Slurry Pit Safety

H.A.M

Hey all,
I had a post up here a couple of weeks ago called Farming Design Problems. I am doing my FYP (Final Year Project) in Product Design and the area I was looking into was Farm Safety. I was asking people what they think the biggest design flaws are around farms today and I got some great replies.

Since then I have narrowed down my topic to Slurry Pit Safety. This was one area I was looking into all along but my decision to focus entirely on slurry pits was partly based on the tragic news of the Spence family in Co. Down.

Basically, for my FYP, I have free roam to design any product that will be a help to farmers who wish to stay safe around slurry pits.

The main question I am asking right now is for people to identify what the main problems are around slurry pits and maybe some brief suggestions as to how you think they can be improved. Try to consider the course I am doing and that the final solution has to be a product.

Thanks guys I really appreciate any replies!!

iverjohnston

I remember seeing a product at a show a few years ago, which used a standard vacumn pump and a type of cone shaped funnell to provide a strong current of air through the shed. Never saw it since, nor know if anyone ever bought it. If you could design somethind to displace any heavier than air gass from a slatted tank, it could be usefull in certin situations. Of course you don't want to encourage people to enter a tank, or indeed any channel linking tanks.

Hydrogen Sulfide alarm systems?

Iver in Cavan

Juniorhurler

iverjohnston wrote: »

I remember seeing a product at a show a few years ago, which used a standard vacumn pump and a type of cone shaped funnell to provide a strong current of air through the shed. Never saw it since, nor know if anyone ever bought it. If you could design somethind to displace any heavier than air gass from a slatted tank, it could be usefull in certin situations. Of course you don't want to encourage people to enter a tank, or indeed any channel linking tanks.

Hydrogen Sulfide alarm systems?

Iver in Cavan

Good idea but already on the market. Saw it in Gurteen on a tour of the place one time.
Some way of connecting a tanker to the pit/slatted unit without leaving a manhole open? Maybe already done.
Alternatively just get all the lagoons in the country filled in as they are the most dangerous yokes I ever saw getting planning permission about any farm.

49801

Problem is there are lots of underground tanks in this country since the early 1970's. It is the perfered choice for plenty of good reasons. there are pleny of safe manholes to prevent accidental falls and prevent casual entry and there are incentives from the gov agency's to fit them in the form of penalities to SFP or REPS etc.

But there is a hassle factor when installing this things

Like iverjohnston said some sort of alarm system would be a good idea.
While there is an attraction for a personel type alarm that would be worn it would be easier to implement a unit simular to a fire alarm that could be placed near known danger area's like agitation points.
I would think of something like a 2 stage alarm.
Stage 1: Early warning for presence of slurry gas with an audible alarm
Stage 2: Danger level with a gsm alert direct to several perfered numbers.

Just my thoughts.
Best of luck with it

Dont be daft

Its probably to basic and simple but we were trying to upgrade the covers over the agitation points.

Every manufacturer we got in touch with were making a flimsy metal slat that wouldnt last 10 years and the old concrete slats were to cumbersome to take off each time.

We searched high and low and in the end had to make up our own ones. Used very thick steel and had them galvanized. Their a super job. To heavy for a small child to lift up but groves cut into them so their not awkward to lift one you have the strenght. You can drive on then if you have to and they'll still be their in 20 years time.

We had a HSA inspector on the farm a few months back and he spotted them. He said he hears farmers complaining all the time that the covers being offered arent up to scratch.

brian_t

Slightly off topic but I notice that Teagasc have issued a new leaflet on Safe Slurry Handling.

http://www.teagasc.ie/publications/view_publication.aspx?PublicationID=1517

Fiskar

Do farmers have or use portable gas detectors that will alarm when gases (methane, Hydrogen Sulphide, Carbon Monoxide and low oxygen) levels are above a safe level for entry?

Have worked with and used these, one I worked with had a man down alarm, but with all these systems you still need a retrival system (man winch) and the second person into the area must have breathing apparatus.

Point I am making is that I would put a monitor into an area before entry (tie a string to the unit and fish it down or in), if safe then wear a monitor and a safety line as you will distrub slurry and release gas when working or entering the area. Once in and if you are overcome your only option in getting out is someone to pull you out when the man down alarm goes off.

Air systems are all well and good but, as I recall from an incident in Dundalk in the recent past, a conveyor system in a silo was generating air circulation, as soon as it broke two guys went in to fix it and were overcome with Carbon monoxide posioning and did not make it out alive. The fumes built up once the conveyor stopped.

whatsaboard

Hey H.A.M.,

Can I ask what did you go for in the end? Doing a similar slurry safety project, specifically gas detection, and was curious did you go down that road too?

John

brian_t

whatsaboard wrote: »

Hey H.A.M.,

Can I ask what did you go for in the end? Doing a similar slurry safety project, specifically gas detection, and was curious did you go down that road too?

John

You will probably get replies from other posters but the OP H.A.M. closed his account back in March.