HANDLING PESTICIDES SAFELY

Pesticides are agents designed to kill destructive or nuisance pests such as insects, ticks, mites, weeds, plant disease organisms and certain animals. But because pesticides are made to kill or control living organisms it is difficult to make them harmless to humans in case of accidental contact or ingestion. They vary in toxicity to man, ranging from very mild to extremely toxic. Many pesticides sold for agricultural use can cause severe illness, even death, if misused. Less toxic formulations ordinarily used in home and garden pesticides still must be handled, applied and stored with care to avoid illness and irritation.

The most readily available source of accurate information regarding safe pesticide use can be found on the label of each pesticide container. The information provided there is required by law; the pesticide label is considered a legal document. Follow the label carefully! Failure to do so can result in a serious accident that could make you subject to civil and criminal penalties.

Pesticides which are classified as highly toxic on the basis of oral, skin, or inhalation toxicity, must have the signal words "Danger" and "Poison" and a skull and cross bones prominently displayed on the package label. As little as a few drops of such material taken orally could be fatal to persons weighing about 150 pounds. Pesticides considered as moderately toxic must have the signal word "Warning" displayed on the product label. One teaspoon to 1 ounce of this material could prove fatal to a 150-pound person. Pesticides classified as either slightly toxic or relatively nontoxic are required to have the signal word "Caution" on the pesticide label. It would take several teaspoons or several ounces of this material to prove fatal to a 150 pound person.

Be prepared to handle pesticides by having protective clothing that completely covers the body (including the head) and also repels water. Wear shirt sleeves and pant legs over gloves and boots so that runoff will stay away from your skin. Clothing that has been contaminated by pesticides should be washed separately from the family wash.

The most effective way to prevent breathing in harmful pesticide vapors is to wear a respirator, but be sure that the respirator you choose is approved for the pesticide you intend to use. Generally, chemical cartridge respirators should be worn for protection from low level concentrations when the exposure will be for a short time period. Longer exposures and more toxic pesticides may require canister type respirators or a self-contained breathing apparatus. As a rule of thumb, if you can smell the pesticide you are using, then you are not being properly protected against it.

Oral ingestion is the most common type of fatal pesticide poisoning, and the victims are usually very young children. These poisonings often occur because of poor storage and handling practices. Pesticides should be kept in a locked storage facility in their original containers and never in containers such as soda bottles or juice jugs. Clean up any material that spills during mixing or handling so children will not put contaminated soil and objects in their mouths. Other precautions to protect against oral ingestion after handling pesticides is to wash your hands and face thoroughly before eating, drinking, smoking, or using toilet facilities. Finally, make sure pesticides are applied well before harvest so the safety interval printed on the label is maintained. If not, you may be eating the pesticide with your food.

Many pesticides are purchased in concentrated form and then diluted with water for application. For the mixing process, remember to wear the proper protective gear. Before the actual mixing, the pesticide is at its most toxic strength and is most dangerous. To mix safely, fill the spray tank or container half full of water, slowly add the chemical, then fill the remainder of the tank or container with the correct amount of water. Any measuring instruments used during the mixing process should be thoroughly washed, stored with the pesticides, and not be used for any other purpose.

During field spraying, pesticide particles are suspended in the air, making skin contact and inhalation of fumes likely. Complete protective apparel is necessary during this process, even though you may be inside a tractor cab. Unless a tractor cab is equipped with special filters approved for respiratory protection against pesticides, the cab will not block out dangerous fumes.

The safety of domestic animals and wildlife must be considered when applying pesticides. For example, cover food and water containers when treating areas near livestock and never spray or dust close to ponds, streams, or wells. Apply chemicals on calm days to prevent pesticide particles from drifting onto vegetation and in water that animals will consume.

It is important to thoroughly clean your equipment when you are through. Run at least three rinses through the equipment and disperse it over the field where you have been applying the pesticides. Avoid dumping rinse water in one spot on the ground as it could possibly be ingested by animals or contaminate streams and other water sources. Original containers that are empty should be rinsed in the same manner, a hole punched in them, and then either buried or disposed of in a waste disposal site.

Keywords: ACCIDENT, AG-ENGINEERING, AGRICULTURAL-ENGINEERING, ENGINEERING, FARM,

          GAS, HANDLING, HAZARD, MURPHY-DENNIS, PERSONAL-PROTECTIVE-EQUIPMENT,
          PESTICIDE, REFERENCE, SAFETY, TOXIC

תתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתThe National Dairy Database (1992)תתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתת תתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתת\NDB\OCCSAFE\TEXT1\82תתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתתת

%f TITLE;HANDLING PESTICIDES SAFELY
%f COLLECTION;FARM AND OPERATOR SAFETY
%f ORIGIN;Pennsylvania
%f DATE_INCLUDED;June 1992