Three of Castleisland Community College Sixth Year Agri Science students have been chosen as one of the top four national second level finalists in the ESB Networks National Safety Challenge.
The ESB Networks National Safety Challenge is proudly supported by Safe Family Farms, a joint initiative between ESB Networks and The Irish Farmers Journal.
The initiative aims to raise awareness and make farms a safer place for all.
Many Dangers
The students are conscious of the many dangers present on farms and they focused their project on the dangers that are present when working with slurry. Slurry is an extreme danger on farms in terms of illnesses or near-death experiences caused from toxic slurry pit gasses.
Their aim is to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities caused by slurry on farms, as 10% of all deaths are related to slurry pits.
Brain Storming
The students want to, at the very least, reduce this number.
The three students brainstormed together and came up with two safety alarm ideas. Firstly, an alarm
containing sensors that identify high levels of methane and hydrogen sulphide gases which would be located roughly one foot above the area in which the agitation occurs.
Toxic Gases
This will be connected to an alarm which can be put in the farmer’s house. The alarm will ring when high levels of toxic gases are detected outside the slurry pit. This will in turn alert the farmer, letting them know that no adults, children or animals should be near the area in which agitation is occurring.
Motion Sensor Alarm
Secondly, they are promoting the use of a motion sensor alarm at the gate into the slurry pit so if any object or person passes through it, the alarm in the house will sound, letting you know if someone or something has gone into the pit.
Signs of Danger
Finally, they also have come up with the idea to paint the area around the slurry pit opening in red, this would act as a visual sign for danger, for younger kids especially. We would hope that by painting the cover of the agitation point red, it would serve as a visual warning to those nearby.
Off to the Ploughing
For the final the students presented their project to the judges and their peers in the school, last May.
The students will travel to the National Ploughing Championships 2018 on the 19th September where they will wait with bated breath for a favourable result.
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