A fence provides a physical barrier to keep people from falling into a manure lagoon.
Steer clear of danger Follow these five tips to help keep you and your crew safe during manure application and handling. by Liz Matzke fter a busy fall of harvest comes another manure application season. It is also the time of year when there is an uptick in accidents and deaths related to manure storage. From 1960 to 2016, there were over 150 deaths from manure storage gas exposure, with half of these accidents occurring on dairy farms. Unfortunately, one in five of these incidents involved the death of a second person who was trying to provide help. Amy Schmidt, an associate professor of biological systems engineering and animal sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, outlined five tips for a safe and successful manure application process in a University of Nebraska Extension dairy webinar. 1. Fence in manure storage areas. “I have been to a number of farms where the manure pit is very much
exposed,” described Schmidt. Exposed lagoons can make it easy for people to accidentally fall or drive into them. Fences and guardrails help to give a lay of the land, especially during dusk and dawn, when the sunlight makes it difficult to see. It also provides a physical barrier for distracted drivers. Always have a fence around your manure storage. Numerous lagoons have liners, which make climbing out after falling in nearly impossible. By having a fence and posting visual warnings, these accidents can be prevented. 2. Recognize the risks of hydrogen sulfide. The single biggest concern to manure application is deadly gases, and chief among them is hydrogen sulfide (H2S). “You really have no idea if the concentration of hydrogen sulfide is deadly unless you are measuring it,” said Schmidt.
16 | Journal of Nutrient Management | February 2021
At its lowest concentration, H2S smells like rotten eggs. With a concentration of 5 parts per million (ppm), symptoms include nausea, tears, and headache. When you double that concentration, someone can experience fatigue, headache, irritability, and dizziness. Once levels reach 50 to 60 ppm, coughing and eye and throat irritation become problematic. Over 100 ppm, a person will have eye and respiratory tract irritation including fluid in the lungs. When levels reach 300 to 500 ppm, victims will stagger, collapse, and can die within 30 minutes. Once over this threshold, death can occur even more quickly. “We tend to think that gases are only an issue in confined spaces with limited ventilation,” explained Schmidt, but that is hardly the case. Weather can play a factor as well, and she shared one example of this. “There was fog near the ground and the gas was released while the pit was agitating. Since hydrogen sulfide is heavier than air, the gas concentrated around the area, killing the farmer and 16 animals.” Schmidt encouraged farmers to invest in personal protection equipment, like a H2S monitor and a ventilator. She also jofnm.com
