Safety in the Swine and
Poultry House
• Respirators give real protection
– wear tight-fitting NIOSH approved respirators as necessary
• Guards on fans and motors prevent accidents
– keep fingers, hands away from moving parts
• Winches can be risky - be careful
– gears, cable, spinning handles can cause injury
• Be cautious during electrical work and storm
– eliminate electrical hazards and minimize exposure to shock
• Supervise children in poultry houses
– poultry houses are not playgrounds
Hazards in Animal Housing
• Air Pollutants in Animal Housing
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Dust and Other Aerosols
Ammonia
Hydrogen Sulfide
Other Gases
• Odors
– Air Quality Control and Management
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Mechanical Hazards
Electrical Hazards
Noise
Fire
Children in Buildings
Safety Signs
Air Pollutants in Animal Housing
• Dust and Other Aerosols
– Dust found in animal housing is primarily composed of:
• Feed components
• Dry fecal material
• Dander (hair and skin cells)
• Molds
• Pollen
• Grains
• Insect parts
• Mineral ash
– some components may cause allergic responses
– an important air quality problem in poultry and livestock housing
Dust Control
• Proper waste management and ventilation
– Minimize poor indoor quality - animals and workers
• workers are required to wear appropriate personal protective
equipment when entering these facilities
– particularly mask or respirators
• Several methods of reducing dust are under evaluation
– Wet , electrostatic, cyclonic and dry dust filters
– Oil sprays
• spraying vegetable oil
– bind up the dust particles and keep them out of suspension
Ammonia ( NH3 )
• Ammonia is produced by bacterial action on urine and
feces during decomposition
– Comes off of the floors and from the manure pits
– Levels in animal buildings can be sufficiently high to affect
human health
• Ammonia control
– Frequent removal of waste
– Management of indoor moisture
– Adequate ventilation
• ventilation dilutes ammonia concentration and tends to dry
floors and litter
– reduces the rate of ammonia release
Hydrogen Sulfide ( HS )
• Is an acutely toxic gas produced by the decomposition of
animal manure
– Often released into the air when liquid manure is agitated
– Its odor is not an indication of its concentration
– Above 6 ppm the odor increases as concentration also increases
• The OSHA limits exposure to 10 ppm for an 8 hour, 5
day exposure
– At levels above 50 ppm human evacuation is recommended
– Levels above 500 ppm cause unconsciousness and death
– Levels increase to 1500 ppm when swine pit manure is agitated
Hydrogen Sulfide ( HS )
(continued)
• Workers should wear a self contained respirator if
exposure to HS is expected
• Hazards created during manure agitation can be
controlled by:
– Providing ventilation during manure pumping
– Removing the manure
• Preferable when
– people and animals are absent from the building
Other Gases
Methane ( CH4 )
– A natural product of manure decomposition
• nontoxic
– High concentrations produces
• dizziness and even asphyxiation
– Flammability of methane: Main Safety Concern
• CH4 can be explosive at concentrations over 50,000 ppm
• valuable as an energy source
– NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health) recommended
Daily exposure
• 1,000 ppm per 8 hour work period
– Control:
• proper ventilation generally dissipates methane from animal housings
Carbon Dioxide ( CO2 )
– Produced by manure decomposition and animal respiration
• nontoxic gas
– High concentrations can cause
• asphyxiation by reducing available oxygen
– Concentrations in well ventilated buildings can range
• 1,000 ppm during summer
• 10,000 ppm during winter
– OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) permissible
exposure level for CO2
• 10,000 and 30,000 ppm respectively per 8 hour and 15 minutes work
period
– Control
• proper ventilation
• CO2 control is important in cold climates
Carbon Monoxide ( CO )
– Product of the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons
• its colorless, odorless, and has nearly the same density as air
– CO hazards in animal production operations caused by
• combustion heaters malfunction
• operational heaters or internal combustion engines
– without venting the combustion products outdoors
– Winter: Most dangerous period
• buildings are usually closed and ventilation rates are at its lowest
– OSHA and NIOSH recommended threshold limit values
• 40mg/m3 or 35 ppm for an 8 hour work period
– Control
• combustion heaters and engines should always be vented to the
outside
Odors
Air Quality Control and Management
– Unpleasant odors have long been associated with domestic
animal production
• Installation and operation of a well-designed ventilation system is the
producer’s best assurance of adequate indoor quality
– provides thorough air mixing
– eliminates dead spaces having stagnant air
– moves fresh air through the housing facility
– Ventilation vents should open enough to provide high velocity
