WI releases manure storage safety fact sheet
September 14, 2012 by University of Wisconsin Extension
September 14, 2012 – According to Kevin Erb with University of Wisconsin Extension, there are 1.2 million dairy cows in Wisconsin. Each cow produces 10,000 gallons of waste per year. If that manure was 100 percent liquid, the waste generated by all the cows in Wisconsin in one year would be 12 billion gallons. That volume would cover the playing surface of an NFL field (including the end zones) to a depth of 5.25 miles.
That’s means there’s a lot of nutrients to apply onto fields in Wisconsin as fall crops are harvested. Until Mother Nature touches Wisconsin with winter conditions, there will be lots of work activity around manure storage and handling facilities.
A new fact sheet – entitled Non-enclosed Manure Storage Safety Tips – is now available at http://fyi.uwex.edu/agsafety/2012/09/12/non-enclosed-manure-storage-safety/ A PDF version of the fact sheet is also available at the top of that webpage.
Farmers are encouraged to take time to discuss these safety tips with their families and/or employees. If farmers hire custom nutrient applicators, they should use this information as a means to discuss safety requirements with the business owners and employees.
There’s lots of work to get done before the snowflakes fall and that means long workdays ahead. In recent years, there have been a number of crashes on public roads involving manure application equipment. Slow down and take breaks. Fatigue can greatly influence safety.
Whether at the farm site, field or on the road; work safely.
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