Incident Investigation: Worker Loses Consciousness in Manure Spreader Tank | WorkSafeBC

This video slide show recreates an incident where two farm workers entered a manure spreader’s tank to rescue another worker who had lost consciousness inside the tank.
Confined spaces such as manure tanks can pose an extreme danger to those who enter them. A manure tank may contain toxic gases and an atmosphere so low in oxygen that the air is not safe to breathe. Though the hazards associated with confined spaces may be invisible, they can be deadly for those who enter without proper training, equipment, and procedures in place.
This incident investigation slide show will help employers and workers identify confined spaces in agriculture and learn more about the potential hazards associated with them.
For more information, visit www.worksafebc.com/en/health-....
View other incident investigation slide shows: • Incident Investigation...
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[@CrossingRover]

I don’t think you could pay me any amount of money enter a liquid manure spreader tank. Worker 1 is a very dedicated employee.

[@mladensofrenovic4860]

he entered without any thought, least thought about money.

[@TomFromYoutube]

No shit.

[@Lex4122]

Way too much of a "shit needs to get done" attitude

[@tookitogo]

Yup. Not a snowball’s chance in hell you could get me to go in. I can’t stand that stench.

[@litman252]

All too many go to the grocery store with no regard to what was done to put food on the table for them.

[@charlesbonkley]

2:29 - I'm surprised Worker #3 was willing help after being flipped the bird!

[@DustyEmma]

Loooool

[@KJMcLaws]

You flip the bird to get their attention! Then solicit their help as they come to kick your butt.

[@shyM.I.N.H]

Lmaoo

[@JordanPeterson.]

Yeh that was very rude of worker 2

[@JordanPeterson.]

As I used to tell my dad - you want help but you use the belt

[@Raechel11]

This is the first confined space story I have heard where any of the rescuers lived let alone the person who required help. It tells you just how dangerous it really is.

[@MayaPosch]

Growing up as a kid on a cattle farm, my father made sure to warn me and my siblings about the hazards of the manure tanks. The essential message of getting stuck in the same space as manure meaning essentially death definitely left an impression on us, and we made it safely to adulthood. It's amazing how Employee #1 figured he could 'just quickly' fetch that hose. So many people don't seem to realise the danger of a situation until they're already in the process of passing out. Others only after they have been rescued.

[@JimsEquipmentShed]

Worker one must have grown up mining bit coins….. no way I’d go in there.

[@itz_lexiii_]

Holy shit you couldn't say that last part enough. I read of a worker who died to a Hydrogen Sulfide leak (dead by the time you smell it basically). When he didn't come home later that night the wife just tried to rush in and save him but she also got overwhelmed by the gas. So many people are in such a rush to help someone they know/love they completely skip logical thought.

[@lyr6408]

C est le sulfure d hydrogène qui rend le fumier,le purin aussi dangereux, surtout dans un espace confiné comme la tonne a lisier, bien des gens n y pensent pas, et malheureusement des gens en sont morts déjà.

[@unclejimmy5778]

@@JimsEquipmentShed We shouldn't disparage the employee. They were not given the knowledge that would ensure their safety. That is the employer's responsibility. It's easy to assume such things are common knowledge but assumptions can get people killed(as what nearly happened here).

[@NiceMuslimLady]

I see that happen time and time again in after accident reports. "Worker thought he could go in quickly to retrieve an object in a confined space. Worker quickly passes out in confined space. Worker dies in confined space." If this guy would have betted on the lottery instead of getting into the manure tank, he would have won!

[@yungzed]

thats terrible. glad they survived

[@RXSVN_2]

yeah

[@112chapters3]

In Ireland I’m sure there were a few boys who died going in after the dog fell in. Slurry tank

[@Dylan_Sterling]

I’d say pretty shitty.

[@viniciusmarques9964]

he said they've all perished. that means they died afterwards.

