Cubicle Lime Health & Safety
IFA National Farm Family and Social Affairs Vice Chair, Teresa Roche wants to encourage farmers to use cubicle lime to their advantage this year and to adhere to all health and safety guidelines.
As the rainfall increases, temperatures decrease, and grass growth slows, cows will be soon heading indoors. Keeping cows’ udders clean is of vital importance to reducing the risk of infection, so it is critical to have your cubicles winter ready and disinfected.
The purpose of cubicle lime is to increase the pH on the cubicle bed, inhibiting the growth of bacteria. Cubicle lime soaks up the moisture, also preventing the growth of bacteria.
However, Teresa Roche stresses the importance that any type of cubicle lime can be damaging to your health, therefore it is essential to follow the Health and Safety guidelines below:
- Wear a pair of safety goggles and a face mask when spreading it to avoid lime getting into your eyes and inhaling it.
- Milking gloves will protect your hands and help avoid the lime coming into contact with your skin.
- Use a scoop or a handheld container to lime the cubicles.
In order to maintain a clean, dry cubicle bed, high levels of hygiene are essential. It is recommended that passageways, cubicles and yards are scraped at least twice a day and that cubicles are also cleaned down and limed twice daily.
