Police in Derbyshire have confirmed that a farmer in his 30s died following an incident with a slurry pit on his farm in Elton, Derbyshire on June 14.

The farmer fell into the slurry pit and subsequently was overcome by the poisonous gases within the tank.

The man was rushed to hospital but he passed away a short time later.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said:

“We were called just before 8:00p.m on June 14, by our colleagues in the fire service, who reported that a man had fallen into a slurry pit at a farm near Elton.

The man, who was in his 30s, was taken to hospital but sadly died.

“We contacted the Health and Safety Executive and are preparing a file for the coroner.”

Safety on the farm

The HSENI has reiterated the point that farmyards are busy workplaces and children are more at risk during the long school summer holidays as they spend more time on the farm.

All too often, children have access to the entire farm and view it as one big play space. Children must be taught about farm dangers and be kept away from the risks, said the HSENI.

HSENI CEO, Robert Kidd, said:

HSENI are highlighting the need for the farming community to ensure that children are kept safe on the farm.

“I would ask our farming families to think about the risks and put simple, practical measures in place to make sure their children are safe at all times.

The annual poster competition is an ideal way for parents to remind their children about how to stay safe on the farm, and to create safety messages that have a chance of being included in our 2022 calendar.

“I would encourage parents to help their children identify dangers associated with silage harvesting, slurry operations, and illustrate to us their ideas for safety.”