This has been a sporadic fall ammonia application season with a late harvest and weather challenges.  This week saw a big push to finish before the soil freezes and several accidents have occurred drawing attention to our industry and the need for proper safety meaures, particularly the transportation of ammonia from the retail site to the farm.

 

In one high profile incident this week that is under investigation, a farmer's hired hand pulling two full nurse tanks resulted in an accident in which one of the tanks ruptured completely and the other suffered a release from a damaged valve.  The driver was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, and the rupture of the nurse tank is being investigated by both state and federal agencies. 

 

IFCA was contacted by several media organizations and we have stressed the availability of the on line ammonia training program developed for farmers, which covers all aspects of ammonia properties, transportation, handling, emergency response and first aid.  This program was funded by the Illinois Nutrient Research & Education Council and developed by IFCA and IDA.  It is available on our website by clicking here http://www.ifca.com

 

During the winter season, please encourage your farmer customers to go through the program; it will even print them a certificate of completion at the end.  Ammonia safety is the responsibility of everyone involved in the product chain and with proper training, we believe many of these accidents can and should be prevented.