A26-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 9, 1994 Part_3_Qf fety
Preventive .asures Ens f . arr
This is the last of a series. then for » brief period of time. V
If in doubt about any procedure, 1 ulctl 1
Editor’s Note: The previous the operator should wear a respira- allowing chf
two articles in the series exa- tor—not a dust mask or an air fil- an the farm'
mined fanners’ experience with ter » but a self-contained, oxygen
exposure to silo gas and molds, supplied breathing apparatus. ‘
Reporting of the incidents and If the silo must be entered before
the actual incidents themselves fo® 45 or so minutes of running the Pesticide dusts, mists.
have decreased over the years, blower, it should be entered only vapors, and gases
The final installment examines wearing the self-contained oxygen
safety measures farmers can use respirator.
when working with silos. Other hazards which the respira- "‘SiT
tor can protect against include “to '£**>
ANDY ANDREWS exposure to the toxic molds from orfieiddust,
Lancaster Farming Staff baled hay and in silage, and untreated sr
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. unloaders ’ syndrome, which is
Silo safety should be simple. exposure to dust from silage. Ammonia
Now there is an organization Often, the mold and dust exposure
that wants farmers to know how to over a long period of time caq Hydrogen sulfide (manure
protect themselves while filling or cause a syndrome known as “far- gas)
unloading silos. mer’s lung.” A good respirator
"Respiratory Hazards In The will prevent that Nitrogen dioxide (silo gas)
Farm Environment” is a little bro- "The fact that there are a lot of Welding fumes
chure that you can keep in the back hazards out there is just accepted
pocket of your jeans. While it may by most farmers as part of farm- Spray paint mists
be too small to swat flies or to act ing,” said Dennis Murphy, Penn
as a good fan on sweltering sum- State professor of ag engineering. r ,
mer days, the information inside is According to Murphy, farmers or
extremely valuable for protecting should consider wearing protec- machinery exhaust)
your life. tion devices such as the respirators
The brochure, available from a lot more often —an investment Fumigants
the New York Center for Agricul- that will pay off, over the long run,
tural Medicine and Health, indi- in better health,
cates that a person’s lung is parti- But even some conditions can
cularly sensitive to environmental be too dangerous. Murphy said
dangers. that even a self-contained appara- a co . workers to Quit
When a silo is filled, forage lus may not be sufficient if a far- . Stay out of freshly filled silos
begins to work —to ferment. As a mer enters directly into a silo with- we eks
result, oxides of nitrogen begin to out some kind of pre-ventilation of . A 1 mnthc b , b f
build up andaccumulate in pockets the silo. entering a recently filled silo,
in the silo. The reddish-brown gas Obviously we don’t want peo- . Ke | p fo a ' d straw . in
can be seen, but often is odorless pie in that atmosphere, because it s the bam J
and powerless. too dangerous, ’ ’ he said. A leak in
A small amount breathed in the mask could occur and the far- * Use a dust mask (NIOSH- or
deeply can be deadly, because it mer could still be overcome and MSHA-approved) when working
robs the lungs of oxygen. Oxygen “end up with serious injury.” in dusty situations,
can’t get to the heart. The heart Murphy said that “risk can be • Keep ventilation fans running
stops beating. managed. There’s a lot of evidence in the bam.
A silo, once filled, should be that we can educate and increase ’lf you use a bedding chopper,
immediately leveled off. Many awareness and knowledge about always wear a mask,
experts agree there is no excuse hazards,” he said. • Never attempt a rescue into a
whatsoever to wait, even a short Making that education translate gas-filled situation. Always get
length of time. If for some reason it into farmer action is another help.
cannot be leveled off right away, challenge. . Avoidance of breathing
then a blower should be activated But Penn State is pursuing a hazards may save a life,
and run for about 30-45 minutes study to see what kind of educa- For more information, contact
before anyone enters the silo to tional approaches really make a the New York Center for Agricul
level off silage or haylage. difference out on the farm to tural Medicine and Health. 1
Many fire departments, accord- change the hazards and risks of the Atwell Rd., Cooperstown, NY
ing to silo gas victim Rodney Mar- farm to prevent more injuries and 13326, (607) 547-6023; in N.Y.
tin, have self-contained breathing death as a result of silo gas and (800) 343-7527.
units. These must be worn, even if mold exposure. For farmers who want to start a
the farmer will only open doors in For now, farmers can do the fol- silo safety program, keeping up
the chute to vent the gases. lowing, courtesy of the New York with the latest information on safe-
AH people and animals should Center for Agriculture Medicine ty is a good start. The International
be kept completely clear of the and Health, to prevent breathing Silo Association, based in Lafayet
chute only the operator, wear- troubles on the farm: te, ini, has available an updated
ing the unit, should enter, and only • Avoid cigarettes and encour- version of its “Silo Operator’s
|Ji| General Tips For Preventing Breathing Troubles
I f Keep children away
from the silo and f—u . „ , .