[@AC-iz7eh]

Yeah I was holding my breathe the entire time thinking worker 1 may not make it out alive since he practically got drowned in the liquid manure and for quite a while too

[@casesully50]

I've been doing underground construction for 10 years and just experienced my first low oxygen atmosphere last week. H2S and Carbon Monoxide are common for us, but low oxygen is rare. We had to Vacuum test a new sewer manhole which means entering the manhole, inserting plugs into the pipes below and attaching a suction disc to the top and removing all the air from the manhole. After the test was over, without thinking I went down into the manhole to retrieve the plugs. Immediately I knew something was wrong. I instinctively jumped back on the ladder and climbed out. We had a blower and a gas detector right next to us. It just slipped my mind, it happened so fast. Had that been an apprentice or someone less experienced with underground operations that went down, we would have had a recovery situation on our hands. Stupidest thing I've done in my career.

[@billabong9215]

Glad you made it out safely. Close call.

[@daveyjoseph6058]

Stupidest thing I've done (by the standards of others) is ride a 300 ft chain hoist to the top of a wind turbine 😄down low or up high we are all dumb at some point

[@bluudlung]

glad to hear you made it out okay

[@lorgerdat]

Quick question - how many women do your kind of job?

[@bdb3350]

Glad to hear you made it out OK. Ive had a couple close calls myself. The important thing is you are alive to tell others about it.

[@genocyber4842]

Wow a safety training video that didn’t end with someone dying, this is rare

[@aaplies8879]

The quality of these videos has gone up so much over the past couple years.

[@dantruong2582]

Unfortunately it is from real incidents and lives.

[@alexmills1329]

@@dantruong2582 some people are just naturally selected to be a safety video.

[@JaxonWX]

@@alexmills1329 fr

[@hanzfranz7739]

@@dantruong2582

[@RedForeman]

@@JaxonWX this why I’ll never work a job I don’t wana end up as a new warning sign

[@Lex4122]

Oh this is one of the very happy stories. On another farm a family member went into a confined space (septic tank i think) to repair something. He fell over so the next two members went in to rescue... also went unconscious in there without retrieving the body and just like that, on a normal day 3 of your folks are getting pulled out dead by rescue workers. There are some very interesting but brutal case studies of this online from ohsa and other parties

[@nickmaclachlan5178]

This has happened too many times with Farmers and across industry as a whole, I remember a recent-ish one in Ireland where I think a father and two sons or cousins died in a similar scenario. Confined spaces are death traps if you don't treat them seriously. Use proper breathing apparatus and have a top man/team at all times.

[@MisterHeroman]

Man, that's no way to go. Not even for politicians and twitch streamers

[@nikosucksatskating]

@@MisterHeroman actually, that sounds perfect for politicians. Twitch streamers just need some socialization skills....

[@wind2536]

@@MisterHeroman I can think of a few politicians and twitch streamers

[@JarthenGreenmeadow]

@@MisterHeroman "Not even for politicians and twitch streamers" Seems really out of place.

[@HAGGYKODU]

Never NEVER enter a confined space without an oxygen detector, simple as that

[@captainsalmonslayer]

A proper gas monitor is what's needed. Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) can and will kill you. Worked in sewers for years and I wouldn't set foot in any confined space without one.

[@charbelnakad7668]

does this include underneeth my bed

[@jus7040]

@@charbelnakad7668 yes, keep your flatulences in mind!

[@archerheath7929]

@@charbelnakad7668 Thats not a confined space, OSHA guidelines stipulate that it must have 3 characteristics of which the scenario you put foward would fulfill, however under your bed would not have "the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere" that would pose an immediate threat to human life.

[@lucasc5622]

a pretty shite rule to be honest. not all confined spaces are literal shittanks

[@shawnallen4086]

Coming from the oil field I can tell you poisonous gas in a confined space rarely kills just one 90% of the time even after having training when someone watches a person pass out and fall through into a hatch they immediately try to look into the hatch to see if the person's okay which usually leads to two people falling dead into a hatch

[@doggodoggo3000]

yea ive heard alot of stories like that from oil workers. "if you see a guy laying down in the field, don't go see if hes okay." kind of stories.

[@RonM.]

@@doggodoggo3000 Mate if there's an H2S leak out there, and you see a guy go from standing, to out flat on the ground, he's 99.9% going to be, or already is dead.

[@RonM.]

