Farmers Tell Of Experiences With Deadly Silo Gas, Molds
(Continuad from Pago A 24)
“I had a hard time getting a big
breath of air,” he said. “I was tak
ing small, short breaths. I was
coughing a lot”
Ken said that he didn’t think that
the silo gas could have done this.
He didn’t realize how many days
had passed since the silo was
filled.
Regardless, Ken said that he
was happy to be fully recovered,
and there has been no permanent
lung damage. But he wonies to
this day that long-term lung prob
lems are still a possibility later in
life.
Yean have passed since the
accident A short while ago, Ken
took the safety course this spring at
Penn State Univenity offered by
Dr. Tim Pierson, entitled “Ag
Safety and Health.”
As part of the course require
ments, Ken said he worked on a
project that involved the design
It was then that he thought , Pm not going
to make it
and construction of signs for silo
safety.
But the memory of the experi
ence haunts him.
“It’s scary,” said Ken, ‘‘l
didn’t -know the gas was there.
Everydme I go there now, I won
der, will it be there or not? You just
don’t know.”
Ted Ferris
Dr. Ted Ferris, a professor, of
animal science at Michigan State
University, remembers a hot day
14 years ago.
A team of three, including Fer
ris, were busy preparing to level
off a silo after filling. They waited
three weeks until they leveled it
Those three weeks were enough
to create problems with the
haylage.
Since by then the haylage was
vh s v
Rodney wee backlogged with work to do in the dairy bam,
and didn’t have time to return to this newly-filled 20-foot by
70-toot haylage silo to level It off.
moldy, the team of three began
forking the moldy material into a
manure spreader while leveling the
silo. While doing so, they noticed a
cloud of dust which engulfed
diem. For a half hour, they leveled
the haylage.
They began work at 1 p.m. and
finished about a half hour later.
According to Ferris, by 4 pjn., one
person had entered the hospital and
by 6 p.m., Ferris and the other per
son were feeling sick.
For all of them, the symptoms
were the same—a flu-like feeling.
The one person was treated and
released from the hospital.
For Ferris, even now, the glands
in his neck react slightly whenever
he runs into mold on straw or even
when he enters a damp basement
with mildew. ‘‘Whether it’s a
physiological or just psychologi
cal reaction to the experience. I
don’t know,” said Ferris.
Over time, the buildup of toxic
dust from molds can create a con
dition known as farmer’s lung.
But Ferris believes they all
learned their lesson and know how
important it is to ventilate the area
completely before working in it
and to level the silage off as soon
as possible.
Dr. Michael M. Schutz
Dr. Michael Schutz, a research
geneticist with the National Asso
ciation of Animal Breeders, Belts
ville, remembers an experience his
father, Nick, and Michael’s uncle,
Nick Ruhland, had while unload
ing silage about 25 years ago.
At the Schutz dairy farm in Eden
Valley, Minn, in December, Nick
Schutz and Nick Ruhland were
eipptying silage. At the time, they
thought little of it, spending a short,
time in the early afternoon loading
spoiled com silage (filled 10
weeks earlier) from a vertical silo
onto a spreader.
Around midnight, 12 hours
later, Nick Schutz began feeling
weak, and experienced chills and
nausea. He believed he had some
kind of flu. shrugged it off, and
went to bed, going to the doctor’s
the next day. The doctor suspected
the symptoms were the result erf
exposure to toxins in mold spores,
within the spoiled corn silage.
The symptoms were similar for
Nick Ruhland, but not as severe,
according to Michael.
Fortunately, there have been no
long-term effects from the expo
sure for Schutz or Ruhland.
What they learned wu that a
good dust filter mask is essential
working under those conditions,
even though the mold spores
weren’t as potentially deadly as
silo gas.
As aresultof die experience, the
Schutz farm invested in a silage
unloader as a way to avoid expo
sure to any forms of dust from the
silo, according to Michael.
Dr. Robert G. Gillio, a specialist
in lung diseases at Lancaster Gen
eral Hospital, treated Rodney
Martin.
He said what Rodney went
through happens less often now
than 5-10 years ago. “Perhaps far
mers are becoming more educated
about silo gas exposure,” said
Gillio.
