Page 28 - Farm Safely Handbook 2018

SLURRY
SLURRY Risks and Precautions
It is difficult to overstate the dangers presented by slurry in a farming environment. The dangers presented are unpredictable and can have lethal consequences.
Primarily, the dangers presented by slurry tanks are drowning and gas poisoning. The former is by far the most common cause of death involving slurry, with the most recently available HSA statistics revealing that 30% of fatal accidents on farms involving children were caused by drowning in slurry or water. Drowning also accounted for 8% of deaths of elderly farmers.
The gas present in slurry is the primary cause of death and health problems, especially since many of these gases are odourless. Hydrogen sulphide, when present at low levels, has a distinct ‘rotten eggs’ type smell, but this
is not present when the gas is present at higher levels, such as when slurry is agitated. One breath of this gas at high levels kills instantly.
What you should ensure:
• If you have a slurry tank on your farm you must ensure:
• Open slurry tanks are protected by a strong protective fence that cannot be scaled and is at least 1.8 metres high. Gates must always be locked.
• When the tank needs to be emptied, it’s best to have a properly constructed access platform with safety rails.
• If your tank is covered, ensure that manholes or wooden coverings cannot be easily opened. Below the manhole, fit a safety grid for secondary protection. If your slurry
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28 FARM SAFELY HANDBOOK