Manure Management and Safety

Fall is here, and for many producers that means it’s almost time to pump and agitate manure… And while manure pit injuries and accidents are rare, when they happen, there is a high risk of fatality – that is why awareness and prevention are very important. So, we are going to share some manure management tips to keep you safe this season. Welcome to Talking Total Farmer Health, I’m your host Linda Emanuel.

Joining us today to discuss manure management on the farm is Doctor Erin Cortus. Welcome to the podcast.

I'm happy to be here.

Doctor Cortus, please introduce yourself and share a little bit about what you do.

I work at the University of Minnesota. I'm in the Bioproducts Biosystems Engineering department in my role as an associate professor and extension engineer. The work that I do focuses on sustainable livestock environments, and the work I do takes a three prong approach. I look at the environmental impact, how the unique features of every farm can influence air, water, resources and communities. I look at indoor barn environments; how can we improve those surroundings around our animals to, you know, increase comfort and productivity and then also a focus on biosecurity because that also then influences the health of our farms.

Yeah. Interesting stuff. So you know, in recent years, there's been an increased attention on livestock manure and its pivotal role in agriculture. I see that here in my part of the US. So please share why manure is being discussed in so many various agricultural circles.

That view of manure as a waste, I think, is continually evolving. And as we look more at circular bio economies, that manure is really a form of moving those nutrients back into, into circulation. We've always been doing that in livestock, but I think there's more emphasis now on, on really retaining more of those nutrients to keep that in the cycle. So as manure leaves the animal, how do we reduce losses, whether it's to the air or to water, and put that back into the, well, put it back into the soil, obviously, and reduce those losses so that it can go back to that feed and then return back to the animal. Now, this is all well and good and especially in the Midwest. I mean, there's different considerations in different parts of the country, but whether it's just through normal manure management or different technologies, treatments to do that in in other ways, in other parts of the country, there is a renewed focus. And so it's, it's shifted our view of manure in, in a couple of ways.

Absolutely. I remember growing up, um, as most of you know out there, I am a farm girl who was born in Nebraska and grew up in agriculture. And, I remember way back when that was the chosen form of putting biosolids and different nutrients back in the soil. And so it's interesting that it's come back around. You know, it's, it's always interesting how different things come back around.

So it's never really changed. I mean, that's always been the view, but putting more value to that and more value as a fertilizer, to me, that's the perception that has changed.

Exactly, right. That research that's out there that helps us to understand why it's so important. Yeah… In AgriSafe, our mission is to protect the people who feed the world. And by doing that, we always focus and consistently focus on the health and safety hazards for our producers and their families. So when we think about health hazards related to manure, share with our listeners what are those potential health hazards.

At this time of year when we're trying to move that manure from our storages to the land in particular, there's a couple of concerns I wanted to highlight. One is the manure gases. As stored manure is agitated, many of the gases, they've built up underneath that surface of the manure and the agitation is a chance for those gases to be released. So, they tend to come as bursts and they come as surprises. And so at this time of year when we're agitating manure, moving manure, whether it's in a barn or outside, we have to be aware of these, release of gases. In particular, I want to highlight hydrogen sulfide. Itt forms these bubbles under the, under the manure and comes up. And it tends to reside in low lying areas. But it's a, has some acute toxicity to, to humans if it's breathed in, in high enough concentrations. So we need to be aware of when and how that that gas can be released. The other concern that I think, or health hazard that we need to be concerned about at this time of year, is, is simply fatigue, right. It's a busy time of year and our manure applicators are trying to fit in, a ton of work between us getting crops off and the snow coming, especially here in the Midwest. It's a really busy time of year for for everybody but our applicators as well. In a survey that we did a couple of years back that was highlighted as maybe one of the, one of the unsung health hazards, right, that we need to, to put some more attention to.

I hadn't considered that before, but it makes total sense as these producers are working so hard to, to get all the work done before the weather changes and, and that how the fatigue plays into the whole, whole equation. So, what are some tips, some things that we can do to stay safe when we are pumping and agitating manure, whether it's an enclosed space or an open air space?

Right. Well, if we think about that, that risk triangle, of course, at the forefront, we just simply try to get rid of hazards. How do we remove a hazard? When we're talking about manure gases that I'm not sure we can completely get rid of that, that risk. But, then next comes how do we put in some safeguards or warnings and training to try and eliminate the damage that can come from these risks. So with knowing that manure gases can be a hazard, right, what can we do about it? Well, first of all, sharing that story, making sure that those on the farm, even those that aren't involved in the agitation process and the pumping process, know about the risks of these gases and give them space, right. Be as far away from that site as you can. You know there shouldn't be. We want to have people out of a building. If we're pumping manure from a deep pit system as much as possible.

