Farmers urged to invest in gas detection following Spence family deaths
The deaths of rugby player Nevin Spence and his father and brother should act as a warning to farmers that gas detection and other safety considerations can save lives, it has been claimed.
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Farmers have been warned to take gas detection and safety considerations seriously after a tragic accident in Northern Ireland claimed the lives of three men from the same family.
International rugby player Nevin Spence, 22, and his brother Graham, 30, are believed to have died while trying to rescue their father Noel, 52, when he fell into a slurry pit at the family farm.
Such tragedies are avoidable, but this has not stopped six people losing their lives in slurry-related accidents in the country in the past
decade, according to the Health and Safety Executive in Northern Ireland.
Slurry pits are a concoction of cow manure and water and are used to store the mixture, which is later used as fertiliser on farmers' fields.
However, the toxic fumes given off by the pits can be deadly to humans and animals alike, while anyone who falls into the mixture can quickly succumb to suffocation or drowning due to the gas being heavier than air.
Gas detection equipment, breathing apparatus and body protection equipment could help to safeguard those working in or near slurry pits, according Mallusk engineering company Williams Industrial Services.
The firm told the Newton Abbey Times that the deaths of the three men should remind farmers of the danger they face on a daily basis.
Managing director and chairman John Toner told the newspaper: "We believe the Spence family tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers of slurry gas on our Northern Ireland farms."
He encouraged farmers to invest in gas detection equipment and explained that he is working with the Ulster Farmers' Union to help make farms safer. Frontline Safety offer a range of gas detection equipment. More information can be found on the website.
A recent HSE publication highlights the risks faced on farms.
Posted by Dawn Mitchell
