Swine Production & Management

Working Safely With Hogs

Working Safely With Hogs

Handling SwineHandling 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 HogsMoving 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 HogsMoving Hogs

• 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

HerdsmanshipHerdsmanship

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 HousingHazards 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 ( NHAmmonia ( NH33 ) )

• 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 )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 )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 GasesOther Gases

Methane ( CHMethane ( CH44 ) )

– 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 ( COCarbon Dioxide ( CO22 ) )

– 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 )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

Mechanical HazardsMechanical 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 HazardsElectrical 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

NoiseNoise• 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

FireFire

• 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 BuildingsChildren 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 SignsSafety SignsClassified according to the use hazards and risk involvedClassified 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 EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment

• Head Protection

• Eye Safety

• Respiratory Protection

• Hearing Protection

• Hand Protection

• Body Coverings

• Foot Protection

• First Aid

• 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 90 dB

Swine confinement at feeding133 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: excellent protection from pesticide dusts and mists

• 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