Swine Production & Management

Working Safely With Hogs

Working Safely With Hogs

Handling Swine

Understand behavioral characteristics of pigs for easy handling • • •

Pigs angle vision is >300 degrees

– able to see behind them without turning their heads

Pigs are sensitive to sharp contrasts in light and dark Pigs will balk or be reluctant to move if

– encounter shades – puddles – bright spots – change in flooring type or texture – metal grates – flapping objects

Moving Hogs

Loading from inside a building

• Line hogs single file or in pairs before going outside • Lights inside a building or truck will attracts them – tendency to move from a darker to a bright area

Pigs stops at solid barriers placed in front of them

• Use a small portable panel to efficiently move and sort them – wood, plastic or light aluminum – block the hog’s view – prevents hogs from going in to the wrong direction • Sorting panels should be the same wide of the alley or shute (minus an inch) and 36-42 inches high

Moving Hogs

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Alleys should have solid sides and gradual corners

– open sides distract hogs – blind corners confuse them •

Loading shutes are usually wide enough for one hog

– work better if they are wider for two hogs to walk side by side •

Squeeze pen located between the alley and the shute or truck makes loading easier

– should hold 10 to 20 hogs – circular design is preferred

Herdsmanship

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Know where to tap a hog to direct it’s motion

Moving the hog forward

• tap him with your hand on top of it’s back – just in front of its tail • use a firm tap, but don’t hit the pig - a “love tap” –

To turn the hog direction

• tap should be placed just behind the hog’s ear – to turn left » tap behind the hog’s right ear – to turn right » tap behind the hog’s left ear –

Hollering is very useful

• not screaming, not cursing…hollering – “hey” or “whew” • hogs don’t like it when humans holler

Hazards in Animal Housing

• • • • • • • •

Air Pollutants in Animal Housing

– Dust and Other Aerosols – Ammonia – Hydrogen Sulfide – Other Gases

Odors

– Air Quality Control and Management

Mechanical Hazards Electrical Hazards Noise Fire Children in Buildings Safety Signs

Ammonia ( NH

3

)

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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 increase to 1500 ppm when swine pit manure is agitated – Levels above 500 ppm cause unconsciousness and death

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 ( CH 4 )

–

A natural product of manure decomposition

• nontoxic –

High concentrations produces

• dizziness and even asphyxiation –

Flammability of methane: Main Safety Concern

• CH 4 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 ( CO 2 )

–

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 CO 2

• 10,000 and 30,000 ppm respectively per 8 hour and 15 minutes work period –

Control

• proper ventilation • CO 2 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/m 3 or 35 ppm for an 8 hour work period –

Control

• combustion heaters and engines should always be vented to the outside

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 switch 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

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

• 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 – stored frequently used in a fire retardant compartment • Use wiring material and equipment meeting the requirements of the National Electric Code • 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 playground 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

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Head Protection

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Eye Safety

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Respiratory Protection

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Hearing Protection

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Hand Protection

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Body Coverings

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Foot Protection

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First Aid

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Head Protection

: Hard hats •

Eye Safety:

Safety glasses, goggles, face shields

– when handling or applying pesticides •

Hearing Protection:

Earmuffs and Ear plugs – from noise produced from farm machinery and hogs

Sound - measured in decibels (dB): 85 dB is the loudest sound workers should be exposed to for 8 hours or more.

–

Examples

: Normal conversation 60 dB John Deer Tractor 8560 tractor 76 dB Massey Ferguson 750 combine Swine confinement at feeding133 dB 90 dB

–

Wear protective equipment

• disposable foam or reusable rubber earplugs • hearing protector earmuffs

•

Respiratory Protection:

Masks and Respirators

– From dust and chaff – Toxic gases and chemicals – Welding fumes and low oxygen atmospheres – Silos and animal confinements • large livestock waste and manure dust

•

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:

from pesticide dusts and mists excellent protection

•

Foot Protection:

Steel toe safety shoes and boots (rubber or leather) with puncture resistant soles – 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 – 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