The Health and Safety Executive, The HSE Science and Research Centre, Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 9JN, United Kingdom.
Ann Work Expo Health. 2024 Apr 22;68(4):387-396. doi: 10.1093/annweh/wxae020.
Over the past 15 years, there have been numerous fatalities related to working with animal slurry. Working with cattle slurry releases toxic gases, in particular, hydrogen sulphide (H2S), which can cause acute central nervous system toxicity, breathing difficulties, and death if exposed to high concentrations. Real-time measurements of H2S gas were taken over distance and time, during the stirring of cattle slurry on farms. Gas was measured at eight slurry stores with differing typical configurations of indoor or outdoor stores and with or without slatted flooring. Highest H2S gas levels were measured from indoor stores under slatted floors, and generally at positions closest to the stirrer or the point of maximum stirring, with levels decreasing with distance from source. Most of the data indicate H2S gas levels increase very rapidly after stirring starts, and mostly decline to baseline levels within 30 min post start of stirring. There were, however, circumstances where gas levels remained high and only started to decline once the stirrer had stopped. H2S gas levels at all farms, at all positions measured were consistently below 10 ppm within 30 min of the stirrer being stopped. The current data highlight areas of the farm and ways of working that have the potential for workers and others to be at risk of exposure to toxic slurry gases. The area should be left to ventilate naturally for at least 30 min after the stirrer has been stopped before re-entering buildings. Influencing the design of stirring equipment and future slurry stores would likely reduce the risk of worker exposure to slurry gases.
在过去的 15 年中，有许多与动物粪便处理相关的死亡事件。在处理牛粪浆时会释放出有毒气体，特别是硫化氢（H2S），如果暴露在高浓度下，会导致急性中枢神经系统毒性、呼吸困难和死亡。在农场搅拌牛粪浆时，对距离和时间进行了实时的 H2S 气体测量。在具有不同室内或室外存储典型配置以及是否有格栅地板的八个粪便存储库中进行了气体测量。在带格栅地板的室内存储库中测量到了最高的 H2S 气体水平，通常在最接近搅拌器或搅拌的最高点的位置，随着与源的距离增加，气体水平逐渐降低。大多数数据表明，搅拌开始后 H2S 气体水平迅速增加，并且在搅拌开始后 30 分钟内大部分下降到基线水平。但是，也有一些情况下，气体水平仍然很高，只有在搅拌器停止后才开始下降。在搅拌器停止后 30 分钟内，所有农场的所有位置的 H2S 气体水平均持续低于 10ppm。目前的数据突出了农场的某些区域和工作方式，这些区域和工作方式可能使工人和其他人员面临接触有毒粪便气体的风险。在搅拌器停止后，应让建筑物自然通风至少 30 分钟，然后再重新进入建筑物。影响搅拌设备和未来粪便存储库的设计可能会降低工人接触粪便气体的风险。