And then, of course, putting up signs to, to indicate such that pumping is going on. Right?. There is an increased gas and manure of hydrogen sulfide exposure or manure gas exposure. And then finally, with those safeguards and warnings and training in place, then we look to personal protective equipment. And when it comes to hydrogen sulfide and manure gases, in my opinion, one of the extra pieces that we can look at are gas monitors. A small monitor for someone who's regularly doing this task of agitating manure and moving manure, it should be a common place to wear a monitor on your person, during this, during this practice.

Yes. It's, it's a topic that I occasionally get questions from, from producers about those gas monitors. You know what to look for, how do they work and where to get them? Do you have some suggestions there?

These monitors are fairly easy to find if you just start searching up personal gas monitor hydrogen sulfide. Many of the online catalogs for farm supply stores carry them. They come in a lot of different formats, which I understand can be overwhelming. But what you're looking for is something that gives you an alarm when some hydrogen sulfide limits are reached. And most alarms that I've seen have the same, same limits. So that's not a real big issue. There are some that are only good for one year. There are some that are good for multiple years, and that's where I understand some decision making comes into play. But if it's, especially the ones that are only designed for one year, the price of them is going down and down and down, right? And so it's an investment. But I think that investment is worth it.

Absolutely. The stories, of course, are the stories that we hear when either reading through farm publications or whatever it does. Take your breath away to know of lives that were lost, related to manure agitation and the release of those poisonous gases. The other place that folks might be able to find monitors, or at least get some recommendations, would be your county extension offices?

Yes, definitely. And you're always welcome to contact me as well if you have some questions about them.

Awesome. Thank you. So you talked a little bit about PPE. Um, share with our listeners - what would be the correct PPE to wear when you're working with manure pits, lagoons, or even applying it to their fields?

Right. In addition to these monitors that I'm going to push again, to wearing a monitor. Of course, there's gloves, ear and eye protection. I think ear protection in particular is something to pay attention to with the with the equipment, the pumps, the high pressure lines that we're using. That's a lot of noise, a lot of pressure on our ears. And then if you are entering a confined space as part of this practice in some form or fashion. That's a whole different set of equipment that need to be prepared for. If you're entering any sort of confined space, you should have a self-contained breathing apparatus and then proper training to do so.

Right. Those SCBAs for sure. And when folks talk to me about the scbas, I often refer them to their volunteer fire departments that they can be helpful. And that's a whole nother specialized training.

It is. It's probably a training that we need to do every, every summer, right? Or every winter and every summer in those off seasons before, our hauling season starts. Because it it does take practice and there's some certain steps, but it's also something that you don't practice a ton. And so how do we how do we help ourselves with reminders about what to do?

Correct. Correct. Yeah. So as we all know, those of us that are producing food, fuel and fiber that equipment may break down. So sometimes when that equipment does break down, there might be minor spills and leaks. Do you have any advice or considerations for the cleanup?

Right. Accidents happen and it's just a part of life. And when it comes to manure spills we look at the four C's: control, contain, comply, and then finally is cleanup. And so once you're at that point of, of cleanup, it's really about trying to get that manure to where it can be useful, putting it back into that useful cycle, that circular economy, if you will. How can we move that manure either to a place where vegetation can can use it up in as, productive a manner as possible? So it might mean, if it's a liquid moving that manure or pumping that manure, maybe over to a vegetated area if, if necessary or if it's solid, you know, scraping it up and then applying it somewhere else or maybe putting it back into a form of storage, if that's at all possible based on the type of spill that happened. Cleaning up after ourselves during the season just goes a long way as far as the public perception of, of manure and of agriculture in general.

For sure. So repeat those those C’s again.

So control the spill. You know, if there's a pump running, turn the pump off, get the get the flow of manure stopped as quickly as possible. Contain. So that's at the, where that manure is, is moving. You know stop it as, at as early a stop point as you can, particularly if it's headed towards any sort of water source you can. Comply is report it, right? Report manure spills. It's, it's the law. And then, then the cleanup.

Yeah I appreciate that insight. It totally makes sense. So as folks again, we're starting to hopefully for most, round up harvest and start thinking about those fall practices. Where can people go for more information on manure management practices and of course, safety?

Well two resources that I'm going to recommend. One is a farm safety checklist. The Upper Midwest Agriculture, Safety and Health website has numerous checklists. And the reason I tout these checklists is because with seasonal jobs, you're coming back into tasks that, you know, haven't been commonplace for the last 11 months, maybe six months, depending on how often manure is moved. And particularly for those where we have manure applicators who do this as a commercial business. But then we also have farms that do this as more seasonal tasks. Right. And so how do we remind ourselves about what should be done and when it should be done before we even get started? That's why I like these checklists. It- these, this checklist for manure management in particular reminds us to limit entry around our manure storages fence. You know add some lock gates if necessary and put up signage. It reminds us to ventilate the area. If it's a, if it's a barn, for example, or look for moving air to help us dispel any of these gases and, even just slow moving equipment signage, you know, checking all of these things to help make our season safer, not only for those doing it, but those around us as well.

