Keep your children away from dangerous areas (e.g., padlocking doors, fencing, barricades, etc.) where they could be exposed to silo gas. Therefore, it is essential that the seriousness of this hazard be clearly communicated to each family member, but do not rely on this warning alone. It may be difficult to keep them away from the silo during its filling or for the three weeks when dangerous gases are present. Children should be of special concern, because the silage operation is often an intriguing event for them. Safety of your family is more important than that of the livestock. To prevent silo gases from poisoning your livestock, provide good ventilation wherever possible in and around the silo when silage is fermenting and close the door between the feed room and the barn. The flow of silo gas into barn areas poses a threat to livestock. Gas may even flow into the barn itself and become trapped in corners, under feed bunks, or lie low against the floor. This dangerous buildup of silo gas can occur if there is little ventilation in the barn area. If a silo door is open near the surface of the silage, the high concentration of gas (heavier than air) could exit the silo through this door, and flow down the chute causing it to settle at the base of the silo, in the feed room, or flow into the barn area. Like carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide is heavier than air so the highest concentration of gas is typically located at the silage surface, which is the area where a person will be going if they need to enter the silo for any reason. The effects of fluid filling the lungs may not present itself until several hours after the exposure-which may be too late. One after-effect of silo gas poisoning is fluid in the lungs leading to chemical pneumonia and possibly death if not treated promptly. They should immediately go to their doctor or hospital emergency room and report that they have been exposed to "silo gas poisoning". If a person experiences any of these symptoms when inside or near a freshly filled silo, they should immediately exit to fresh air and discontinue the task. Effects can last for several hours in the body, causing symptoms to become progressively worse over the course of a day or two. If symptoms are mild, an individual may stay in the area to finish the job making the effects of silo gas worse. Milder concentrations could cause upper respiratory congestion, watery eyes, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, nausea, etc. However, what makes this gas especially dangerous is that a low-level exposure is accompanied by only a little immediate pain or discomfort. Very high concentrations of gas will cause immediate distress resulting in a person collapsing and dying within minutes. Individual reactions to silo gas depend on the concentration of the inhaled gas and length of exposure. Nitrogen dioxide is harmful because it causes severe irritation to the nose and throat and may lead to inflammation of the lungs. After three weeks it is unlikely that more gas will be produced, although some hazard remains if the gas has not been able to escape the silo. Unlike carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide levels reach a peak about three days after harvesting and rapidly begin to decrease thereafter, particularly if the silo is ventilated. If the gas is highly concentrated, this fog will appear to be yellow to reddish brown in color and the silage surface, silo wall, base of the chute and other structures of the silo may be stained (yellow, orange, reddish) from the gas. This highly toxic gas is characterized by a strong bleach-like odor and under certain conditions can be visible as a fog from a distance (sometimes mistaken for smoke). Because of this hazard, sealed silos are designed in such a way that entering them is unnecessary.Ī variety of gases can be formed in conventional silos but generally, nitrogen dioxide is the most prevalent type of gas. However, this odorless and colorless gas is very dangerous because the gas displaces the silo's oxygen, and in high concentrations, gives a person little warning that they are about to be overcome. This is desirable because high carbon dioxide levels help to maintain high quality silage. For instance, in sealed, oxygen limiting, silos both nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases are created, but carbon dioxide is produced in far greater amounts. Though a variety of gases are released during this process, the type of silo in which the forage is stored is important in determining which gas will be predominant. Every farm worker must understand the dangers associated with silo gases and how to deal with them. Silo gas is formed through the natural fermentation process of chopped forages shortly after it is placed in the silo.As long as silage remains a common livestock feed, the risk of an injury or fatality from silo gases is present.
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