Iowa
State University Extension
Farm
workers risk their lives every time they enter a manure pit.
Dangerous concentrations of gases that can kill within seconds
continue to claim lives every year in Iowa.
The
most alarming aspect is that manure pit incidents often result
in multiple fatalities when rescuers become victims, too.
Consider this situation, which occurred in another state four
years ago:
On a
late summer afternoon, a farm worker entered a 10-foot-deep
manure pit on his family's farm for repairs. While attempting
to climb out of the pit, he was overcome and fell to the bottom.
His 15-year-old nephew then tried to rescue him, and also
collapsed. The boy's father, his cousin, and his grandfather
who owned the farm, entered the pit one by one, attempting
to rescue the boy and his uncle. Tragically, all five family
members died.
Hydrogen
sulfide, methane, ammonia and carbon dioxide are natural products
in the decomposition of animal wastes. The potential for these
gases to reach dangerous levels in a manure pit is always
present, however, it's increased during warm weather or when
weather conditions change.
Farm
workers might take risks because they may have entered the
pit in the past and had no problems. However, conditions can
change quickly and dangerous gases can develop within seconds.
It's
important for farm operators who have manure pit systems to
be aware of the risks, and to make sure everyone else in the
operation understands them, too. Signs should be posted in
the area that can be understood by persons who cannot speak
English, or by children who cannot read.
For
more information, contact the ______ County Extension office
for a free copy of a new SAFE FARM publication, Manure Storage
Poses Invisible Risks, Pm-1518k. Your extension field agricultural
engineer also can make recommendations to make manure pit
systems safer.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent
NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission
of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
news release was distributed by Iowa State University Extension
as part of the Safe Farm Program. Safe Farm promotes health
and safety in agriculture. It is funded by the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health, Iowa State University, and
a network of groups that serve Iowa farm workers and their families.
Distribution date: November 1993.
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