Three Saskatchewan men are dead from a manure spreading accident at a Lucky Lake, Sask., hog operation.
Ron Carson, 39, of St. Denis, Collin Laroche, 24, of Domremy, and Andrew Duncan, 20, of Prince Albert, appear to have gone, one after the other, to their deaths in a mobile sewage tank they were using to spread manure at Prairieland Pork Farms Ltd.
A fourth man, whose name has not been released, survived the lethal fumes that appear to have overcome the other men. He managed to crawl out of the tank but collapsed nearby and lay in the cold for most of the night. He was hospitalized for hypothermia.
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All four men worked for Sand’s Septic Cleaning Ltd, a Prince Albert manure spreading service.
“This truly is a tragedy,” said Carol Todd, a provincial labor department spokesperson.
The department is investigating the accident. Todd said investigators suspect hydrogen sulfide gas is the culprit.
Officer Jerry Wilde said RCMP believe one worker climbed into the tanker to clear a clogged line, where he was overcome by fumes and collapsed. Another followed when the first did not reappear, investigators think.
Then a third went to see where the other two went.
The fourth man is the only one to have gotten out alive, but after pulling himself out of the tank, he lost consciousness and by Monday was still not well enough to speak to investigators.
The tragedy was discovered early Sept. 25 by a work crew, although police suspect it occurred much earlier in the night.
Todd said many people probably do not realize how fast hydrogen sulfide can act.
“One of our investigators said it is like getting hit on the side of the head with a two by four,” she said.
Hydrogen sulfide is found in hog manure and can be released into the air if the manure is stirred up. Manure also contains methane, ammonia and carbon dioxide.
Monica Zasada, of the Saskatchewan Safety Council, said catastrophes like this don’t happen if proper safety precautions are followed.
“It was a tragedy mainly because they didn’t follow the first, basic rules of confined-space safety,” said Zasada.
Anyone entering an enclosed space containing gas, such as a manure tank, should wear self-contained breathing apparatus, she said.
And if a person disappears into a tank and does not come out, would-be rescuers need to make sure they are extra cautious “so they don’t create more victims.”
Know the danger
Todd said occupational health and safety rules govern almost all industrial workplaces. Employers and employees should ensure they understand the dangers of their workplaces and know what to do if there are problems.
Todd said Saskatchewan has not seen a manure handling accident as horrific as this, but similar tragedies have occurred in other places.
While incidents are rare, workers and employers must be aware of the dangers and heed warnings.
“It’s only when there’s a tragedy that we can get the information out to people,” said Todd.
