Farmers under pressure to empty slurry tanks before the 15 October deadline are being told to plan ahead and not take chances, as safety officials warn that just one breath of slurry gas could be fatal.
The Farm Safety Partnership and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) have issued stark reminders that slurry gas builds up quickly and in deadly concentrations.
They stress that strict compliance with the slurry mixing code is the only way to avoid tragedy.
Harry Sinclair, chair of the Farm Safety Partnership, said workload must never outweigh safety. “It’s a busy time of year… but they must put their own safety and that of their family and workers first,” he said.
His advice is simple: plan every stage, spread slurry in good time when conditions allow, and never gamble with your life. “Don’t rush the mixing… it is not worth losing your life over.”
Bryan Monson, deputy chief executive of HSENI, described slurry gas as a toxic cocktail that can overwhelm in seconds.
“Mixing slurry can be a dangerous job as the gas is released very quickly, and in large quantities, as soon as the mixing starts,” he explained.
Hydrogen sulphide, one of the main gases, is particularly lethal. “Even a low concentration can knock out your sense of smell… at certain concentrations, just one breath can kill.”
Officials warn that the first 30 minutes of mixing is the most dangerous. Farmers must remove all stock from sheds, leave the building as soon as the pump starts, and not return for at least half an hour. If equipment needs to be moved or redirected, they should exit immediately and stay out for another 30 minutes.
The slurry mixing code also makes clear that all doors and windows should be opened to improve ventilation, and that mixing should, where possible, be carried out on windy days. Children and animals must be kept away, and exposed tank areas covered if slats have been removed.
Some practices are described as outright deadly. Farmers are told never to rely on filter masks or gas monitors, never to bring naked flames near slurry, and never to stand close to the pump or exhaust of a vacuum tanker while it is being filled.
The warnings form part of the Farm Safety Partnership’s ongoing Stop and Think SAFE campaign, which targets the four biggest killers in agriculture: slurry, animals, falls from height and equipment.
The message from safety officials is stark: stop, think and stay alive.
