This is a picture of the whole rig. The white 55 gallon drum has propionic acid in it. This is a preservative and aids the fermentation process of the silage. By the way, the tractor is a 4520 powershift John Deere. The acid is pumped out of the drum and through a meter before it is piped to the chopper blower using an old air hose. Last evening about four I was finishing the next to last load when this hose wrapped around the chopper tire and broke a fitting at the pump. This pump is located in the cab of the tractor and is turned on and off by toggle switch. Here is the sequence of events. I hear something break and my head autamatically turns to see what is going on. My right eyeball is blasted with a flood of acid. I immediately close my eyes push in the clutch and the break with my feet. I cannot open either eye due to the acid that is swimming in them. I blindly try to locate the toggle switch but this in vain. By now my shirt and pants are acid drenched and my eyes are in sever pain. I decide to exit the tractor and jump up only to have the tractor go lurching forward. I then realize I ahd never put the tractor in park. I sit back down in the acid shower and grope blindly for the gear shift. When this is found I slam it into park and get out of the tractor. By now my chest is begining to burn so I take my shirt off. After a few minuets I am able to see enough to think. I think to myself, self, the Power Take Off (PTO) is still engaged and the acid is still running. Also their is a jug of water in the tractor that I would like to get so I can pour its contents over my burning eyes. I want to be able to see enough to not get caught in the PTO while I am trying to turn off the acid. I step up onto the back of the tractor and reach in and hit the switch. I then grab the water jug before getting off of the tractor. I then Dump all of the water over my face. Immediate relief is felt. By this time the truck driver has arrived and I tell him what happened and that I think a shower would be in order. I tale a shower and then I lay on the couch with my wife by my side. She has a glass of water and a dropper. She faithfully puts water in my eyes for about 30 min. I am still in pain so we decide to call an eye doctor. They want to see me right away. So away we go. He looks deeply into my eyes and says. Good night man you got a bunch of trash under your lids. I have to get that out. This trash turned out to be ash dust. The acid destroyed the thin, clear membrane of my eyelids. He worked on my right eye for almost an hour removing the ash dust. When removed the dust he also removed the protective membrane. He gave me a salve to put in my eyes to ward off infection. Amazingly I have felt little pain allthough the right eye is watery and puffy and swollen. Such is life.....
This is a picture of the whole rig. The white 55 gallon drum has propionic acid in it. This is a preservative and aids the fermentation process of the silage. By the way, the tractor is a 4520 powershift John Deere. The acid is pumped out of the drum and through a meter before it is piped to the chopper blower using an old air hose. Last evening about four I was finishing the next to last load when this hose wrapped around the chopper tire and broke a fitting at the pump. This pump is located in the cab of the tractor and is turned on and off by toggle switch. Here is the sequence of events. I hear something break and my head autamatically turns to see what is going on. My right eyeball is blasted with a flood of acid. I immediately close my eyes push in the clutch and the break with my feet. I cannot open either eye due to the acid that is swimming in them. I blindly try to locate the toggle switch but this in vain. By now my shirt and pants are acid drenched and my eyes are in sever pain. I decide to exit the tractor and jump up only to have the tractor go lurching forward. I then realize I ahd never put the tractor in park. I sit back down in the acid shower and grope blindly for the gear shift. When this is found I slam it into park and get out of the tractor. By now my chest is begining to burn so I take my shirt off. After a few minuets I am able to see enough to think. I think to myself, self, the Power Take Off (PTO) is still engaged and the acid is still running. Also their is a jug of water in the tractor that I would like to get so I can pour its contents over my burning eyes. I want to be able to see enough to not get caught in the PTO while I am trying to turn off the acid. I step up onto the back of the tractor and reach in and hit the switch. I then grab the water jug before getting off of the tractor. I then Dump all of the water over my face. Immediate relief is felt. By this time the truck driver has arrived and I tell him what happened and that I think a shower would be in order. I tale a shower and then I lay on the couch with my wife by my side. She has a glass of water and a dropper. She faithfully puts water in my eyes for about 30 min. I am still in pain so we decide to call an eye doctor. They want to see me right away. So away we go. He looks deeply into my eyes and says. Good night man you got a bunch of trash under your lids. I have to get that out. This trash turned out to be ash dust. The acid destroyed the thin, clear membrane of my eyelids. He worked on my right eye for almost an hour removing the ash dust. When removed the dust he also removed the protective membrane. He gave me a salve to put in my eyes to ward off infection. Amazingly I have felt little pain allthough the right eye is watery and puffy and swollen. Such is life.....
2 comments:
Oh my goodness Glen...you are very fortuante that you can see yet!! Another farm accident!! Good thing you went to the eye doctor!
My word!!! Hope you recover quickly!
~Susan
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