Fall is a busy time on the dairy. Crop harvest means that a new manure application season is upon us. A safety reminder for anyone handling manure is a good idea.
Most producers realize that dangerous gases can evolve from manure, causing loss of consciousness and death.
The agricultural work ethic drives many to work through difficult conditions in order to “get the job done.” When handling manure, you need to be prepared to take a break and walk away if necessary.
When working around manure, please pay attention to your “body alarms.” If the smoke alarm in your house goes off tonight, you certainly won’t roll over and go back to sleep. Similarly, if your body is telling you that a situation is putting you at risk, then listen to it.
These alarms can include dizziness, wobbly knees, hot and clammy feelings, lack of attention to detail, loss of motor skills, fatigue, shortness of breath, panting, tightness of chest, respiratory tract irritation, acute bronchitis, asphyxiation, anxiety and severe eye irritation.
All manure is a complex mixture of organic material under some form of microbial degradation. A byproduct of the microbial degradation and respiration is gas. Different microbes will produce different gases.
Differing bacterial populations will yield different gas mixtures. At this time of year, bacterial populations can be at their highest simply because manure has been accumulating for several months and temperatures are favorable.
A manure storage that was safe last year could be dangerous this year. Changes in things such as ration ingredients, bedding and weather impact microbial populations.
Always remember that even non-toxic gases are deadly if they displace oxygen. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is considered the most dangerous of manure gases.
At very low concentrations, it produces an offensive odor, but at higher concentrations it deadens the sense of smell and can cause immediate asphyxiation. It is very deadly.
Our best safeguard against H2S exposure is to wear a monitor that can sound an alarm before the body alarm sounds. Unfortunately, monitors are often hard to find on the farm.
The expense and maintenance of the monitor are often not considered worthwhile. Awareness, vigilance and safe working protocols should be considered a minimal line of defense. Be aware of the following situations that increase gas exposure risk:
• Agitation – Large volumes of manure in favorable temperatures mean ample opportunity for gas production. When liquid manure is agitated, gas trapped within the manure can easily escape.
This can produce high gas concentrations even around outdoor storages. The simplest example of this most can relate to is shaking a can of soda.
• Anaerobic conditions – Longer storage times mean that oxygen-free areas exist in manure. Anaerobic microbes are more likely to produce hydrogen sulfide.
• Gypsum bedding – Gypsum contains sulfur as a component of its chemical makeup. Anaerobic bacteria that consume gypsum can emit that sulfur in the form of H2S.
Four deaths in the Northeast have occurred at farms utilizing gypsum bedding in the past two years. In another situation, two children were unconscious for up to half an hour before being revived at a farm bedding with gypsum.
In all of these situations, agitation was ongoing when the incident occurred.
These situations occurred either at open-air outdoor storages or within a parlor where gutters created a chimney effect to the adjacent agitating manure storage, allowing gases to enter the parlor (not traditional confined spaces).
The combination of gypsum bedding and agitation deserve caution.
• Solid manure movement – For those moving solid manure, you are not in the clear. This manure is still undergoing degradation and producing gas.
• Confined spaces – Do not enter confined areas. Proper air monitoring and safety gear must be worn if these dangerous areas are entered.
Confined spaces are areas large enough to enter but not designed for normal worker occupancy. Even open-air outdoor storages can be considered confined spaces, especially if you move inside an enclosure fence.
• Children – Adults can assess and avoid dangerous situations. Curious, playing children often lack this knowledge, so we need to make decisions on their behalf.
These decisions include securing confined spaces and restricting entrance to areas where manure handling is occurring. Let’s keep our children, grandchildren and neighbors safe.
There are several protocols that can help keep workers safe and prevent dangerous situations from escalating into emergencies. Wear gas monitoring and warning equipment.
Pay attention to the body alarms listed above. Work as a team, and don’t be afraid to clear out of an area if high gas concentrations are suspected.
Carry phones or other means of communication to initiate quick response. Acknowledge that agitation increases risk and behave wisely during these times. Recognize and avoid confined spaces.
If entry into a confined space is necessary, make sure proper positive air ventilation is conducted for a long time prior to entrance. Monitor the confined space for high levels of hydrogen sulfide and low oxygen levels.
If a four-gas monitor is used, then the additional recommended gases to watch are ammonia and explosive methane. Always be sure to wear a safety line and buddy up. Others should be able to retrieve you without entrance to the dangerous area.
If someone is overcome with gas, do not enter the dangerous area to attempt rescue. Too often, rescuers with the best intentions become additional victims.
By keeping yourself safe, you can help by contacting and directing rescue personnel, ceasing manure agitation and supplying fresh air to the victim.
Opening ports and vents, turning on fans and even using a manure vacuum hose to suck bad air from the location can do this. PD
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Robb Meinen
- Senior Extension Associate
- Department of Animal Science
- Penn State Extension
