As a volunteer firefighter, Dan Neenan has seen his share of emergency situations. He also focuses on emergencies and crisis preparedness during his day job as the director of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety.
The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) began in 1997 as a partnership between Northeast Iowa Community College and the National Safety Council’s agricultural division. It was meant to be the first hands-on safety training center in America to prevent agricultural injuries and fatalities.
The facility was initially designed to host trainings on site, but Neenan said the group soon realized that the trainings needed to meet people where they were. Now all NECAS programs are mobile with props that can be taken wherever farmers and emergency personnel gather for training.
The biggest threat
Manure pit rescue is one of the offered trainings. According to Neenan, this is done using a manure pit simulator, which is a tank filled with water. Two mannequins, representing a father and son who have gone into the pit and become unresponsive, are lowered into the tank. The training goes though the rescue procedure using a tripod and winch to mechanically pull a human from a manure pit. This type of hands-on training helps prepare individuals who may find themselves responding to a similar call in a real-life emergency.
Neenan said that when it comes to manure storages, gases are the killer, and specifically, hydrogen sulfide.
“It’s the one that people always forget about,” said Neenan, “but it’s one of the most important gases to remember when working around manure pits.” He said gas monitors will go off at 35 parts per million, but there have been situations involving manure pits where hydrogen sulfide levels reach 600 parts per million. At that level, Neenan said a human will stop breathing in four breaths.
“How long does it take you to take four breaths?” Neenan asked. “Not long at all.”
He explained that as humans, we can smell hydrogen sulfide, but we cannot distinguish the difference between 20 parts per million and 400 parts per million. He also shared that there is no known treatment for hydrogen sulfide poisoning. Nothing can be done to reverse the effects that cause the human body to shut down.
Carbon dioxide is one of the other gases of concern because it’s heavier than oxygen. In an underground pit, both hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide sink to the bottom and push oxygen out.
Be ready to test
Neenan said the ultimate line of protection is a four-gas monitor that tests for oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and the explosion limit. This tool comes with a cost around $500. “But is your life worth $500?” Neenan asked. “The answer, of course, is yes.”
Neenan noted that these four-gas monitors do require upkeep and calibration, which involve additional costs. However, there may be opportunities to partner with other farms or local organizations to share a monitor, taking turns using it when it comes time to empty a manure storage.
Farms with more than 10 employees fall under OSHA guidance, and those farms are required to have four-gas monitors on site. But these monitors are vitally important for smaller farms as well.
Neenan pointed out another deadly gas risk that stems from manure is foam production in hog barns. Swine manure foaming is caused by a combination of diet, microbial activity, and environmental conditions. The foam traps methane, allowing it to accumulate to dangerous levels. This creates a risk for fires and explosions, and when that foam is broken up, those gases are released into the barn.
Neenan reminded that dangerous gas doesn’t just occur in underground manure pits. There have been fatalities of people who were standing by a manure storage structure as it was agitating. If the wind is calm, those gases can just hang in the air and displace the oxygen, creating a dangerous — and sometimes deadly — situation.
Devastating risks
Neenan said another danger around manure storages is drowning. People may slip into liquid manure when working around a storage structure, or someone could unknowingly fall into an abandoned manure pit that was grown over with grass. Any in-ground manure storage should be fenced in with signage warning people to stay out, Neenan advised. A flotation device attached to a rope could be kept near the pit as a rescue tool should someone fall into the manure.
The NECAS trainings also cover hauling equipment. Neenan noted that people can be overcome by gases when doing repairs inside a manure tanker. Manure drag lines also pose a threat because of the pressure created by manure moving at high speeds. Neenan encouraged operators to stay on the other side of the tractor and as far back as possible from the dragline when manure is pumping.
When it comes to alley scrapers, Neenan said to always watch your step. While alley scrapers may not be as likely to cause death, people have certainly been injured.
Waiting for help
If someone you are working with is overcome by manure gases, your first instinct is to rush to them — but that is the last thing you want to do.
“Stay out,” Neenan stated, even though you want to help. He shared several stories of people who went into a manure pit or enclosed area after others, and they all became victims of gas poisoning. “You simply cannot hold your breath long enough to be able to go in and help them and get out,” he emphasized.
“The best thing to do is to call 9-1-1 and get your first responders there,” Neenan said.
When calling for help, know the farm’s address and exact location of the accident. Keep a list of emergency contact information in every vehicle and tractor that travels around the farmstead.
If there are multiple people available at the farm when an accident occurs, have several individuals wait by the end of the driveway to help guide the emergency personnel directly to the scene of the accident. Every minute matters in these situations.
First responders can safely enter a manure pit by wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), the same gear worn when fighting fires. Neenan advised first responders to stay up-to-date with SCBA annual fit tests and to remember that a beard can prevent the apparatus from getting a tight seal about the nose and mouth. Weight gain or loss and dental work can change the shape of the face and the way this safety equipment fits, impacting its effectiveness.
Dangers are present
Neenan called manure pit emergencies a low frequency, high-risk type rescue that many responders may only see a few times in their lifetime. Neenan added that many people serving as emergency response personnel do not have an agriculture background, underscoring the value of these trainings.
As the program’s director for more than a quarter century, Neenan has developed and delivered safety programs for people around the country. Today the organization has two full-time trainers and six or seven adjuncts. Last year, they did trainings from the East Coast to Washington and from the northern U.S. down to Georgia.
“Farming is a great lifestyle, but it’s also dangerous,” Neenan stated. “If you have animals, chances are you’ve got manure in one way, shape, form, or another. The more times you work with it annually, the more chances we have that there can be an incident.”
Be sure the people on your farm know how to work around manure safely and what to do in an emergency. Provide safety equipment, including four-gas monitors. And when dealing with manure gases, the best action is to call for help. Consider working with your local emergency services department to ensure they have the training and equipment needed to assist in those rare, but high-risk farming accidents.
This article appeared in the May 2026 issue of Journal of Nutrient Management on pages 8 and 9.
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