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Barn Safety - Part 4
February-2007
Greetings to both
you and your horses! BARN SAFETY
Lighting. . .
Good illumination is important for the convenience and safety of both the horse and the attendant. Provide lighting for:
- General illumination of alleys and pathways.
- Specific illumination of stalls, storage areas,
and specialty areas.
- Outside approach and service areas.
For stall lighting, place one 100 watt bulb near the center of each stall if height permits (9' or higher); locate swithes near the stalls. Foaling stalls need about 300 watts or light.
Recess lights into the ceiling or use guards so the animals cannot break the bulb and fixture. Dust-free fixtures are desirable. Reflectors will improve lighting in stalls, alley, and walk areas. Locate convenience outlets for the use of portable lights and equipment in alleys, tack room, and storage areas.
Locate general illumination at exterior doors.
Control outside lights from a switch near the barn entrance, or 3- or 4- way switches to allow control from both the barn and the residence.
Electric wiring and fixtures must comply with applicable state and national electric codes.
Water. . .
A healthy horse needs an adequate supply of fresh water of the same quality as is used for human consumption. A mature horse needs 8 to 12 gallons per day. It is difficult to supply this much water by carrying it in pails, especially if several horses are to be watered.
The vast majority of horses are hand watered. Locate in-stall watering devices where spillage can drain directly from the stall - they may need filling more than once a day in a cold barn because of freezing. A stop and drain (frostproof) hydrant or an electrically heated watering bowl will supply fresh water in freezing weather. One electrically heated watering unit can serve two stalls or serve 8 to 10 horses in a lot. If horses are confined in tie stalls and a number are released at once, a small frost-free watering tank is desirable.
Bedding. . .
Provide dry bedding that will adequately support the horse and keep it confortable. Useful materials include peat moss, straw, shavings, sawdust, and old hay mixed with wood shavings.
Manure Handling. . .
Manure management is an important part of caring for horses. The physical and social aspects of collecting, handling, storing, transporting, and disposing of manure are a major problem. Problems occur when collection, storage, and disposal methods contaminate a water supply and are responsible for odors, flies, and other nuisances.
Check local regulations for storage and disposal recommendations. If regulations exist, follow them. In the absence of regulations:
- Dispose of manure daily when possible.
- Provide temporary storage for manure that cannot
be disposed of daily - about 12 sq. ft. of fenced or
enclosed storage per horse.
- Locate the storage in an approved or safe area for
convenient removal, away from any water source
and out of natural drainage channels.
- Empty the storage at least weekly during fly
breeding season (spring temperatures above 65'F
until the first killing frost in the fall).
- Drain the storage area away from surrounding
facilities and lots.
- Keep all runoff that is polluted with animal waste
from reaching usable or public waters by diverting
it to a non-critical area or pond (lagoon).
Fire Safety. . .
Fire prevention is the best protection. Prevention includes adequate wiring, good housekeeping, preperly maintained heating equipment, lightning protection, proper storage of fuels, and avoiding spontaneous combustion.
What To Do In Case Of Fire
- Make sure all persons are well away from the
danger area.
- Call the local fire department. (Phone number
should be posted near phone.)
- Rescue livestock, if possible, without risking
human life.
- Close windows and doors to keep air supply to
a minimum, especially if it is a major fire beyond
the capacity of an extinguisher.
- Use the correct extinguisher to fight the fire.
- When the fire is out, be sure to ventilate the area
to get ride of dangerous gases.
How Fires Are Extinguished
Three components are necessary to sustain a fire: heat, air, and fuel. Removing any one of these components will extinguish the fire. Fuels include those solids and liquids that will burn, and vapors from flammable liquids with low flash points. Since it is usually impossible to remove the fuel once the fire has started, fires are controlled by cooling the burning material, by cutting off the air supply, or both.
