Emergency Preparedness and Response

Protect Workers: Livestock and Poultry Wastewater and Sludge

At a glance

The purpose of this guidance is to protect workers from illnesses and injuries associated with livestock and poultry wastewater and sludge from animal feeding operations during and after floods.

pigs in a pen

Background

Farms, animal production sites, and processing plants contain animal waste. Waste or manure can be located in places such as animal housing, open lots, pastures, manure treated fields, sediment basins, above ground storage structures, underground storage tanks, lagoons, storage ponds, and manure drying or composting sites. Workers may be at risk of exposure to animal diseases that may be passed from animals through contact with workers’ broken skin, eyes, nose, mouth, or mucous membranes.

This document includes information on specific hazards like:

  • Infectious diseases spread by swine and poultry
  • Displaced livestock and poultry
  • Confined spaces
  • Chemicals

It includes recommendations for:

  • Working in flooded areas
  • Basic hygiene practices
  • Personal protective equipment
  • Handling and disposing of livestock and poultry carcasses