At the minute many farmers are trying to empty some of the slurry from their tanks.
The prolonged winter has left many tanks at capacity, but some areas have seen enough improvement to spark the belief that a growing season is on the horizon; the time is right to get the tanker dusted off and put to work. In your hurry to reduce the levels of slurry before the weather breaks again, it can be easy to forget about safety concerns!
This is a mistake. Of all farm deaths between 2000 and 2009, 14% were slurry related, not including the high percentage of injuries also attributed to the activity. Often when the farmer is rushing to get the slurry out they forget to follow the safety rules.
The first rule when dealing with slurry is Evacuate and ventilate before you agitate.
These are words that you are probably sick of hearing in the media and yet when it comes to the time to use them you forget.
Before you agitate:
always ensure that the shed is completely empty of people and livestock.
Leave all doors open to allow for ventilation and always wait for a breeze before starting.
Most farmers know these rules but the best of us can forget the basics when we are panicking to get as much slurry out as we can. So never get the agitator out until you have checked the shed, have all doors opened and set up signs warning people not to enter. Better start a bit late than be forced into finishing early by poisoning!
The other big slurry killer we are warned about is drowning. Hopefully you all have signs up warning people of manholes and slurry stores already. If not, you can find them here. Such a simple thing can save lives.
In addition you should also do regular checks on your manhole covers and make sure there are none open or able to be opened by a child. If an accident does happen due to a manhole being left open and unsupervised you will be prosecuted by the HSA! These are the two biggest causes of farm deaths around slurry.
Most of us are aware of the dangers of gas and indeed drowning in a slurry pit, having heard the horrific stories on the news and elsewhere. As a result they are the two most regularly talked about and the two that people are most cautious about. (Though there is always the few who think it will never happen to them and plough on regardless!) Once we have placed precautions around these we can fall into complacency with the rest of the slurry spreading process.
But there are other dangers to consider.
- Firstly a lot of accidents and deaths occur due to uncovered PTO shafts. When dealing with slurry tankers and agitators it is vital to ensure your PTO is fully covered and never approach a PTO that hasn’t come to a full stand still. Even one that is coming to a stop can cause serious damage.
- Another one that farmers are notoriously bad at observing is placing signs out to warn other road users that they will be on the road with a heavy load. Get a sign and/or cones in place! A fertilizer bag or a bit of cloth doesn’t cut it anymore! You don’t want to be held responsible for an accident on the road.
- Make sure there are no children around when you are working with the machines. We all know children love to be out on the farm but experiences from around the country have proven time and again that anywhere near or around large machinery is not a safe place for children, no matter how much you enjoy having them with you.
- Take your time on the roads! If you have signs in place then your fellow road users will be forewarned to slow down too. If you’re travelling long distances by road, pull in when it is safe to and let cars by if necessary. Don’t speed up! I see a lot of young farmers falling into this trap and have heard of a lot that toppled the tractor and tanker while trying to take a turn at speed or being pushed off the road by their load while speeding down hill! Remember slurry is a liquid, heavy and will splash around in the tanker so take your time or you’ll find yourself looking for a new tractor; if you’re lucky!
So now you are aware of the dangers we hope you will be careful this slurry spreading season and take care of yourself and those around you. Farming is the most dangerous occupation in Ireland at the minute with most accidents registered.
Only we, the farmers, can make farming safer by taking the appropriate measures to ensure safety on our farms.
The deadline for online Nitrates Derogation applications is 20 April this year.
In a separate note, if you have your safety measures in place it might be worth noting that the window for the 2018 Nitrates Derogation applications is open and can be made online up to the 20 April closing date.
Postal applications will NOT be accepted under any circumstances.
If you applied for Derogation in 2017 you have until the same date to submit your fertiliser accounts.
End of year nitrogen and phosphorus statements (N&P statements) for 2017 are available on the Department’s online system www.agfood.ie or by phoning 053-916 3444.
RGA