Gillio said he treats cases such
as the Martins “a couple of times a
year” as a result of farmers wait
ing to level silage and becoming
exposed to the deadly gas.
Specialists who treat exposure
said the reaction depends on the
concentration of gas, variables
such as the type of silage and
environmental conditions, and
length of exposure. In Rodney and
Jere Martin’s case, exposure was
minimal but potentially life
threatening. Two other types of
exposure, according to Gillio,
include when a patient collapses
‘Perhaps farmers are becoming more
educated about silo gas exposure
because of severe exposure, and a
huge exposure, known to kill
instantly.
Gillio recalled a family in Min
nesota about five years ago, where
WELLSBORO (Tioga Co.)
Are you thinking about starting an
intensive pasture system or just
getting more production from the
one you have?
The best way to get started is to
walk someone else’s. In a Pasture
walk, you can look at their pas
ture, see their fences, their water
system, listen to what they would
change, and pick their brain. This
is the type of system that is used in
New Zealand.
The Tioga Pasture Group wel
comes you to come to a pasture
walk. The June pasture walk is
June 30 near Wellsboro, Tioga
County.
Please meet at the Tioga Coun
ty Courthouse rear parking lot at
12:30 p.m. The group will then
travel about two miles west of
Wellsboro on Route 660 W. The
pasture is on the left
This walk is of a stocker cattle
pasture system on rented pasture
ground and with semipermanent
fence. Come see solar fencers,
aluminum, tipper tie wire, and a
12-volt water system.
Tioga County Sets Pasture Walk
Rodney Martin tried to climb up this access chute to the
silo and open a series of access doors to get rid of the silo
gas. His plan was to throw open the door and quickly climb
to a higher level above the gases.
a father went into a silo and col
lapsed. He was rescued by his son,
but when they pulled the father out
of the silo, they placed him on the
ground, where gas had collected in
sufficient quantities to kill him.
The son recovered. If only the fam
ily had moved the father far
enough away from the silo and
potential gases, he may have
survived.
Gillio said Martin had enough
exposure to cause temporary dam
age to lungs. If the Martins hadn’t
received treatment within 24
hours, they could have developed a
lung condition that could have lead
Future grazing days will Extension Office at (717)
demonstrate temporary fence, 724-9120 for more information or
other pasture forages, pasture if you would like to host a Tioga
feeding, etc. pasture walk.
Please call the Tioga County
Scientist To Speak
ANNAPOLIS, Md. Mary
land Secretary of Agriculture
Lewis R. Riley has announced that
Dr. Jack Casper, head of the
Maryland Department of Agricul
ture’s Frederick Animal Health
Laboratory, will be presenting a
paper on emergency disaster plan
ning for animals at the Maryland
Veterinary Medical Association
meetings in Ocean City, Md., June
26-30. Dr. Casper is an expert in
developing emergency plans for
production • animals, pets and
horses.
Casper’s paper, which will be
delivered June 27 at 8:30 a.m. at
Ocean City’s Sheraton Hotel, will
discuss the plan for protection of
animals during natural or techno-
Uncastef Farming, Saturday, June 25, 1994-A25
to death.
Gillio said the Martins were
placed on steroids to stop the
inflammation caused by the chem
ical exposure to the lungs.
Gillio said the Martins should
recover and continue to lead a nor
mal life. “The outlook for them to
lead a normal lifespan is very, very
good,” he said.
While the other exposures
didn’t involve silo gas, exposure
could still become life
threatening.
Editor’s note: Part 2 of the
series examines some of the
methods farmers can use to
ensure safety around silos dur
ing filling and unloading and
ways farmers can prevent silo
gas and mold exposure.
logical disasters in Maryland and
the role the veterinary technician
would be expected to play.
“I hope to demonstrate the
importance of emergency plan
ning as well as some of the prob
lems and decisions managers will
have to face during a crisis,” Cas
per said.
In addition to the Animal
Health Laboratory in Frederick,
the Maryland Department of Agri
culture operates animal health
facilities in College Park, Salis
bury, Centreville, and Oakland.
These laboratories provide diag
nostic services and assist veterina
rians and fanners in maintaining
the highest standards of animal
health.