Larry Anderson has heard before that farming is one of the most dangerous professions. But it sometimes takes tragedies like the farm accident Monday that killed a father and son in a slurry pit to remind him.

“It’s a wake-up call for everybody,” Anderson said.

Monday’s deaths at the Winnebago farm left some confused.

“I don’t know why it happened or how it happened, but it shouldn’t have happened,” he said. “You just can’t understand it.”

Each year, about 700 deaths are reported that are farm-related. That’s on top of about 140,000 injuries each year nationwide, said Charlotte Halverson, an occupational health nurse.

Farmers work as safely as possible, but slip-ups happen, Anderson said.

“It always takes an accident like this to get a second wind,” he said.

While Halverson agrees that farmers realize the high danger risk of farming, it gets lost in the fact that farming is a family business and most farmers have been doing it their whole lives.

Farmers also often work alone and put in long hours, Halverson said, which can contribute to problems.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration doesn’t have regulations for farm operations with fewer than 11 employees, other than guidelines regarding youths operating tractors on nonfamily farms, she said.

The proper response when a person is stuck in a slurry pit goes against a person’s gut reaction, Halverson said.

The immediate response is to go in after a person, and that’s usually how several people die in a single accident.

Several safety campaigns tell farmers to stop and think to be sure it’s the safest way to do something, said Earl Williams, president of the Winnebago County Farm Bureau.

“It’s so easy,” he said, “to do something regrettable.”

Staff writer Cathy Bayer can be reached at 815-987-1369 or cbayer@rrstar.com.

Facts about farm and ranch safety
Farmers, ranchers and their families live, work and play at the workplace. Agriculture is a unique industry in that so many of its workers live, work and enjoy recreational activities at the work site. This often exposes them to diverse hazards associated with machinery, chemicals and livestock.

Farmers operate and maintain heavy-duty equipment and machinery. Farm equipment operators must be well-versed on the many functions associated with diverse and powerful machinery. Increased productivity in agriculture is often a factor of improved equipment for performing the work. This equipment is often more powerful and complex, requiring the full time and attention of equipment operators.

Farm and ranch children are often exposed to hazards associated with farm work. Children may be endangered as innocent bystanders or as passengers on farm tractors or equipment. Some children begin their farming chores at an age earlier than their emotional or physical maturity can safely handle — at times without adequate training or supervision.

Farmers and ranchers face a variety of hazardous environmental factors. Weather, farmstead terrain and atmospheric conditions all present a host of hazards and risks to agricultural workers. In their attempt to remain profitable, farmers and ranchers often must overcome environmental conditions such as droughts, steep and unforgiving slopes, and dangerous facility atmospheric conditions.

Farmers are at increased exposure for motor vehicle accidents. Farm machinery is often involved in highway accidents involving other vehicles. Thousands of highway accidents involving farm machinery occur each year even though farm equipment is clearly marked with a slow-moving vehicle emblem. Drivers have difficulty anticipating the operational intentions of farm machinery being driven on rural highways.

Farmers and ranchers are often unintentionally exposed to hazards. Farms and ranches in the United States are essentially unregulated small businesses. Safety and health standards for many businesses are not enforced on family farms because of special exemptions provided to agriculture.
Source: National Safety Council

Manure storage entrance procedures
If possible, avoid entering the storage area. If entry is necessary, Robert Aherin and Lee Christianson at the University of Illinois’ Department of Agriculture Engineering recommend the following procedures:

1. Test the oxygen levels before entering the pit to be sure adequate oxygen is available. Tests of hydrogen sulfide-concentrations should be less than 10 ppm to be considered safe. Also, recognize that conditions are of greatest risk when manure is agitated or moved. When the manure is moved, the level of dangerous gases is increased.

2. Provide additional forced ventilation. That will increase oxygen and decrease hydrogen sulfide and other toxic gases.

3. Monitor conditions. Oxygen will be consumed while working in a manure storage area, and additional agitation from working can increase the toxic gas levels. Monitor these conditions while working.

4. Use a safety line. A worker in a confined space or manure storage area should wear a body harness with a safety line. The safety line should be held by enough people and/or a winch so that the worker can be pulled out of the area if a problem develops.

5. Wear a supplied air respirator. If oxygen levels are below the safe concentration or gases are present at toxic levels, use a supplied air respirator. The person using a respirator should be trained to use the mask. The mask should make a tight seal around the face.

6. Provide a clear escape path, and make it as easy as possible for the worker to exit the manure storage area quickly. Don’t block the path with tools or objects.

7. Keep fire away. Methane gas is a byproduct of manure degradation, and it’s flammable. Keep the fire and other ignition sources such as electrical tools away from the manure storage area. Test the methane level with an explosion meter.

8. Know first aid. Someone on the site should be trained in CPR and first-aid measures.

Source: www.agsafety.aces.uiuc.edu