H2S is some serious stuff, especially in high concentrations.

[@AC-iz7eh]

Dang, that sounds scary. So what's the procedure in this scenario when someone falls into a hatch. Because it's hard to ignore our common sense to try and rescue the victim as soon as possible

[@MikaelFresco]

Take some punctuation classes man.

[@palicar]

I love hearing accountability trickle up.

[@goliathprojects7354]

Never in a million years would I get the idea to climb inside a manure spreader tank.

[@r30413]

Sh1tloads of people died painting empty tanks. The fumes paint released as it dried.

[@baloog8]

@@r30413 imagine for $12/hr. God.

[@EGarrett01]

Toxicity or not. I'm not climbing inside a manure tank. Period. Sorry boss.

[@rc1952]

Be the last to do the worst riskiest job! Just don’t go there! Save your life. Find someone trained, expert and experienced to do that stuff. Yes it costs money.

[@99773-HGG]

What If There was 500 thousand dollars at the farthest end.

[@EinkOLED]

As a young child I lost consciousness due to exposure to manure. My dad was a farmer.

[@MrSatyre1]

I thought you were going to say your father was a politician.

[@anonymousstout4759]

@@MrSatyre1 what you mean by that? Politician didn't deal with manure they deal with something more stinkier shit that just simple manure

[@ItsKam]

@@anonymousstout4759 yep, worse than manure - human shit

[@uhohitsatrap9989]

@@anonymousstout4759 Cause politicians are "shit".

[@spimbles]

cool story bro 👍

[@dwight4626]

Workers 1,2 and 3 are lucky the aren’t bodies 1,2 and3.

[@colossalbreacker]

yeah, but they saved his life.

[@muenstercheese]

This reminded me of the classic "Two Breaths To..." safety video made by the US Dept. of Energy. Great video.

[@jaromirlatal177]

Link for those interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH_WfHqubpmSgac

[@poacher9118]

@@jaromirlatal177 thank you.

[@Chester200100]

Good thing our manure spreader is the type where the entire backside is the big hatch so you can give it plenty of air out before cleaning

[@Yora21]

The ability to vent them should be mandatory in all tanks that are produced and sold. The design here looks like a deathtrap.

[@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648]

@@Yora21 Some way to pump air into the interior would seem to be a vital need. On the other hand one wouldn't want to inadvertently trigger an explosion by turning on the air pump, as when the cavity might be filled with a sufficient concentration of methane.

[@jinglyjangle4106]

3 people from my area died in this exact way, 2 tried to save 1 and 3 tried to save 2. Terrible tragedy.

[@LitoGeorge]

I had no idea. I've had a manure spreader on my farm working, and I've worked at others farms in BC where there are spreaders and pits. Glad I watched this. I feel for the farmer getting lambasted with fines and charges. I am glad the workers all got out.

[@emmapeel8163]

nightmare! so many men have died from thinking if they enter & exit quickly or "hold their breath" they can do the job faster WITHOUT those pesky safety precautions.

[@rc1952]

Yeah being a super man. That’s a fantasy.

[@Theoriginalbigbrillo]

Reminds of a tragic story here in the UK a few years back when a farm worker fell into a slurry tank passed out and his family members tried to recover him and they got into difficulty as well!! I think all 3 died sadly including a father and son ☹️☹️

[@danielsingleton3576]

I'm glad everyone is ok. My buddy Zach needs to see this video.

[@TheNewRobotMaster]

Did you show the video to Zach yet?

[@mrobserver474]

My son is a professional in this field and the kit he uses is awesome. Your home is also a confined space which is why when using certain products you should open windows BEFORE you start to do so

[@rc1952]

Very important point! Thanks!

[@HookerGaming]

This video may have just saved my life thank you!

[@lotsofsports2251]

Always a good day when worksafebc uploads.

[@webmasale]

I studied for quality assurance technician and as an auditor I have to check all of these stuff, these videos are gold!

