3 men die after falling into Slurry Tank

RED PASSION

hoochis wrote: »

Slurry tanks are generally safe enough so long as the farmer is educated to the dangers and doesn't take chances. Farmers are never going to treat them as chemical plants because it is just not practical or safe to suit up in full gear every time we need to work near them. Any restriction in movement or vision would bring other dangers into play.

farmers take short-cuts i am related to plenty how they are still alive ..........:eek:

hoochis

RED PASSION wrote: »

farmers take short-cuts i am related to plenty how they are still alive ..........:eek:

Not this one! I always try to be as careful as possible. I have a young family that I want to see grow up and that is always in the back of my mind. I know a lot of farmers that take the most awful risks and I wonder how they are still alive! You could give them all the safety advise and gear in the world but they will be the first to ignore it!

Lollipops23

Terribly sad thing to happen, especially losing 3 men from one family. Can't think what the rest of the family are going through right now.

Reports are saying that the family dog went in and the ensuing panic to save him was the cause of them all going in. In fairness, my OH's dog is like the grandchild in the family, they'd never by able to let him drown so I understand how it happened.

RIP and condolences to the Spence family.

asherbassad

LordSutch wrote: »

I didn't know what a slurry tank was before today, so how and why could you fall into one? I presume the only reason you would be looking into one would be to do with maintenace? and surely you have to climb a ladder to go over the top? or are some sunk into the ground?

I'll give you an example of one on my uncle's farm. It is basically like a swimming pool. Picture a concrete box about 4 feet deep into the ground, like an in ground swimming pool. Then picture a wall around that "swimming pool" about 5 feet above ground level. The wall goes all the way around except for an opening about 15 feet wide in one part. A concrete pathway slopes down to this opening and the cow manure is pushed down this slope and into the tank using a sort of large bulldozer contraption connected to the front or rear of a tractor. The slurry is usually pushed down there every couple of days after the cows have been milked.

Of course as it builds up, the top layer crusts up making it appear deceptively as if it was a solid surface but it's really just like the skin on top of custard. Also vegetation like grass, weeds and mushrooms also grow on top further making it appear like solid ground. You can put heavy duty wire meshing on top to make it safer but seriously the best thing you can do is beat the bejaysus out of your kids if they go within 10 feet of it until they realise that this place is really off-limits to curious children.
They really are one of the most dangerous parts of a typical farm yard and have claimed the lives of child, man and beast for years.

pookiesboo

I cant believe some of the comments that have been posted on this thread trying to make a joke out of what happened to those men, I wonder would they try to be so 'hilarious' to the victim's family faces instead of hiding behind a keyboard.

I think some people who post on AH are genuinely witty and others who think they're Frankie Boyle (well an ALDI version) when in actual fact they just come across as total halfwits

Lollipops23

asherbassad wrote: »

They really are one of the most dangerous parts of a typical farm yard and have claimed the lives of child, man and beast for years.

Thanks for the info, it's not something I knew anything about beforehand.

YFlyer

Anaerobic digestors should be installed to deal with manures. Resultant gases, mainly methane, could be used to heat the farm sheds.

YFlyer

RED PASSION wrote: »

farmers take short-cuts i am related to plenty how they are still alive ..........:eek:

Bailers are the worse. Using their feet to move wet grass and earth from the moving 'rake'.

GLaDOS

Learning a lot about the dangers of slurry from this thread!

My name is URL

YFlyer wrote: »

Anaerobic digestors should be installed to deal with manures. Resultant gases, mainly methane, could be used to heat the farm sheds.

There was a lad on the radio earlier suggesting that it could easily be done off-site. He said that there could be a few regional plants set up around the country which take slurry from farmers and process it into fuel, it could be done with little cost to the farmers and the processed digestates left over at the end could be sent back to farmers as and when they require it.

YFlyer

Yes I think the off site approach be a good idea.

There may be some issue with the licence to transport the waste off the farm. It will have to be viewed as a fuel and fertilizer source instead of a waste.

Just read article on Farmers Journal from Barry Caslin of Teagasc

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/site/farming-Producing-renewable-energy-with-on-farm-anaerobic-digestion-9801.html

hoochis

asherbassad wrote: »

I'll give you an example of one on my uncle's farm. It is basically like a swimming pool. Picture a concrete box about 4 feet deep into the ground, like an in ground swimming pool. Then picture a wall around that "swimming pool" about 5 feet above ground level. The wall goes all the way around except for an opening about 15 feet wide in one part. A concrete pathway slopes down to this opening and the cow manure is pushed down this slope and into the tank using a sort of large bulldozer contraption connected to the front or rear of a tractor. The slurry is usually pushed down there every couple of days after the cows have been milked.

Of course as it builds up, the top layer crusts up making it appear deceptively as if it was a solid surface but it's really just like the skin on top of custard. Also vegetation like grass, weeds and mushrooms also grow on top further making it appear like solid ground. You can put heavy duty wire meshing on top to make it safer but seriously the best thing you can do is beat the bejaysus out of your kids if they go within 10 feet of it until they realise that this place is really off-limits to curious children.
They really are one of the most dangerous parts of a typical farm yard and have claimed the lives of child, man and beast for years.