jets to ensure thorough air mixing
• Summer months
– evaporative cooling is needed using misting systems to reduce the indoor
air temperature
• Winter months
– supplemental mixing fans are needed because ventilation rates are
reduced to a minimum
Air Quality Control and Management
(continued)
– Prevention and early detection of toxic gas levels reduces
health risks
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installs CO detectors near combustion heaters
the heater should be vented to the outside
clean the heater thoroughly at the beginning of each heating season
while in use, monitor the heaters daily to ensure that they burn
efficiently and produce minimal levels of CO
– Use extreme caution during manure removal
• manure slurries will release hydrogen sulfide: “rotten eggs”
• cause for concern
– HS can quickly inure the sense of smell as concentrations increase and
become deadly
– Control dusts
• during cold weather, use feed additives (oil, fat, and lecithin) to help
reduce dust emission from feed meals.
Mechanical Hazards
– Fans
• unguarded fans are dangerous, must have guards or screens so people
cannot touch any moving parts
– Winches
• workers operating winches must be careful to avoid releasing the
winch before the object is fully raised or lowered
• accidentally striking a winch under tension can cause it to release
– Augers
• must be properly guarded
• before any maintenance the equipment must be unplugged, or
switched off at the control and breaker box
– Steel Cables
• worn or frayed could produce gashes and puncture wounds on hands
– wear a sturdy pair of work gloves to prevent these wounds
– Housing Floors
• can be slippery and obstructed by equipment and railings
– use a good pair of work boots to prevent falls and foot injuries
Electrical Hazards
– Due to faulty electrical wiring
• Risk of shock
• Potential for fire
• Destruction of good equipment
– motors and pumps
– Use wiring practices that protects electrical cable and system
components
• from abuse by livestock and rodents
• avoid exposure to tractors and feeding equipment
– Appropriate design and reliable installation of electrical
systems are crucial to
• use electricity efficiently
• provide a safe environment for workers and animals
• minimize the potential for fire loss
Noise
• Sound levels are measured in decibels (dB)
– Soft whisper is about 30 dB while a 120 dB will cause pain
– OSHA limits noise exposure to ~ 90 dB over an 8 hour shift
– Tractors and other farm machinery cause the most noise
• in livestock housing - animals and machinery produce significant
noise
– swine buildings - at feeding time 115 dB can be reached
Fire
• Factors that facilitate fire in livestock buildings
• Poor management and maintenance, improper storage of combustibles,
unsafe electrical wiring and lightning
• Reduce fire incidents
• Construct building with fire retardant materials
• Combustibles - discard from building those not frequently used
– store frequently used in a fire retardant compartment
• Use wiring material and equipment meeting the requirements of the
National Electric Code
• Electrical equipment should be installed according to manufacturer’s
specifications
• All electrical equipment (fuses, junctions, and outlet boxes) should be kept
free of grease and dust
• Place 10 lb ABC type fire extinguishers in all major buildings near exits
Children in Buildings
Animal production facilities are attractive playgrounds to children
– Because of their complexity and potential for danger
• no one should treat animal production facilities as play areas
• lack of experience
– makes children vulnerable to injuries in agricultural environments
• young children visiting these facilities
– should be supervised by trained production personnel
• older children should be allowed to work in these environments
– providing adequate training and with parental supervision
Safety Signs
Classified according to the use hazards and risk involved
The categories of hazard are:
Toxicity / Poison
Explosive Potential
Flammability
Corrosive
The categories of risks are:
Danger
Warning
Caution
Personal Protective Equipment
• Head Protection
• Eye Safety
• Respiratory Protection
• Hearing Protection
• Hand Protection
• Body Coverings
• Foot Protection
• First Aid
• Head Protection: Hard hats
– from impacts or flying or falling objects
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machinery maintenance
construction (electrical work, demolition)
horse back riding
enclosed spaces with low ceilings
chemical splashes
• Eye Safety: Safety glasses, goggles, face shields
– when handling or applying pesticides
– when working in dust, chaff or other flying particles
– when working around trees
• particularly under low-hanging branches
• Hearing Protection: Earmuffs and Ear plugs
– from noise produced from farm machinery and hogs
• tractors, combines, augers, blowers, chainsaws
• hogs screaming at feeding time
• Sound - measured in decibels (dB): 85 dB is the loudest sound workers
should be exposed to for 8 hours or more.
