A2O-Lanc«*tar Fahning, Saturday. July 2, 1994
Farmers
Part 2 Of A Series
Editor’s Note: The first of this
series detailed farmers’ experi
ences with deadly silo gas and
He heard of a story of a Lancaster County
Amish farm about five years ago in which
two boys, ages 8-10 years old, ended up in
the hospital because of silo gas exposure.
Nothing was said.
mold exposure. In part 2, far
mers should be aware of the
risks involved when they are
exposed to silo gas and should
take steps to ensure safety.
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
MILLERSVILLE (Lancaster
Co.) Nowhere on the “Sum
mary of Fatal Farm Accidents”
report for 1993, compiled by Penn
State University, does it indicate
how many farmers may have been
exposed to deadly -silo gas from
leveling off silage.
That’s because exposure to the
gas which can cause flu-like
symptoms ranging from a cough to
difficulty breathing is often
thought of as merely the onset of a
cold. It goes unreported.
Many farmers ignore the fact
that, after filling a silo and opening
the doors, they walk away from the
chute feeling lightheaded or drow
sy. They think, ah well, all in a
day's work. They go into the
house, have supper, go to bed, and
try to forget about it.
The more severe cases can’t
forget about it. They end up in the
hospital.
Dr. Dennis Murphy, Penn State
professor of agricultural engineer
ing, said he had heard of a story of
AGRICULTURAL LUNG DISEASES - CAUSES & CURES
Should Understand The Risks Of Silo Gas, Molds
a Lancaster County Amish farm
about five years ago in which two
boys, ages 8-10 years old, ended
up in the hospital because of silo
gas exposure. Nothing was said.
Murphy wonders, how often
does this happen? How many ill
nesses and deaths as a result of
exposure are attributed to ‘ ‘ sudden
heart attacks” and simply “ill
health”?
Most farmers should know the
How many illnesses and deaths as a result
of exposure are attributed to ‘sudden heart
attacks * and simply HU health’?
dangers of filling silos and expo
sure to “nitrogen dioxide,” the
result of fermentation of haylage
or com silage. In the May 29,1993
issue of Lancaster Farming, a
story detailed how filling silos is a
dangerous job. The article spoke
about how “silo gases can cause
unconsciousness, injury, and even
death, especially in the first 48 to
60 hours after filling. Dangerous
levels of silo gas may persist for
two to three weeks after filling.”
So the word is spread from farm
to farm and from family to family.
Is it heeded?
In many cases, it isn’t, accord
ing to Murphy, who spoke at the
recent 1994 Workplace Safety
Conference at Millersville Univer
sity, sponsored by the Lancaster
Chamber of Commerce. While
there have been at least 43 fatali-
This “symptoms chart” gives an Indication of severity of certain types of exposure
as a result of working around the silo.
Silo Si
Part 2 Oj
ties in Lancaster County from
1980-1992, farm accidents are not
required to be reported. How many
could have involved silo gai
exposure?
“For farmers, it’s not that
they’re hiding it,” Murphy told
Lancaster Farming. “But there’s
no required reporting of incidences
like that, or cases like that, and it’s
just a part of farming.”
Murphy said that farmers just
accept the hazards. Farmers also
ignore the fact that safety equip
ment particularly self
contained respirators and ear/eye
protection just aren’t being
used.
He told those at the safety con
ference, “A lot of people have a
difficult time being able to under
stand the difference between a nui
sance dust mask, a toxic dust mask,
a chemical cartridge mask, or an
air-supplied respirator.”
But Murphy remembers stories,
told anecdotally, about how far
mers got exposed to “a little gas”
and how they got out of it OK.
They ignore the long-term affects.
It’s just a pert of farming.
Farmers are often exposed
because they don’t understand that
the silo needs to be ventilated
“right after filling.” Farmers
often don’t fill all at one cutting,
“so they’re in there, in and out, a
lot of times, doing lots of different
things. So that’s why they get
exposure to the silo gas."
Across the state, according to
Murphy, there are about 7,000
work injuries a year in agriculture.
Of those, about 40 are fatal.
Of the 7,000 injuries, about 71
percent are disabling for at least
Series
Dr. Dennis Murphy, Penn State professor of agricultural
engineering, said he had heard of a story of a Lancaster
County Amish farm about five years ago In which twp boys,
ages 8-10 years old, ended up In the hospital because of silo
gas exposure. Nothing was said. Murphy spoke at the
recent 1994 Workplace Safety Conference at Mlllersvllle
University, sponsored by the Lancaster Chamber of
Commerce.
*There’s no required reporting of inci
dences like that, or cases like that, and it*s
just a part of farming *
one day or more, according to the
ag engineer.
Little is known how many are
the result of silo gas exposure.
How many farmers build up, over
time, a long list of exposures that
could put them at risk of develop
ing a disabling lung condition,
such as farmer’s lung, later in life?
Many exports agree that farmers
should carefully examine how they
manage their silo filling and
unloading operations.
What is needed is a more persis
tent amount of education.
Right now, extension is working
on a broad-based, three-to-four
year study on a model program to
examine farmer safety. Included in
that model program will be
descriptions of on-farm hazards
and a thorough examination of the
risks farmers take, and what pro
tective measures can be used,
according to Murphy.
According to Dr. Robert Gillio,
a specialist in lung diseases at Lan
caster General who treated a silo
gas victim in May this year, the
patient was the first of such for the
year treated at the hospital. There
will be more.
Overall, according to Gillio, the
number of victims has decreased
steadily over the years, perhaps
because of more farmer education.
He knows of a Minnesota farm
where a father was killed because
of silo gas exposure.
Murphy said the number of acci
dents related to silo gas are drop
ping, “but we’re less comfortable
with the level of accidents that are
still occuring. They’re really hold
ing about die same.’’
Because of more education, far
mers are becoming aware of the
dangers and are taking steps to
avert personal disaster. Preventa
tive measures, such as making sure
blowers are installed right after
filling and the use of respirators
around silos, have decreased the
number of injuries through the
years, according to the ag
engineer.
Editor’s Note: The final part
of the series provides tips for
preventing silo gas exposure and
other breathing troubles.