The other resource that I would recommend is from the University of Minnesota Extension. There is a guide on manure spill prevention and management. It goes through these four C’s that I just talked about and, you know, has it written down in a little more detail than what I can go through on, on here, what, what to do in in the event accidents happen.

Oh, thank you. Thank you for those resources and we for sure will link all of those in our show notes if folks want to learn more. So we've been talking about the risks of manure during the application season. But can we put a little bit broader context to manure and the implications of responsible manure management to our environment, to our people, to our animals, as well as this emerging term of circular economy?

Yeah, manure is, is a form of nutrient movement. It's, it's like I said, that linking piece between the animals and, and the feed. It does have a negative connotation to it in, in most circles. Some of us really like talking about manure and really find the value in it. But we are we recognize a limited minority. So, as we, that manure has value when we can use it safely and effectively and that's, you know, whether it's monetary value or just simply a recognition that it's part of the of the cycle of farming. That's what we're trying to do is move it safely from a health perspective, right? Move it safely from an environmental perspective. And then also reducing that community impact that can come from it.

Linda 14L36

So, you've talked a lot about this broader context of kind of that One Health concept of environment, animal, and people. Let's talk a little bit about circular economy. I read that and I had to look it up. Explain to our listeners what that is.

In very simplistic terms, it is about cycling and reducing how much we have to both put into a cycle and reducing how much we have to take out of a cycle, or that we let leave a cycle. And so when we think about a nutrient, um, or even energy, let's say, how much energy do we need to put into a system. And that might be fossil fuel energy. Electrical energy. How much energy do we have to put in to, to raising animals? And how does that energy leave the system? Well, it leaves the system through emissions. It also leaves the system as we want it to in the animals. But how do we how do, how does it leave that system in unintended ways? By using manure as an example, what we're doing is, by cycling that manure back into that crop production, we can reduce some of the fossil fuels that are needed to produce commercial fertilizer, for an example. That's one way. Now there are emissions associated with the manure itself. But how do we start to reduce those? That, that excess release by moving things within, within the cycle. Similarly, if we can let's say look at mortality management in ways that reduce emissions and then keep those nutrients back, cycling through the system again, a form of circular economy.

I have a feeling we're going to be seeing and hearing more of that as we as we continue to move through, through agriculture. And, and thank you for that definition. That certainly helps us to, to get a start of understanding what circular economy truly is defined as. So this has been a very interesting conversation today. Doctor Cortus, thank you for your time. But is there anything else you'd like to share with our listeners?

You know, our conversation evoked a memory for me in years past when I have done in-person trainings on manure safety during, during application season, for example, and touting the use of monitors. As I said, very, very few use monitors in that survey. We did a few years back, only 8% of the respondents to the survey who are commercial applicators reported regularly using a monitor, and we just really need that, that number to grow. It's just again, a step in the right direction. But during those training, you'd always see a couple of people that were somewhat quiet, somewhat reserved. But then when you stop this conversation or when you ask for questions about using monitors, they were the ones to put their hands up and be the largest proponents for them. And generally it was because they were the ones who had either had experienced a loss or experienced a close call. You know, they, they recognize that need and, um, have completely changed how they do it. And they're the we don't want to hear those stories, but unfortunately, that's how, how we've been moving the needle.

It is unfortunate. And, and thank you for sharing that story. I totally agree. It's, it's those kinds of things that makes us move to action sometimes unfortunately. But it, this is a simple thing to do and those monitors are more accessible than they used to be. And it is a very simple little device. I've seen them, I've touched them, and they're very easy to operate. And, and I would encourage all producers to certainly think about it.

Definitely. It's um, I like talking about this topic because I feel very strongly about it. I feel very, it's very important to me.

Thank you. It's it is obvious in our conversation. And, and Doctor Cortus, it's been a pleasure speaking with you today. Thank you for joining us.

Thank you very much for having me on this topic.

You're welcome. Okay folks, that’s it for today. Thank you again for tuning in to another episode. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast to hear more from AgriSafe on the health and safety issues impacting agricultural workers. If you’d like to suggest topics, or have a story you’d like to share, contact us by email at info@agrisafe.org, and title your email “TTFH Podcast.” You can also get our attention by using the hashtag "TTFHpod" on Twitter! To see more from AgriSafe, including webinars and our newsletter, visit www.agrisafe.org. This episode was created by AgriSafe Network, directed by Laura Siegel, hosted by me, Linda Emanuel, edited by Matt McKinney for ProPodcastingServices.com, with special guest Dr. Erin Cortus.