That sounds like an open slurry pit. Slurry tanks are a bit different. They are usually built underneath cattle sheds. Just like a huge open basement. This is where the slurry is stored. The video in the link shows the slurry being agitated/mixed. The hole in the ground where the agitator/pump is dropped is the only acsess to the tank. They are usually 8 or more feet deep.

May want to mute the sound!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuozlf4xle0&feature=related

plumbball

This sort of thing happens all the time especially with water, one gets into trouble another tries a rescue, then they get into trouble. If you are ever in the situation, don't enter the dangerzone unless absolutely sure.

the culture of deference

Its a tragedy, but why would a man who grew up on a farm that knows the dangers of gas poisioning and slurry tanks go in after the dog, and then make his sister , brother and father then follow him in.

RED PASSION

the culture of deference wrote: »

Its a tragedy, but why would a man who grew up on a farm that knows the dangers of gas poisioning and slurry tanks go in after the dog, and then make his sister , brother and father then follow him in.

ask the girl when she is better how it unfolded

plumbball

the culture of deference wrote: »

Its a tragedy, but why would a man who grew up on a farm that knows the dangers of gas poisioning and slurry tanks go in after the dog, and then make his sister , brother and father then follow him in.

I know it's the stupid thing to do, but could you idly watch a family member die. You would have to try something.

ColeTrain

the culture of deference wrote: »

Its a tragedy, but why would a man who grew up on a farm that knows the dangers of gas poisioning and slurry tanks go in after the dog, and then make his sister , brother and father then follow him in.

Unfair to say he made his family go in after him.

the culture of deference

ColeTrain wrote: »

Unfair to say he made his family go in after him.

I don't understand why strangers get emotive to a post.

Whoever went in first caused the problems for the rest.
If you grew up on a farm you must know the dangers.

On average 10 people have died this week due to suicide, and 2 on the roads, countless others due to illness. Yet we get mass media coverage on another accident that was completely preventable, when we could have had more education.

blacklilly

the culture of deference wrote: »

ColeTrain wrote: »

Unfair to say he made his family go in after him.

I don't understand why strangers get emotive to a post.

Whoever went in first caused the problems for the rest.
If you grew up on a farm you must know the dangers.

On average 10 people have died this week due to suicide, and 2 on the roads, countless others due to illness. Yet we get mass media coverage on another accident that was completely preventable, when we could have had more education.

Every accident is preventable, this is possibly the single worst farming accident this island has ever seen, added to this is the fact that Nevin was well know which automatically equates to heightened media coverage.
I grew up on a farm and still help out at home from time to time yet I can't say I wouldn't also try to help a family member in a case like this. At that moment you are in a crisis which means you do not make calculated decisions. Your reaction is to immediately help your father/brother etc. I do not know of one person who could categorically say they wouldn't try and help even given the dangerous situation.

It is a horrific accident, the coverage of which does not over shadow any other accident. It is the close family and friends of the victims of all accidents that will have to grieve and come to terms with what happened, their lives have been devastated. The amount of media coverage means little or nothing to them but maybe it may help save others lives.

WumBuster

Think Im getting a clearer picture how this happened now, if its an open slurry pit, obviously it wouldnt be deep enough to drown in but if one of the men went in after the dog he would have been knocked unconcious by the fumes, then the second and third man obviously went in to try and pull him out but the same thing happened and were knocked unconscious too. I think anyone would have done the same thing if they saw one of their family members or anyone for that matter drowning in a slurry pit. Tragic

Pottler

Sincere condolences to the family. I'm a farmer(or was), when my young kids started toddling, I filled in all the slurry tanks on the farm, just couldn't see how to make them safe. I changed to straw bedded, then just got out and now set it out-really didn't want it as a way of earning a living for my kids, too tough, too unforgiving . Dangerous way of life, hard way of life, heartbreaking for the family and God be with ye.

RED PASSION

WumBuster wrote: »

Think Im getting a clearer picture how this happened now, if its an open slurry pit, obviously it wouldnt be deep enough to drown in but if one of the men went in after the dog he would have been knocked unconcious by the fumes, then the second and third man obviously went in to try and pull him out but the same thing happened and were knocked unconscious too. I think anyone would have done the same thing if they saw one of their family members or anyone for that matter drowning in a slurry pit. Tragic

at first i thought the tank was 10 ft or more deep they slipped in or something, the fumes caused the deaths...........:(

blacklilly

Pottler wrote: »

Sincere condolences to the family. I'm a farmer(or was), when my young kids started toddling, I filled in all the slurry tanks on the farm, just couldn't see how to make them safe. I changed to straw bedded, then just got out and now set it out-really didn't want it as a way of earning a living for my kids, too tough, too unforgiving . Dangerous way of life, hard way of life, heartbreaking for the family and God be with ye.

If you are on a rep sceme you cannot house animals in a shed/barn unless the shed has a full concrete floor, (I think this rule is in place a few years now) therefore many farmers are now left with no choice but to use slated units