Springfield, Ill.-The Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Assn. and Illinois Dept. of Agriculture have produced a 12-minute video, easily available on both organizations’ websites, outlining the proper safety procedures that farmers should take each and every time they handle the product. IFCA President Jean Payne said the video highlights the most common safety errors that can lead to an anhydrous ammonia accident or release, and is intended to supplement the training IFCA provides each year to over 1,000 commercial ag retail employees who handle ammonia at retail facilities. “Our association saw that a basic need exists for farmers to have ready access to proper safety, handling, first aid and emergency response information to help ensure the farmer’s own personal safety and to better understand what procedures to follow if a release of ammonia occurs while the farmer is transporting or applying the product,” Payne explained. The Fertilizer Research & Education Council, which funds projects that improve fertilizer efficiency and promotes proper use of fertilizers, paid for the video with proceeds from a 12.5 cent fee on each ton of agricultural fertilizer sold in Illinois. “I encourage farmers while preparing for spring planting to review proper ammonia handling and safety procedures,” stated Illinois Agriculture Director Tom Jennings. “Thanks to FREC and the IFCA all it takes is 12 minutes, which is a small investment of time to prevent potentially costly errors.” The high-resolution video can be accessed at the IFCA website at www.ifca.com, or at the department’s website at www.agr.state.il.us. It also is available free of charge if other organizations would like to embed it on their websites. For more information, contact IFCA at 309-827-2774.
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