Farmers Reminded of Anhydrous Ammonia Safety Best Practices

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) reminds farmers, fertilizer dealers, and custom applicators of best practices for the safe field-application of anhydrous ammonia (NH3) after harvest this fall.

Even during a compressed timeline and variable weather conditions, safety should never be compromised, MDA says. Accidents involving NH3 have proven how dangerous and deadly the fertilizer can be when not handled properly.

MDA says farmers should do the following when handling NH3:

• Always wear NH3-rated goggles and gloves. Never wear contact lenses.
• Be sure to have a clean and accessible emergency water supply of at least 5 gallons available.
• Exercise caution when making connections and disconnections of transfer lines, treating them as if they always contain NH3.
• Stand upwind when connecting, disconnecting, bleeding lines, or transferring NH3. Also, close, bleed, disconnect, and secure valves and transfer lines when taking breaks or disconnecting lines, and be sure to handle hose end valves by the valve body.
• Position equipment away and downwind from homes, people, and livestock.

And, the agency encourages the following best practices when maintaining NH3 equipment, operating NH3 storage facilities, and transporting NH3:

• Never assume NH3 lines are empty.
• Always wear the required protective safety equipment.
• Have access to safety water (NH3 storage facilities must have a minimum of one open top container holding 150 gallons of clean, accessible water or an accessible emergency shower with a plumbed eyewash. A 5-gallon container of clean, accessible water must accompany NH3 nurse tanks).

When towing a nurse tank down the road, drive sensibly, MDA says. Do not go any faster than 30 miles per hour, display a slow-moving vehicle (SMV) emblem visible from the rear, and be sure the tank is secured to the tractor or truck with two separate, independent chains that supplement the hitch pin/clip.

If an accident or spill occurs, seek medical care if needed, immediately call 911, and then the Minnesota Duty Officer at 1-800-422-0798.

You can find more safety, storage, and transportation information on the MDA’s website.

Exercise caution

National Corn Growers Association President Harold Wolle, who has farmed in St. James for over 40 years, knows the dangers of NH3 firsthand. His son Matthew was once burned when a small amount of NH3 escaped a fertilizer applicator containment system. Fortunately, Matthew was wearing goggles and gloves that day, but some of the gas vapor settled on his skin. (It was a hot day, and Matthew was wearing a short sleeve shirt under his safety vest.)

An employee got Matthew to a faucet so they could run cold water over the burns, but Matthew eventually needed skin graft surgery on his shoulder and underarm.

“Matthew has a magnificent scar on his shoulder,” Harold said, reflecting on the relatively fortunate outcome of that incident.

In addition to safety practices, MDA also reminds farmers that fall application of NH3 should happen after average soil temperatures reach 50 degrees or cooler to help prevent nitrogen loss and ensure more nitrogen will be available for next season’s crop.

View the MDA’s interactive map to find the current 6-inch soil temperature and the past week’s history.

Under the MDA’s Groundwater Protection Rule, fall nitrogen fertilizer application is prohibited in vulnerable groundwater areas of Minnesota due to environmental concerns or risks. View a map of the vulnerable regions of the state.