Provide Fire Protection
Portable fire extinguishers may control a small fire, or delay the development of a large one until help arrives. Every barn should be equipped with one or more portable extinguishers located near entrances and high-hazard areas. The need is greater in rural than in urban areas, because it takes longer for fire equipment to reach the location after the fire has been reported. Provide adequate water for fire department use from a farm pond located within pumping distance, or from a 10,000 gallon emergency cistern. Consult your local fire department officials for details.
Not all extinguishers can be used on any type of fire since various flammable materials respond differently to treatment.
Class of Fire | Material | Extinguisher
Recommended | A | Wood, paper, textiles,
grass, trash, similar
materials. | Presurized water (dry
chemical and carbon
dioxide give temporary
control.) | B | Grease, gasoline, oils,
paints, kerosene,
colvents. | Multipurpose dry chemical,
carbon dioxide, dry
chemical foam. | C | Electrical equipment. | Multipurpose dry chemical,
carbon dioxide, dry
chemical. |
Consider the following when selecting an extinguisher:
- The size and type of fires most likely to occur.
Some extinguishers can be used for more than
one class of fire.
- Ease of handling. The operator must stand at a
safe distance from the fire while operating it.
- Maintenance expense, frequency of inspection,
and whether the extinguisher will be subjected
to freezing tempertures.
- Only extinguishers which have been tested, rated,
and approved by an accredited organization.
Beware of cheap, simple devices which are claimed
to solve all fire problems. Carbon tetrachloride
extinguishers should not be used either inside or
outside a building because they generate highly
toxic gases when exposed to heat.
Water As A Fire Extinguisher
When a fire is discovered, the first impulse is put water on it. Be sure water is the material to use before using it. Water will put out some types of fires, but when used on others, the results may be disastrous, fatal, or both. For example:
Water will drown-out a Class A fire (wood).
Water may spread a Class B fire (grease), a type that has to be smothered out. Wet blanketing material may be used to smother a small Class B fire if it can be approached safely.
Water used on a Class C fire (electrical) may conduct current to the person fighting the fire, causing severe shock or electrocution. The end results are the same whether the fire is being squirted or smothered with wet blanketing material, whether the source of the water is a hose, fire extinguisher, or bucket brigade.
Rodent Control. . .
Kill Present Population
- Provide 15-25 bait station:
Two 1 x 10 x 6' boards to make a feeder for along
side a building or fence row, or an inverted and
weighted bushel basket.
- Locate bait stations at all buildings, lumber piles,
and other rodent harbors.
- Keep stations stocked with clean, dry, poison bait.
Mix dry anticoagulant concentrated poison with
oatmeal or corn meal for bait.
- Follow directions on the container when mixing bait.
- After the first night, double the amount of poison in
any station that was emptied. Continue doubling
the amount offered until some bait is left uneaten at
every station, then keep stations stocked with
clean, dry poison. A rat, feeding on poison bait
regularly, will die in 3 to 5 days.
- Fumigation will kill rodents in livestock buildings.
Clean Up Harbors
Force rodents to the bait station by removing outside shelter. After killing the present population, remove all hiding places -- clean up junk, trim weeds from fence rows and around buildings.
Rodent-Proof Grain Storages
Force rodents to eat poison bait by preventing entrance to cribs, bins, and feed centers.
An 8" wide 28-gage metal strip, 3' off the ground and continuous around the building, will prevent rats from climbing the walls. Hardware cloth (1/4" x 1/4" mesh) from the top of the foundation to the metal strip will prevent rats and mice from eating through the walls. Flash (28-gage metal) around doors and other openings.
Rodent-proofing will not keep a grain storage free of rats and mice without a poison feeding program.
Maintain All-Year Program
One permanent feeder per building, checked every week, and kept stocked throughout the year with clean, dry, poisoned bait, along with a continuous clean-up program, will guarantee that migrants will be killed as they arrive on the farm.
Be a smart and safe horse owner
throughtout the seasons!
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