Accidents related to manure in eastern Switzerland: An epidemiological study

Abstract

Objectives - Liquid manure systems and manure pits are major hazards in the agricultural workplace. The incidence of accidents related to manure is unknown. The objective of this study was to survey the liquid manure facilities of farms in eastern Switzerland and find the incidence of accidents related to manure in the region. Methods - Retrospective cohort study and cross sectional survey of 210 farms in eastern Switzerland. Results - The incidence of accidents related to manure was found to be 10.4/1,000 person-years. Most accidents were categorised as minor that is, had a benign outcome for the people involved or involved animals only. One in 33 of the farms surveyed was the scene of an accident related to manure each year. Conclusions - The medical literature on accidents related to manure mostly reports accidents with catastrophic outcomes. This study shows that this type of accident is only the tip of the iceberg. Most of the accidents reported in this study belong to a category that has hitherto been unnoticed and unreported. The term 'accident related to manure' covers a broad range of events, and those resulting in serious human illness or death represent only a small part of this spectrum. A wide variety of liquid manure systems were found on the farms surveyed. Very few liquid manure facilities conformed to published safety standards.