CLYDE, Ohio - Workers on the farm where a 31-year-old man died after being exposed to liquefied pig manure tried to save the unresponsive victim before he was pronounced dead last October, according to a county sheriff's report.
While filling a tanker truck with liquid manure, Humberto "Antonio" Padua Hernadez, of Mexico, was found unresponsive at the top of the semi. Two co-workers attempted to rescue Hernandez by performing CPR until Sandusky County EMS personnel arrived.
One witness, Milford Howerton, 72, of Clyde, was pulling a semi into the Parkhurst Hog Farm on County Road 260 in Vickery on Oct. 31 when he noticed that the manure was overflowing.
Hernandez was expected to monitor the liquid manure going into the tank and, when the tank was full, he was supposed to shut off the flow, according the Sandusky County Sheriff's report.
Working directly with Hernandez that day was Eric Russel, 48, of Bellevue. Russel told authorities last October that he was on the ground between the semi and tanker trailer when Hernandez was on top of the truck monitoring the manure flow.
Russel told deputies he saw Hernandez walking on top of the semi and thought his coworker was going to come down off the truck to shut off the manure flow.
Once Howerton noticed the overflowing manure, Russel shut the pump off and both men said they saw Hernandez lying on the top of the semi, unresponsive. Howerton climbed to the top and began performing CPR on Hernandez.
The two men took Hernandez to the ground and continued administering CPR.
Russel told deputies that Hernandez had been loading trucks all day. Hernandez was pronounced dead shortly after 6 p.m.
Kim Nelson, director of the OSHA Toledo office, said Hernandez's death was caused by overexposure to hydrogen sulfide gas that is released from liquefied pig manure.
OSHA on Wednesday said W.E. Soil Enhancement of Clyde/Bellevue, which contracts with Parkhurst Farms to remove manure, was cited March 18 in Hernandez's death and penalized for three serious safety violations.
In its investigation, OSHA determined W.E. Soil Enhancement should have provided engineering controls and respiratory protection to protect Hernandez from the harmful gas, developed and trained workers on a hazardous communication program, and identified and evaluated respiratory hazards.
Nelson said Thursday that employers must notify OSHA of fatalities on the job, and the agency began its investigation the day Hernandez died.
The liquid manure being pumped into the tanker truck was to be used as fertilizer, she said.
“In this type of thing, I can tell you this industry is well aware of the hazardous gases in handling liquid manure,” Nelson said.
OSHA has proposed a $16,800 penalty. W.E. Soil Enhancement has 15 business days to respond in a letter or seek an informal conference with officials at the Toledo office. A letter notifying the Clyde company of OSHA findings was sent by registered mail, Nelson said, but OSHA had not yet received confirmation of delivery.
"Symptoms from overexposure to hydrogen sulfide gas can come on rapidly and quickly overcome a worker," Nelson said. "The agriculture industry needs to educate its employees that the foul odors that come with manure spreading are not just unpleasant, they are unsafe and can be deadly. It is imperative that farm workers are protected from inhaling these gases."
The case is still open and a final determination will not be made until the company goes through due process, she added.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has issued warnings on the dangers of noxious gases emitted from manure and lists a number of fatal accidents involving manure pits.