– Examples: Normal conversation
John Deer Tractor 8560 tractor
Massey Ferguson 750 combine
Swine confinement at feeding
60 dB
76 dB
90 dB
133 dB
– Reduce indoor noise levels
• install low noise fans, rubber fan mounts
• use automated feeding systems
– reduce animal produced noise by feeding all the animals at once
– Wear protective equipment
• disposable foam or reusable rubber earplugs
• hearing protector earmuffs
• Respiratory Protection: Masks and Respirators
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From dust and chaff
Toxic gases and chemicals
Welding fumes and low oxygen atmospheres
Silos and animal confinements
• large livestock waste and manure dust
Effective respiratory hazard control in animal housings
– Use NIOSH approved respiratory protection appropriate for the
situation
– Implement a respiratory control program that includes
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evaluation of worker’s ability to work with the respirator
regular training of personnel
routinely monitoring air quality
selection of appropriate NIOSH approved respirators
respirator fit testing
medical evaluations
maintenance, cleaning and storage of respirators
Respirators used in animal housing facilities
– Disposable dust / mist masks
– Reusable dust / mist masks
– Chemical cartridge respirators
• which can include particulate matter prefilters
– Powered air-purifying respirators
• provide eye protection as well
– Self-contain respirators
• for dangerous gases - hydrogen sulfide or carbon monoxide
• Hand Protection: Gloves - fabric, leather, rubber,
cut resistant
– fabric: protects from minor cuts and scrapes
• inexpensive
• could be laundered to extend its life
– leather: best choice for protection, cuts, scrapes, friction
• inexpensive, breathable, tough and flexible
• treat with leather care product to extend its life
– rubber: protects from the use of chemicals
• choose the appropriate rubber glove for the task
• while still on, wash with warm water and soap, hang to dry
– cut resistant: protects from handling glass and sharp objects
• Body Covering: Aprons (leather and rubber), chemical
resistant coveralls and chainsaw safety chaps
– leather aprons: used when welding
• protects from burns from splattering molten metals and slag
– rubber aprons: needed when handling liquids or concentrated
chemicals
• protects the groin area from chemical splashes
– this area absorbs chemical 10x faster than through the forearm
– chemical resistant coveralls: excellent protection from pesticide
dusts and mists
– chainsaw safety chaps: minimize the risk of cutting the legs
• when handling square bales
– reduce scratches and scrapes on the legs
• Foot Protection: Steel toe safety shoes and boots
(rubber or leather) with puncture resistant soles
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from sharp objects
dropped heavy objects
heavy livestock stepping on your feet
chemical hazards (steel toe safety rubber boots)
• First Aid (FA) : all vehicles and buildings should have
a first aid kit
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get appropriate first aid training
in your FA kit include emergency numbers
check FA kit content every three months
label all FA kits
include flares and flash light in your FA kit
• emergency signals -extra help
What to pack in your first aid kit?
For more information visit the NASD (National Ag Safety Database)
(National Ag Safety Database)
http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/menu/topic/firstaid.html
For emergencies call:
Poison Control Center:
Manitoba Environment:
911
Winnipeg
(204) 787-2591
Regina
Toll free
(306) 766-4545
1-800-667-4545
Spills
944-4888
CSA approved safety equipment
could be purchase at:
1. Implement dealerships
2. Farm supply stores
3. Safety supply companies
4. Pharmacies
5. Agriculture chemical dealers
6. Hardware stores
Check the yellow pages under
SAFETY EQUIP & CLOTHING