The Rural Voice, 1982-07, Page 13leave more dust floating around in a barn.
Part of the problem is off -set by more
on-farm processing of high moisture
grains.
The feeding systems creating most
dust, says Hacker, is floor feeding of dry
meal from an automated drop feeder. But
even that lasts only a very short time and
can be counteracted with a simple nose
and mouth dust filter.
As far as the effect of ammonia and
hydrogen sulphate fumes is concerned,
Dr. Hacker says there is no real research
he knows of at any research institution.
He is presently working with McMaster
University scientists to propose a study to
be funded by the Ontario Pork Producers'
Marketing Board on the effect on human
health from dust and gases in the hog
barn.
Such a study will go a long way to either
confirm or deny the fears of farm workers
for their own welfare and their family's
health.
One problem the old farmer didn't have
to deal with is noise pollution. A plodding
horse or ox generates Tess noise than a
geared down tractor. or a modern high
volume grain dryer. A few pigs in the
barnyard didn't make the squealing.
deafening sound of a few hundred market
pigs ready to be fed inside a confinement
barn.
The Farm Safety Association has for
many years said a tractor operator or
anyone else subjected to noise, should
wear a pair of inexpensive earmuffs. Too
many farmers still wait, only wearing one
when they notice their hearing is not as
acute as it used to be. If they do notice, it is
too late, for hearing will never recover.
There is nothing new, except what is
forgotten, Marie Antoinette's milliner is
quoted as saying.
Our problem is too often we agree with
Henry Ford when he said that history is
bunk.
If we had listened to farm history, we
would have known how to deal with mann
of the old problems which have surfaced in
new forms. Since we didn't listen, we will
have to spend thousands of dollars to
discover what we already should know,
but have forgotten.
Farmers, their families and their
personnel must get use to wearing dust
filters when feeding livestock or cleaning
barns; rubber gloves and face masks when
handling chemicals; protective hearing
devices when working near noisy equip-
ment and have all safety shields in place at
all times.
Let's repeat what was said earlier.
"Health is one of the greatest blessings
mankind can enjoy. It usually is taken for
granted until it is in danger of being lost."
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THE RURAL VOICE/JULY 1982 PG 13