Slippery manure ramp! Help!!

[jay0087]

We have a wooden ramp we have to go up to dump our manure. At times it can be very slick and a challenge to get up. Recently we had two ladies fall and injury themselves. The barn is willing to do something to help but has no clue what should be done.

A long time ago a boarder put something on the ramp to help with the slickness but it was not done correctly so someone fell and had major injuries. So they want to make sure what they are putting on is actually going to help, especially when it raining or snowing out.

Has anyone had any experience with this? Any products you would or would not recommend?

[Kiwayu]

Use wire lath on the wooden ramp. Best stuff on earth and makes an amazing grip that no one could fall. Did it to mine and I can run up no matter the conditions.

[mroades]

we applied asphalt paper strips to ours, made all the difference!

[S1969]

Roofing shingles, and maybe also nail some 1 inch boards across as well (sort of like dog agility a-frame)?

I put shingles on my ramp before I reconfigured it with an earthen “ramp”. Pushing a heavy wheelbarrow up a slick ramp is dangerous! Been there, done that!

[HungarianHippo]

I like the idea of shingles with 1x1 “treads” across the ramp-- but recommend you cut the treads to leave a 8-10" gap in the middle of the ramp. This will provide a track for the wheelbarrow wheel, so you’re not bumpity-bump-bumping over each tread.

In the winter, keep a bucket of ice-melt nearby the pile, and, advise boarders to do more frequent, smaller loads in slippery conditions.

Is there any way to make the ramp longer/less steep?

[HungarianHippo]

Another thought: can the BO simply remove the piles more frequently, to keep the ramp at a manageable pitch? Or, have two piles-- reserve the 2nd one for slippery conditions only so it would be a much smaller pile, less of an ordeal to get a wheelbarrow up to it. (Of course boarders may be likely to cheat and use the “easy” pile when no one’s looking.)

[DHCarrotfeeder]

Wood becomes slick no matter what, even if there is no slope. I agree with the methods suggested to add more bite.

David

[tangledweb]

What you really want is an expanded metal mesh instead of wood, that way rain, mud, manure and light snow will fall through.

Something like http://www.metalsdepot.com/products/hrsteel2.phtml?page=expanded

[SuckerForHorses]

and maybe also nail some 1 inch boards across as well (sort of like dog agility a-frame)?

PSA: we had a ramp exactly as you describe. One day it was wet from rain, so one would think the boards across for traction would be a great thing, right?

My mom was walking out of the barn carrying a 50 lb bag of fertilizer, slipped, and when her foot hit that cross-piece of wood, it stopped, but the momemtum from her body weight literally caused her leg to snap and break (the wood piece acted like a stop for the foot).

It resulted in a compound fracture of the tibia, and a spiral fracture of the fibula. I will never forget what her leg bone protruding from the skin looked like.

I realize this could’ve been a freak thing, but we removed that ramp and never designed one like that again. If she of just slipped and fell without the piece of wood providing a grab spot for her foot, she wouldn’t have broken her leg and just fallen down and gotten some bruises.