[@thisinhumanplace2037]

Their definition of confined spaces makes me claustrophobic lol

[@panzervpl9406]

Even without any prior experience with farm equipment, I can tell that entering a confined space with a ton of shit is a bad idea

[@zackrueger6080]

There is an uptick in entering confined spaces in the manure handling industry due to the use of sand bedding. Sand settles in tankers and storage facilities and in many cases if agitation systems fail the sand will plug inlets to pump systems forcing someone to enter to clear passages. Sand is the best bedding for cattle but the absolute worst for manure handling equipment.

[@rc1952]

Probably another case of money saving methods that cause danger elsewhere….

[@Shadkow]

Honestly Worker 2 seemed to know his stuff, held his breath to get a look knew he couldn't get him out alone to backed out till he had help. I think a lot of people would have tried to pull him out alone and would have also passed out making it even worse.

[@mike-oxhard]

Farmers are the first people to send their employees into incredibly dangerous situations with nothing more than a "Be careful".

[@owenater0780]

Farmers also expect people to have common sense. If if you're an average joe with no farming experience, you should be able to read the signs that not only face the driver, but also are placed near the hatch, that entering this space can and will kill you.

[@eddieb9110]

How do you know?

[@rc1952]

@@owenater0780NO! NO! If a farmer is employing anyone or getting them to do what he won’t do and he does not actively explain the dangers, procedures, safety procedures, risks, he is criminally negligent and risking the life of his worker. So wash your hands if that responsibility- you can’t.

[@Karatel_Karas]

A few years ago, I saw a similar situation in a neighboring village. Father was the owner of a restaurant. He and his three sons were putting the restaurant in order, it turned out that the sewers needed to be cleaned. Father went down first. He didn't come out. Then the eldest son, and then the middle son. The youngest son realized that something was wrong and called the rescuers. Only the youngest son remained alive in the family.

[@rc1952]

People need to pay a professional to do these jobs. But they have debts piled up high and bills and life is hard so they try to do the super human and take ridiculous risks and get killed.

[@dchawk81]

This explains why I lose consciousness at the truck stop lunch counter.

[@BrianGLee-bc7hj]

In all my CSE training classes manure pits was always mentioned. I’ve been Cse certified for the past 40 years. Retired now and don’t have to do it anymore

[@kickboxs77]

I am CSA certified. That’s all the training needed to say “nope. Not going in there.”

[@hanburgundy4317]

I have common sense. That's all the training I need not to crawl into an enclosed space - especially not a tank filled with liquid shit. You don't get paid enough to do that. No one does. Not even $1,000,000 could tempt me. Only one way in and out, and at any moment you could get drowned in shitm

[@themintyfox878]

The animations look extremely well done 👍

[@Melanie-de5iq]

Aw man these guys be working dangerous jobs, as well as many others. Respect!

[@Yora21]

I was taught when I was six year old to never get close up to the manure pits on farms, and under no circumstances ever climb down the ladder even to rescue someone. Anyone working with these tanks really should have known that these are deathtraps.

[@baloog8]

You know why they told you that? Because a group of people had to die to find that out. Crazy

[@rc1952]

How do you cure a person who has got sick with nausea from manure contamination in their hands while doing gardening?

[@spacewolfjr]

Excellent video, great job WorkSafe!

[@deadpul1984]

Muy peligroso, que bien que los trabajadores pudieron salir con vida. Buen video.

[@Jaqueue]

Thanks for letting me know what to do when I’m in manure spreader this weekend! ❤❤

[@chicity1625]

Need more of these Videos

[@Anonymous..VQ3.5Lg35]

Thanks for this video!

[@natioffline]

Thank you very much for sharing this helpful information

[@aleccoleman9017]

He came out squeaky clean. Impressive!

[@mrlondon963]

Good to know. Thank you.

[@VasjaLar]

thank you very much!

[@RoninAvenger]

He shook hands with danger.

[@johnobarake]

Reading safety measures is very necessary for such works.

[@avgastas1515]

As skilled labor these videos are a great reminder

[@petsandthingsilike]

Wow... So glad they survived 😢❤

[@tom_wuba]

One day, this video will be the mediation task in our english exam, for sure.

[@liquidfox2796]

I cant imagine a farmer actually training anyone on safety procedures.

