Click on “Download PDF” for the PDF version or on the title for the HTML version.


If you are not an ASABE member or if your employer has not arranged for access to the full-text, Click here for options.

Ventilating Manure Storages to Reduce Entry Risk

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

ASAE  ANSI/ASABE S607   October  2010

Keywords: Air-exchange-rate, Evacuation time, Fan-ventilation, Forced-ventilation, Lower Explosive Limit (LEL), Manure-gases, Manure-pits, Manure storages, OSHA, Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL), Safe-entry, Safety, Threshold Limit Value (TLV)

Purpose

1.1 The primary purpose of this standard is to reduce risk from asphyxiation, poisoning, and explosions when entering confined space manure storages by specifying the positive pressure, forced ventilation requirements, including ventilation system layout, air exchange rates, and minimum ventilation times, for evacuation of contaminant gases from, and replenishment of oxygen into, empty or nearly empty covered or partially covered confined-space, on-farm, manure storages, reception tanks, agitation tanks and other similar containers that hold/contain manure prior to entry.

1.2 This standard is to be used in conjunction with the appropriate confined space entry considerations defined in ASAE EP470, JAN 1992 (R2005), Manure Storage Safety

Scope

2.1 This Standard specifies the forced-ventilation times required to evacuate contaminant gases (H2S, CH4, and CO2) from on-farm, confined-space, manure storages with either solid, totally slotted or partially slotted covers to concentrations below American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommended 8-hr. Threshold Limit Values (TLV's).

2.1.1 This Standard specifies forced-ventilation contaminant gas evacuation procedures and times for solid covered on-farm, confined-space manure storages located outside enclosed animal living quarters and for partially or totally covered on-farm, confined manure storages located beneath enclosed animal living quarters.

2.1.2 This Standard specifies forced-ventilation contaminant gas evacuation times for ventilation systems with supply air taken from directly above the manure storage or ventilation systems with supply air ducted from a location with negligible or nearly zero contaminant gas concentrations and approximately 20.4 % oxygen by volume at sea level.

2.1.3 This Standard specifies forced-ventilation contaminant gas evacuation times for maximum possible initial contaminant gas concentration levels or for known (measured) initial contaminant gas concentration levels.

2.2 This Standard specifies the forced-ventilation times required to replenish oxygen levels from 0 % to 20 % by volume at sea level in on-farm, confined-space, manure storages with either solid, totally slotted or partially slotted covers.

2.2.1 This Standard specifies forced-ventilation times required to replenish oxygen levels for on-farm, confined-space manure storages located either beneath or outside enclosed animal living quarters.

2.2.2 This Standard specifies forced-ventilation times required to replenish oxygen levels for supply air taken from directly above the manure storage or for supply air ducted from a location with negligible or nearly zero contaminant gas concentrations and approximately 20.4 % oxygen by volume at sea level.

2.3 All forced ventilation systems in this standard are positive pressure systems unless otherwise noted.

2.4 The provisions of this standard may be used to design permanently installed or portable ventilation systems for any existing or new manure storage that fits within the stated scope.

2.5 The provisions of this standard assume the storage is empty or nearly empty (< 150 mm depth of residual manure) when entered.

2.6 The provisions of this standard may be used for manure storages for liquid, slurry, semi-solid, or solid manure.

2.7 The provisions of this standard are not applicable to earthen manure storages, or other manure storages with totally open tops.

2.8 The provisions of this standard are not applicable when manure is being agitated.

2.9 The provisions of this standard are not applicable when there is foaming on the top surface of the stored manure.

2.10 The provisions of this standard are not applicable to manure storages with partial partition walls.

(Download PDF)    (Export to EndNotes)
Please disable Acrobat or Scite browser extensions to download a standard's PDF.