Highlighting slurry gas dangers

The dangers of working with slurry gases has been highlighted in a video recorded by an Argyll farmer, who believes his investment in a gas monitor has saved his life on more than one occasion.

With many farmers currently working with slurry , the Farm Safety Partnership Scotland (FSPS) is using the video to highlight the dangers of the gas, hydrogen sulphide, which is often released and which can be extremely dangerous in confined areas – earning it the name “the silent killer”. The organisation said that mixing slurry could be a dangerous job, with the gas being released both quickly and in large quantities, as soon as the mixing started.

NFU Scotland member David Colthart purchased a gas monitor after hearing about a farmer who had died after exposure to hydrogen sulphide – and in the video claims that for just a few hundred pounds it has been a lifesaver for him on more than one occasion.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, over the past five years, ten people have been killed on farms by asphyxiation or by drowning, including when working with slurry pits.

“I’ve spoken to the company that services my detector and the dealer can count on one hand how many farmers over the years have enquired about them,” said Colthart, who was told it was the price that put farmers off.

“Can you really put a price on a life?” he asks. “This has been worth every single penny spent and I would urge others to make the investment.”

The video can viewed at https://www.facebook. com/nfuscotland/videos/