[@billabong9215]

This is one of those things that growing up on a farm or working on one that you just know, it is advertised consistently in farming circles... they literally run campaigns highlighting the dangers off slurry gases... it's basically the same as telling a child once not to stick things in electrical outlets... some just do it anyways.

[@donziperk]

Shows how much you know about farming.

[@nathanmackenzie1174]

Then you clearly have met zero farmers

[@tbn22]

Moron.

[@Beyonder8335]

In that case you have clearly never actually met a farmer

[@gabekerr5254]

I’m glad everyone made it out ok, usually doesn’t go that way

[@JamieS1992]

had no idea how deadly it was in there

[@Yora21]

Probably Carbon Dioxide. Since the body prioritizes moving carbon dioxide out of the blood stream before moving oxygen into the blood, a high concentration of CO2 means that you can't take up any oxygen even though you are breathing normally. And the first symptom of oxygen deprivation is that you lose your ability to realize anything is wrong. CO2 is released by a lot of decomposition as many bacteria exhale it just the way like humans do. And it's heavier than oxygen so it sinks to the bottom, forming large odorless clouds near the floor. Even slight movements in the air mix it up with the rest of the air, so it's not a problem. But in confined spaces like big tanks or basements it can all sink to the bottom.

[@minhducnguyen9276]

@@Yora21 Methane is more likely. It's more dangerous than CO2 in a sense that human have a defensive reaction to high concentration of CO2. You'll feel chest pain and some other symptoms like dizziness. But a low oxygen environment, like methane or nitrogen for example, don't trigger that reaction and you will pass out before you realised you are in danger. Obviously at extremely high concentration you might pass out too fast to react, Carbon dioxide or not.

[@baloog8]

@@minhducnguyen9276 don't forget H2S. It won't even let you linger long enough to have second thoughts.

[@mongolikechewchew2475]

Glad they all made it!

[@211inprogress]

Thanks I'll remember that next time I find myself in a manure tank.

[@oldmandoinghighkicksonlyin1368]

AKA a Burger King bathroom

[@allezvenga7617]

Thanks for your sharing

[@cnnpp4428]

Thank god for Worker 1s bros!

[@Username-eg2mp]

I love this channel

[@raychambers3646]

This has happened down a manhole , one worker passed out ,next worker went in to help, passed out ,third worker entered he to passed out , unfortunately they all perished. Confined spaces are bad news.

[@r30413]

Too common of a thing.

[@baloog8]

It's deceptive how safe it appears. The 1,2,3 thing happens a lot. In 3rd world countries, they don't even tell their neighbors what happened and it just keeps happening.

[@benlewis4241]

It is incredible they survived

[@mrgwei]

its interesting how i get this video recommended to me after watching the better call saul episode with nacho in the oil tank truck. Considering I have never seen that event take place on my life, its good timing to suggest shortly after on youtube.

[@jimtekkit]

I worked on road tankers for a few years and confined space work was always treated as being extremely dangerous. Especially when it came to adequate ventilation for fumes, you'd have a fan circulating fresh air into the tank for hours and active ventilation was required to be in place while any personnel were inside. Passing out from fumes was a major hazard.

[@volatilesky]

The real joke is from when I did "confined spaces" training, was the answer to my question "Okay, say someone does pass out inside one of those tanks with baffles that you have to squeeze through. How do you rescue them?" "Oh well that should be worked out in the safety meeting before hand." "Yeah, ideally, but what exactly would that entail?" "Don't worry about that, that'll be worked out beforehand." "BY WHO?! Isn't that what we're here for NOW to learn about???"

[@rc1952]

Honestly brother…. Who ever heard of a farmer doing proper training with his workers? Never heard of them really doing any training…. Just act like super man and trick a younger worker to go in to a dangerous tank and hope he comes out alive…

[@rebekahlikesmusic2723]

I'll keep this in mind next time I'm going into a manure tank. So much diversity in the animation of the workers

[@rc1952]

Brother- do not go into those shit tanks. Find a better job because your life is valuable.

[@christopherhall5361]

it's not just about bad smells, it's about noxious gases

[@UV_Lightning]

Do you watch the video?

