Dairy Worker Safety and Health: Manure Pit Safety

Details

• Personal Author:
  Douphrate D ; Murphy, Denise C.
• Description:
  Storage of cow manure is a common practice on dairy farms. Each additional installation of a manure pit increases the probability that a fatal accident will result. Tragically, experiences in several states indicate that when an accident does occur, it is likely to involve two or three fatalities. Also, there have been several cases of large numbers of livestock perishing due to manure gases. There are various types of manure storage systems on dairy farms, and some are more hazardous than others. Below-ground storages, or pits, are more hazardous than aboveground storages. Systems that are substantially covered by slotted floors, or have storage lids or caps, are more hazardous than those that have no type of top covering. Thus, storages that are potentially the most dangerous utilize pits within buildings or directly beneath livestock. Pump-out pits with lids or caps can also be very hazardous. Manure storage hazards include gases that are toxic (hydrogen sulfide), corrosive (ammonia), asphyxiant (carbon dioxide), and explosive (methane). Drowning is also possible. All of these hazards exist with covered or non-covered pit type storages. Danger is most severe when manure is being agitated or pumped out, and after emptying if the pit is covered. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Animals Cattle Confined Spaces Dairy Products Livestock Mortality Occupational Health Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Animal Handlers Cattle Industry Confined Spaces Dairy Products Fatalities Gases Manure Pits Oxygen Deprivation Safety Education Storage Containers
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Lay Publication
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 6 ; OSHA Region 8 ; Pennsylvania ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052252
• Citation:
  Prog Dairyman 2013 Jun; :1-4
• Email:
  David.I.Douphrate@uth.tmc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  Colorado State University - Ft. Collins
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20030915
• Source Full Name:
  The Progressive Dairyman
• End Date:
  20270914
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0d5929ef1a33ed412ce7caa75ab7d00c30700180f1d460fe8b78241a30e87ac81774ed2a2698e6f8b3db6109b63e9f08d167c76c9dc9754bf78187576eae9a9a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/211807/cdc_211807_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 121.17 KB ]