Derbyshire farmer died after falling inside slurry tank, inquest hears

John Edward Furness, 38, was told not to enter the 10 foot high tank - used to collect cow manure - by a worker at his farm but “could not be persuaded”.

Chesterfield Coroner’s Court heard during the tragic incident on June 14 last year the “set in his ways” farmer refused to wear a mask before climbing down a ladder into the pit.

By doing so he would have exposed himself to highly toxic gases including hydrogen sulphide and been quickly overcome.

Coroner Susan Evans read evidence from Max Harrop who worked for Mr Furness – known as Ed – at Oddo House Farm in Elton, Matlock.

Mr Harrop said the slurry tank could hold up 5,000 gallons of manure which was collected to be made into liquid fertiliser.

On the day of the accident the worker had unhooked a pipe used to transfer the manure into the tanker which then fell into the tank.

After a phone call Ed appeared from the nearby farmhouse, preparing to climb down a 15-foot ladder to reach the partly buried bottom of the tank.

He said: “I tried to convince him not to go in because it was dangerous but he was quite set in his ways and couldn’t be persuaded.

“He said he would be alright and refused to wear a mask.”

Worker Mr Harrop described hearing a “splash” at the bottom of the tank when Ed had been inside “no more than five seconds” and called 999 immediately.

The court heard Ed’s sister and other members of the family rushed to the pit to help while Mr Harrop described seeing Ed’s overalls “floating” in just one foot of slurry in the almost-drained tank.

He said: “He was knocked out cold.”

Ed’s family and Mr Harrop hauled Ed out of the tank after one of them climbed in and attached some string around his arms.

The inquest heard Ed was inside the tank for a total of 15 minutes.

His family started CPR until an air ambulance arrived which took him to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital.

A hospital report read out to the court found Ed had suffered a hypoxic attack and a cardiac arrest as a result of going into the tank.

The farmer’s condition deteriorated due to “lung damage” as a result of aspirating the slurry.

He died at 2.07am on June 15 at the hospital of a diffuse cerebral hypoxic injury with aspiration pneumonitis.

An inquest jury – who found Ed died after being “quickly overcome” by toxic fumes while retrieving a pipe from the tank – gave a verdict of death by misadventure.

A health and safety investigation conducted after the tragic accident stated that no-one should enter a slurry tank without breathing apparatus.

https://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/people/loved-derbyshire-showjumper-died-when-horse-clipped-fence-inquest-hears-3571073

A message from Phil Bramley, Derbyshire Times Editor: Support your Derbyshire Times by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Click here to subscribe