[@billabong9215]

When you are dealing with cattle manure constantly, you'd be amazed at how quickly you become so used to the smell if it, you actually don't smell it anymore. A few hours working and you don't smell it

[@jacobpugpoirier3350]

This is an official "aw sh*t" moment.

[@topperman6]

I am glad that the error is directed to The Company and its training program, and not on the worker trying to do his job .

[@neilchaplin8235]

Basic health and safety! Working in confined spaces !

[@kb8796]

Where are there respiratory apparatus and where was the tank watch for the worker one and two when they entered the first time? Employers must take responsibility to train there employees...That is high risk.

[@imchris5000]

you could not pay me enough to go into a manure tank even if they were not a death trap

[@godw1ll99]

how much you want to bet he said "ah shit" right before he passed out? im glad he made it out alive.

[@hammerdragon4321]

I think for safety they should have a total of three hatches on top of the spreader to vent the liquid manure tank

[@Acrowat40]

So lucky...

[@matija4256]

thank god they saved him

[@MT-ij1kg]

Unfortunately, such tragedy like this happens so often. And so many peaple dies.

[@sixupsprite5501]

There's not much scarier than being near the brink of passing out from an oxygen issue. Whether it's a situation like this or a chemical in the air or whatever it may be. I had a situation with bleach a year ago and that was scary stuff man.

[@gbagel9663]

just one breath can make you lose consciousness. because when it's got ya, it's got ya

[@Arcademan09]

The most shocking this is that employee 1 survived

[@therichtershow]

good explanation

[@StereotypicalLotion]

"Worker 1 told worker 2 that he was going to fish the peice out" made me laugh histerically

[@salmon3669minecraft]

Man this setup reminds me of videos from the USCSB. Miss them.

[@luvtotrade2009]

Legend has it that worker 1 was Biff Howard Tannen

[@vishnukarazhma2094]

Critical factor no 3 - rubber hose attachment is not properly tightened

[@langnarun7271]

I love this video

[@CoreyChambersLA]

They should know not to go into a methane-filled tank without proper precautions and training.

[@colorado841]

I know how dangerous climbing into a manure spreader tank can be: I almost lose consciousness when I have to clean hair from the shower drain.

[@026TB4U]

Why did I just spend almost 5 minutes watching the danger of entering a manure tank. 😂

[@angrycatowner]

In the end, workers will always think that they need to be a hero and jump in a rescue that little piece of rubber.

[@PM_Anthony_Albanese]

The inside of that manure tank is probably less toxic than my workplace office honestly. I'd rather spend 8 hours trapped in that thing

[@blackdaan]

crazy.. they REALLY risked there own lives to save one .. stupid but also heros

[@coltafanan]

This is their first large animation in over a year

[@mickd6942]

Years ago when a new bypass was being built near hoyland in south yorkshire a father and son died in a confined space ( a drainage man hole ) the son collapsed and his father went in to rescue him , both died

[@endolfdaise5168]

Confined spaces was one of the cardinal safety rules at Michelin plant I worked at. You needed to have proper permit and follow all safety procedures for entering a confined space. If you did not... you were escorted to the gate and terminated on the spot.

[@snobjasper1986]

My neighbor was also killed in such a way. 3 dead and 1 critical

[@FatalShotGG]

passed out in a shit tank. that is honestly terrifying

[@jonathanbelanger6574]

Never ever get into a tank of any sort, even if you think that the product that was in there is gone

[@johndoyle4723]

Thanks Yes farming has a very poor record for safety,hopefully these videos will help. I worked in the chemical industry and vessel entry was a serious procedure, with numerous checks and risk assessments, I hated signing the permit, and usually personally supervised the operation, and only relaxing when all personnel were out safely.

[@rc1952]

What a risky part of the job. Even after full thorough risk assessment the more hands on experience and knowledge and awareness you have with these dangers the better because doing a risk assessment does not remove the risks. Something can happen. With less experience and knowledge it’s way more dangerous.

[@puppyxdogxeyes]

Well dang, these are almost as good as the USCSB videos

[@vinogalleta3450]

I’ve experienced it when I was cleaning a fermentation tank for wine.