas hydrogen sulphide which is the main danger.
This poisonous gas is so hazardous at high concentration that one breath can be fatal. Hydrogen sulphide is even more dangerous as you may not realise that it is present in the air so you must take precautions to ensure that you're not in the area where there's going to be a high concentration of these deadly gases.
Recommended precautions before mixing:
- Always Keep children and non-essential personnel away from the area when working with slurry
- If possible, mix the slurry on a windy day to help disperse the gases
- Open all doors and windows around the building/barn/shed
- Remove all animals out of the building before starting to mix the slurry
- When covers are removed, exposed areas of the tank beside the pump/mixer should have adequate protection to stop anything/anybody falling in
- After starting the pump/mixer, clear out and stay out of the building for as long as possible - at least 30 minutes, sometimes longer.
- If for any reason you have to go back into the building then make sure somebody knows just in case something happens
- If you must re-enter to move the pump or change the direction of the pump, leave the building as soon as this is done – do not go back in for as long as possible – at least another 30 minutes
- Do not rely on filter type facemasks as these do not filter the poisonous gases
- Never use gas monitors as a substitute for working safely
- Ensure that there are no naked flames near slurry, as slurry gas mixture is flammable
- Do not stand close to the exhaust of a vacuum tanker when it is being filled
The amount of time before the hydrogen sulphide levels start to decrease is recommended at about 15-45 minutes after starting but this is not a guarantee, so a longer time may be required at your discretion. You should allow for a longer period around the mixing point as this is the critical location where the most vigorous mixing is taking place, so the poisonous levels will be the highest here.
Apart from the lethal gases, another danger to consider is the covering of the slurry mixing point. It has been reported that 3 out of 4 fatal incidents involving slurry are caused by drowning rather than from asphyxiation. Out of this up to 30% of incidents involve children.
These accidents can easily be avoided with these simple steps:
- When slurry manhole covers are lifted or removed for mixing or when emptying a tank ensure there is adequate temporary protection of such openings.
- Where possible safety access manhole covers should be fitted
- Manholes should never be left open and should never be left unattended
- Use safety signs close to the manhole covers where work is being carried out
- In the case of slurry lagoons or open tanks, HSE recommends that a childproof safety wall or security fence of at least 1.3 meters in height should be erected.
- A tractor stop barrier on the scraping ramp, will help to control risks on most farms
Slurry Equipment
It cannot be understated the importance of having slurry equipment in good working order. Often farmers/operators tend to become complacent about tasks that they've done numerous times. With this complacency comes risk, and with risk there's potential to have an accident.
It is often good practice to walk around the machinery before an operation. During this walk it is suggested to check:
- Hydraulic hoses - check for leaks and any loose connections. Replace any damaged hoses with new ones.
- PTO shaft guard – check that the pto guard is secure and that there isn’t any potential for objects to get wrapped around the shaft.
- General check of the tractor and trailer:
- Mirrors - often a simple task is to check the condition of the mirrors. Any broken mirrors should be replaced and any dirty ones can simple be cleaned as a quick glimpse in a mirror may indicate the presence of a child behind.
- Wheel lugs/nuts - check the wheel nuts on the trailer and the tractor to make sure that they are tight, and none are missing.
Slurry is a valuable asset on any farm. Rich in nutrients and organic material, if not managed appropriately slurry operations can lead to an accident which could destroy your business and community. As you prepare to enter the slurry spreading season take the time to examine your own equipment including your slurry facilities so that it is safe for everyone that
View our full range of slurry equipment or filter by category below