(Time: 60)
(Musical opening)
It has no smell. It has no color. It often lurks about, but fails to leave a trace. And it could be waiting for you.
The culprit is methane gas, and it can create havoc for dairy or livestock operators who have underground manure storage systems. Methane gas is an explosive, formed as animal waste decomposes.
Methane gas is lighter than air and will float to the top of unvented areas, waiting to escape when a pit door is opened. A nearby spark, and you create a deadly explosion.
If you have an enclosed manure storage system or pit in your farm operation, know how to check for methane gas. Assume that methane gas is always present, lurking around the next corner or behind the next door. Because you never know...until it's too late.
(interlude of music, with voiceover of narrator)
This message brought to you by Iowa State University Extension's SAFE FARM program, making Iowa farms a safe place to work and live.
This radio public service announcement script was distributed by Iowa State University Extension as part of the Safe Farm Program. Safe Farm promotes health and safety in agriculture. It is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Iowa State University, and a network of groups that serve Iowa farm workers and their families. Distribution date: November 1993.
Disclaimer and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission of the author and/or copyright holder. More
