man dies in slurry tank

whelan1

heard on news earlier that a 56 year old man died in westmeath when he fell in to a slurry tank.... very sad

mink_man

bad way to go...RIP

snowman707

RIP

sad news indeed.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/man-dies-in-farm-accident-469714.html

Figerty

Very sad.

I have often wondered why we weren't made put in a stainless steel ladder bolted to the wall of the tanks near the agitation points just in case anything like this happened.

C0N0R

Just heard another farmer was found dead after his tractor overturned. Hate hearing stories like this. Agree about the ladder into the slurry tank suggestion. Fibreglass would probably work as well as stainless steel.

whelan1

saw a thing in the farming independent that was at tullamore show , where the slurry pipe can be put through the slat with out having to open the hole iykwim

C0N0R

whelan1 wrote: »

saw a thing in the farming independent that was at tullamore show , where the slurry pipe can be put through the slat with out having to open the hole iykwim

Seen that to, anyone any idea what way it works??

whelan1

would be very wary of the ladder in the tank , i know it could save your life but if some one went down after you to save you they could die too, from gasses etc

C0N0R

whelan1 wrote: »

would be very wary of the ladder in the tank , i know it could save your life but if some one went down after you to save you they could die too, from gasses etc

It is true but if you were standing beside someone that fell in I would imagine you would end up going for a ladder anyway. At least if there was one in place there would be time saved. And for when someone is working alone it could definatly be a life saver.

whelan1

yes but if you got a ladder you could put it in the direction of where the person is , if it is attached to the wall the person has to make their way to the ladder iykwim

Dunedin

whelan1 wrote: »

would be very wary of the ladder in the tank , i know it could save your life but if some one went down after you to save you they could die too, from gasses etc

I would say that the majority of farmers at slurry are on the own most of the time so at least if there is a ladder in the tank, they have a chance - no ladder = no chance.

reilig

Dunedin wrote: »

I would say that the majority of farmers at slurry are on the own most of the time so at least if there is a ladder in the tank, they have a chance - no ladder = no chance.

HSA won't allow you to bolt a ladder onto a tank. It gives people permission to go down into the tank - which even when empty, can have poisonous gases that will kill. If there is no ladder, then people are less likely to go down into them. That's the reasoning behind it.

Its 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

I understand that a ladder would save lives, but if people had safety grids underneath manholes then they would not fall into them. Any grant aided tank that was built in the last 10 years has a grid beneath the manhole lid - or had at the time of inspection. It will allow you to put the slurry pipe through it, but won't allow a person to fall through it.

Long Term Louth

The following may be of some help to those who use slurry tanks on a regular basis.

http://www.teagasc.ie/newsletters/safety/safeslurryhandling.asp

Prior to today at least 13 already dead in farm related accidents in 2010.

Very sad

Clare Bear

Very sad I often worry about my own Dad and brother, farming has so many dangers. RIP to the poor man. Thoughts are with his family.

Tipp Man

Clare Bear wrote: »

Very sad I often worry about my own Dad and brother, farming has so many dangers. RIP to the poor man. Thoughts are with his family.

Yeah its a dangerous profession as you are dealing with machinery and/or animals every day of the week

All you can do is be as vigilant as possilbe and even then accidents will still happen

Clare Bear

Tipp Man wrote: »

Yeah its a dangerous profession as you are dealing with machinery and/or animals every day of the week

All you can do is be as vigilant as possilbe and even then accidents will still happen

Especially when my Father has gone in to the tank three times after a dog and two cats. He doesn't even like cats lol :rolleyes:

Very true though, an awful lot of accidents on farms are carelessness but many are just bad luck too. It's all part of the profession. Sad to hear of accidents like this though, it always feels close to home.

Long Term Louth

Clare Bear wrote: »

Especially when my Father has gone in to the tank three times after a dog and two cats. He doesn't even like cats lol :rolleyes:

Very true though, an awful lot of accidents on farms are carelessness but many are just bad luck too. It's all part of the profession. Sad to hear of accidents like this though, it always feels close to home.

Unsafe practices are probably the biggest killer though!

Tipp Man

Long Term Louth wrote: »

Unsafe practices are probably the biggest killer though!

Not necessarily though

My brother has been dealing with animals for 40 years - a couple of weeks ago he went to check a water tank for a bunch of cattle who were at the tank and very relaxed. Just as he approached them a pigeon jumped out of the ditch and fluttered it wings loudly as they do. Well 40 cattle just bolted in all directions in a stamede. They brushed and bumped up against him as then turned on their heels but he said it was only by the grace of god that he wasn't flattened and trampled on

so now matter how careful you are, you can't legislate for things like that happening

Long Term Louth

Tipp Man wrote: »

Not necessarily though

My brother has been dealing with animals for 40 years - a couple of weeks ago he went to check a water tank for a bunch of cattle who were at the tank and very relaxed. Just as he approached them a pigeon jumped out of the ditch and fluttered it wings loudly as they do. Well 40 cattle just bolted in all directions in a stamede. They brushed and bumped up against him as then turned on their heels but he said it was only by the grace of god that he wasn't flattened and trampled on

so now matter how careful you are, you can't legislate for things like that happening

I agree you can not legislate for every event, but I think you will find that unsafe practices are the main cause of work related death within the industry!

