SEPTEMBER 2019 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
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Simple steps help to overcome gas exposure Most accidents occur when farmers agitate manure
by JACKIE PEARASE
ENDERBY—No BC dairy farmer has died from exposure to hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas while agitating or pumping liquid manure and AgSafeBC wants to keep it that way. AgSafeBC safety advisor
Tadgh O’Leary spoke on the subject during the Kamloops Okanagan Dairymen’s Association’s tour of North Okanagan dairies on August 13. “Sadly, around the world
there have been episodes of fatalities so we’re trying to stay ahead of the curve ball on this and make sure there’s awareness on farms in BC.” H2S gas exposure can occur whenever liquid manure is pumped or agitated within manure storage systems. Exposure can cause breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness and, ultimately, death. “You may have been agitating the manure in your barn without incident but, unfortunately, if the circumstances are against you on a given day … you could be exposed to this deadly gas,” warns O’Leary. Signs of H2S gas exposure include light
sensitivity and seeing ‘rainbows’ around bright lights, sore eyes, throat and nasal passages, burning in the chest, headache, confusion, nausea and disorientation.
little,” notes O’Leary. Manure agitation can cause
H2S levels to quickly rise beyond safe levels. “A lot of this gas is released with the initial stage of crust breaking during agitation,” he says. According to the American
Take precautions around manure lagoons to avoid being overcome by noxious gases. FILE PHOTO
H2S gas is colourless and has a distinctive rotten egg smell most people notice at just 1 ppm (part per million). High levels quickly block the sense of smell, however, so odour is never a reliable indicator of gas levels.
The occupational exposure limit is 10 ppm, with 100 ppm being immediately dangerous to life and health. “WorkSafeBC expects farmers to implement an
exposure control plan if there’s evidence of exposure above five parts per million, which is very
Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, H2S levels can be as high as 300 ppm at the start of agitation and reach as high as 1,000 ppm. AgSafeBC advises maintaining a safe distance from the agitator when it’s in operation and avoid any enclosed area where H2S may enter and become trapped. A windsock can help determine the wind direction and indicate safer, upwind areas. The agitation area should be well vented to avoid the build-up of gas. When working with
manure, AgSafeBC recommends wearing a lapel gas detector to avoid exposure to dangerous levels of H2S. Producers should inform family members and farm workers when agitation is happening, then ventilate the area for at least 15 minutes after agitation before re-entry. Dairy producers can get more information online
from AgSafeBC, including a sample H2S exposure control plan. Awareness training is also available. An info pamphlet is available at [
http://bit.do/Dairy-H2S].
An effective health and safety plan involves everyone.
The planning decisions you make today can affect the health and safety of workers tomorrow.
Find resources to prevent injuries at
worksafebc.com/agriculture
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