Over the coming weeks the focus will start turning to slurry spreading. Weather conditions and land trafficability at the moment are ideal and the hope is this trend will continue into the open period. Preparation for slurry spreading can be a dangerous task and farmers need to be fully alert to the dangers.

In the Machinery section, slurry safety is covered in detail. One of the highest risk periods when working with slurry is agitating. There are a number of toxic gases that can be released during the agitation process such as hydrogen sulphide, ammonia, methane and carbon dioxide. We all need to be aware of the dangers and take precautions to avoid encounters with these poisonous gases. Slurry contractors also need to be made aware of the dangers. The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has outlined a number of steps that should be taken every time you agitate. The top 10 are:

Drowning is another slurry danger. According to the HSA it is the most common cause of death involving slurry. We all need to make sure manholes are covered securely and children are kept away when working with slurry. Scrape holes on outdoor lagoons should be adequately protected. Open slurry tanks should be protected by an unclimbable fence or wall at least 1.8 metres high, with locked gates. Covered or slatted tanks require access manholes that children cannot open easily. Fit a safety grid below the manhole to give secondary protection.