Tipp Man

Long Term Louth wrote: »

I agree you can not legislate for every event, but I think you will find that unsafe practices are the main cause of work related death within the industry!

But is this known for a fact or is it just assumptions?? Its easy to say a lot these deaths could have been prevented but is that actually the case?? (not saying your wrong or anything of the sort)

What i think is definately going to happen though is the health and safety crowd coming down on farmers like a ton of bricks with a raft of new rules etc

Long Term Louth

Tipp Man wrote: »

But is this known for a fact or is it just assumptions?? Its easy to say a lot these deaths could have been prevented but is that actually the case?? (not saying your wrong or anything of the sort)

What i think is definately going to happen though is the health and safety crowd coming down on farmers like a ton of bricks with a raft of new rules etc

The laws already exist Tipp Man, and all work related accidents resulting in deaths are investigated by the Health and Safety Authority, a lot of which are preventable in their opinion, hence the strict laws.

Surveys have found that farming is a particularly dangerous industry second in work related deaths only to construction. SO I suppose education relative to the dangers rather than enforcement of legislation may be the way forward.

In my experience it is always difficult to change peoples perceptions, particularly those who have been doing somethig the same way for a number of years.

Tipp Man

Long Term Louth wrote: »

The laws already exist Tipp Man, and all work related accidents resulting in deaths are investigated by the Health and Safety Authority, a lot of which are preventable in their opinion, hence the strict laws.

Surveys have found that farming is a particularly dangerous industry second in work related deaths only to construction. SO I suppose education relative to the dangers rather than enforcement of legislation may be the way forward.

In my experience it is always difficult to change peoples perceptions, particularly those who have been doing somethig the same way for a number of years.

Sorry should have said the health and safety crowd doing a hell of a lot more enforcement of the law - i agree with you though that education is probably better than enforcement

And you last line is completly right as well and applies to farmers more than anybody

Long Term Louth

Tipp Man wrote: »

Sorry should have said the health and safety crowd doing a hell of a lot more enforcement of the law - i agree with you though that education is probably better than enforcement

And you last line is completly right as well and applies to farmers more than anybody

All aside, thoughts go out to the family of the associated! RIP

whelan1

as tipp man said its the unforeseen things that happen that can cause death , like a fall or cattle getting a fright , or a bull suddenly turning wicked :rolleyes: i got a wallop of a flying kick bar on the head a few years ago - yes thats whats wrong with me -was lucky it could have been worse , farming is very dangerous

Long Term Louth

whelan1 wrote: »

as tipp man said its the unforeseen things that happen that can cause death , like a fall or cattle getting a fright , or a bull suddenly turning wicked :rolleyes: i got a wallop of a flying kick bar on the head a few years ago - yes thats whats wrong with me -was lucky it could have been worse , farming is very dangerous

Unfortunately the evidence the HSA presents does suggest that the majority of farm related deaths were preventable!

Unfortunately, It appears people are continuing to take serious chances within this industry!

Tipp Man

Long Term Louth wrote: »

All aside, thoughts go out to the family of the associated! RIP

Of course our thoughts are with his family at this time

pakalasa

I think that there has to be a culture of safety on farms, like all workplaces.
Most large companies / factories have a health and safey officer afterall, who assess possible risks, provide training and generally create an awareness of safety.

That doesnt happen on a farm. We all know elderly farmers who herd cattle on their own. Uncovered PTO shafts. Old machinery poorly maintained. Biggest danger of all of course, is people working on their own, like this poor man. RIP.

snowman707

Tipp Man wrote: »

Not necessarily though

My brother has been dealing with animals for 40 years - a couple of weeks ago he went to check a water tank for a bunch of cattle who were at the tank and very relaxed. Just as he approached them a pigeon jumped out of the ditch and fluttered it wings loudly as they do. Well 40 cattle just bolted in all directions in a stamede. They brushed and bumped up against him as then turned on their heels but he said it was only by the grace of god that he wasn't flattened and trampled on

so now matter how careful you are, you can't legislate for things like that happening

ditto

likewise I was working with animals well over 30 years and had dealt with some "fruitcakes" in my time, got the usual bangs and knocks including a few fractured ribs tying to stomach tube liquids into a cow with mastiscis but got caught badly about 12 years ago with the quietest cow on the farm she stumbled on the roadway and another one pucked her driving her back on top me , made sh1t of my tibia and fibula in 2 places

leg wax

whelan1 wrote: »

as tipp man said its the unforeseen things that happen that can cause death , like a fall or cattle getting a fright , or a bull suddenly turning wicked :rolleyes: i got a wallop of a flying kick bar on the head a few years ago - yes thats whats wrong with me -was lucky it could have been worse , farming is very dangerous

i have the ridge marks of a calving jack permantly scared on my forehead put me in hospital,was not long in getting proper restraints after that.