I' I if i adjoining area for at — Z 2 Close the (end
J . ft least two weeks SlHflßft
Mmf U 3.. V after silage has the barn
111 lllillE Vri' been pul in silo
3 If entry into a silo becomes riMBBSBPH
pEF? necossa, VV oushould 4 Keep /•P'l slf you use a
- Ventilate all silo areas U lf ventilation bedding
/{hi- -get the help of a second fans running [ . chopper
£ti adult and laX JlfUpjj in the barn always weai
f'jpQ • wear a dust mask
6 Never attempt iM. g „ k
■Ok 1,1,0 3 7 Keep forage (nToSh'oi'msha
'I l7 T* 10 "
r . For more information ronl/u I the Now
lO Avoidance of York Center for Agncullural Mcdu mo and
•9 Avoid breathing health 1 Atwell Rd, Coopeistown NY
■Dfl \ cigarettes and hazards may 13326. (607) 547 6023 mN Y <mn
jBHJHV/ 1 w » dreiies ana A*— 343 7527 or the Penn state Ao
I encourage CO- \ - Engineering Department 246 Ag
workers to quit n 9 inGenn g Bldq Unvorsitv Path
Measures Ensure Farmer Safety Around Silos
Silo San:iv Series
Protect Your Lungs When Working Around A Silo
The following chart details the protection necessary for working in different condi
tions on the farm. Note that different masks are required for different tasks.
Mold dust, grain dust, • A NIOSH-approved mechanical filter respirator or dustfmist mask approved for use with
manure dust, dust from toxic dusts.
poultry operations, road
or field dust, and
untreated sawdust
• A NIOSH-approved chemical cartridge respirator or gas mask with added pre-filter. For
extremely high concentrations, where the oxygen level may be low, wear a supplied-air
respirator. Refer to pesticide container label for additional requirements.
• A NIOSH-approved chemical cartridge respirator or gas mask approved for use with
ammonia.
• Supplied-air respirator approved by NIOSH.
• Supplied-air respirator approved by NIOSH.
• A NIOSH-approved mechanical filter respirator approved for use with fumes.
• NIOSH-approved mechanical filter respirator approved for use with spray paints or organic
vapor cartridge with paint pre-filter on chemical cartridge respirator.
> NIOSH-approved gas mask or supplied-air respirator.
• CAUTION: Fumigants are highly penetrating and some can penetrate the rubber and
plastic parts on respirators. In addition, some are colorless and odorless and give no warn
mg or exposure. Many respirators approved for pesticides are NOT approved for protection
against fumigants. For the best protection, completely avoid fumigants and treated areas
yourself, and leave entry into treated areas to trained professionals.
Manual,” which includes a section
on silo gases and diseases. This is
one of the most comprehensive
and extensive compilation of facts
and figures available regarding
what sUo gas is and how farmers
can protect against it. Much of this
information is highly recom
mended by ag engineers and silo
specalists from around the coun
try. For more information, contact
Drew Freeman. International Silo
Association, 219 N. Fourth St.,
Regional Christmas Tree
Growers Meeting Set
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN
(Schuylkill Co.) Christmas tree
growers and individuals interested
in growing Christmas trees are in
vited to a program sponsored by
Penn State Cooperative Extension
and Pennsylvania Christmas Tree
Growers Association.
Dr. Paul Heller, Penn State Uni
versity extension entomologist,
will discuss the research being
conducted on Cooley Spruce Gall
Adelgid. Also, a spray coverage
demonstration will be held with
water and oil sensitive paper.
Rayanne Lehman, Pennsylva
nia Department of Agriculture en
tomologist, will give an update of
the latest insects found on Christ
mas trees in Pennsylvania.
Philip Staudt, Pennsylvania De
partment of Agriculture pesticide
'program, will give an update on
Newsome Joins AJCA
REYNOLDSBURG. Ohio
The addition of Waymon C. New
som Jr. to the staff of Americn Jer
sey Cattle Association has been
announced by Executive Secre
tary Calvin Covington. Newsom
will join the field staff as a part
time area representative.
Newsom will work with Jersey
Marketing Service in managing
MUC IT DOB A BODY GOOD;
Lafayette. IN 47902-0560, (317)
742-0083.
Many silo safety signs are avail
able from silo manufacturers
across the country, free of charge.
Contact your silo manufacturer for
more information.
Also, Penn State has an array of
information on silo safety. Contact
Penn State Agricultural Engineer
ing Department, 246. Agricultural
Engineering Building, University
Park, PA 16802, (814) 865-7685.
pesticide rules and regulations
pertaining to Christmas tree pro
duction.
Jeff Hill and manufacturing
representatives will demonstrate
equipment needed to operate a
modem Christmas tree plantation.
A representative of the Pennsyl
vania Christmas Tree Growers
Association will give an update on
the activities of the association.
The meeting will be held Thurs
day, July 21, starting at 1 p.m. at
the J.C. Hill Tree Farms, RL 895,
RR 1, Orwigsburg, Pa. This meet
ing will qualify for credits toward
pesticide recertification.
For more information, contact
Geoige P. Perry, Jr., Extension
Agent/Horticulture. Penn State
Cooperative Extension - Schuyl
kill County, 199 University Drive,
Schuylkill Haven, PA
17972-2201, (717) 385-3431.
public sales and will also provide
field service in Texas. He has as
sisted with many JMS sales on an
“as needed” basis for several
years. In addition, Waymon own
ed and managed a successful Jer
sey herd from 1970-1990.
Waymon is an alumni of East
Texas State University and resides
in Mt. Vernon, Texas, with his
wife Diane.