jap gt

my father fell into a slurry tank about 3 years ago, he was sucking out slurry and slipped in, he said he never fully went under, only way he survived was who ever had walled in the tank used the old shutters and left the snap ties in the wall, he has able to climb up a few feet until farmer found him

Muckit

Our agitation points have a strong galvanised mesh grid fitted under the man hole cover with a hole just big enough for tanker hose, Also The top cover can be lifted in sections so you can just open what you need. This was all standard equipment on the agitation points when we bought and fitted them in 1998 (slats are banagher concrete)

Despite all these safety devices, NO contractor we ever got in to spread slurry ever used them as intended and always just opened the man hole fully and threw the mesh section to one side leaving the full man hole exposed:mad:

A few years ago I came home from work to find the contractor had even drove off and left all tanks man hole covers open. Needless to say he never set foot in the yard again

Another thing I think lads are very careless about, as mentioned previuosly, is wearing PPE for fumes, etc. Tillage farmers get all gowned up to go spraying and handling chemicals, why are slurry contractors and cattle farmers so flippant about their health and welfare???

snowman707

Muckit wrote: »

Our agitation points have a strong galvanised mesh grid fitted under the man hole cover with a hole just big enough for tanker hose, Also The top cover can be lifted in sections so you can just open what you need. This was all standard equipment on the agitation points when we bought and fitted them in 1998 (slats are banagher concrete)

Despite all these safety devices, NO contractor we ever got in to spread slurry ever used them as intended and always just opened the man hole fully and threw the mesh section to one side leaving the full man hole exposed:mad:

A few years ago I came home from work to find the contractor had even drove off and left all tanks man hole covers open. Needless to say he never set foot in the yard again

Another thing I think lads are very careless about, as mentioned previuosly, is wearing PPE for fumes, etc. Tillage farmers get all gowned up to go spraying and handling chemicals, why are slurry contractors and cattle farmers so flippant about their health and welfare???

we have the same covers, however it's not as easy to work a 6 inch suction hose through that opening as it looks, the item that was on last tuesday's indo appears to be a much better setup

denis086

The grids under the manholes are useless and i doubt there was any sort of specifications they had to follow the ones on ours is the lightest steel possible. The hole for the pipe is ridiculously small we had to cut 2 bars off to be able to pull the pipe in and out but the hole is still not large enough for anything bigger than a cat to fall into. But i doubt the grid would support a grown man anyway if he were to fall on it :rolleyes:
The new manhole cover with the rollers looks like a good job and it will protect the pipe from the sharp edges of the manholes our pipes are well worn from being dragged over the rough edge of the hole

Muckit

I totally agree that the grids are flemsy and the hole isn't the biggest, but if it saved me from falling in I'd use it, unless/until I had something better to put in it. Pulling it out of it altogether isn't the answer.

Those new manhole covers with rollers are a great idea and will undoubtedly take off if farmers would put a high enough price on their lives and that of their families and fit them:rolleyes:

denis086

Muckit wrote: »

I totally agree that the grids are flemsy and the hole isn't the biggest, but if it saved me from falling in I'd use it, unless/until I had something better to put in it. Pulling it out of it altogether isn't the answer.

Those new manhole covers with rollers are a great idea and will undoubtedly take off if farmers would put a high enough price on their lives and that of their families and fit them:rolleyes:

On ours and the ones ive seen its welded onto the last flip up section of the manhole cover which is a good idea so you would have to be pretty determined to take them off
id say itll be a cold day in hell when you catch some farmers fitting those covers and often the farmer might have the best intention but the person working around them that does not use it is the problem

flips

He was known as the best and most careful farmer around so DO NOT anybody assume he was careless. He NEVER had PTO shafts uncovered or old dangerous machinery. He fell in the man hole of the slurry tank, how is unknown but certainly NOT careless.

whelan1

flips wrote: »

He was known as the best and most careful farmer around so DO NOT anybody assume he was careless. He NEVER had PTO shafts uncovered or old dangerous machinery. He fell in the man hole of the slurry tank, how is unknown but certainly NOT careless.

sounds like everyones worst nightmare , god help his family and those left behind , in farming you just never know what will happen next

denis086

flips wrote: »

He was known as the best and most careful farmer around so DO NOT anybody assume he was careless. He NEVER had PTO shafts uncovered or old dangerous machinery. He fell in the man hole of the slurry tank, how is unknown but certainly NOT careless.

Its worse when it happens to his sort and another fella could be doing everything wrong and get away with out a scratch all there lives.
But how easily it can happen though ive tripped over the slurry tanks pipe one time going into the hole where 2 slats had been lifted stumbled and jumped to the other side very lucky :eek: usually we would have left pallets over the open hole and left just room for the aggitator but it had just been lifted and we were putting in water

pakalasa

Most people just slip and fall in , dont they?