Pesticides are substances that are used to kill or repel insects and organisms that destroy crops, fruits and vegetables.

 

Safe Handling and Application of Pesticides

Most of the pesticides used in agriculture are inorganic in nature (chemical substances) which means that it is very critical to know about their safe use and handling.

 

Introduction to Pesticide Usage

Before opening a pesticide container, applicators should read the label carefully, and accurately follow all directions and precautions specified by the label. Using a pesticide for any other uses or in any other manner than what is on the label information is against the law.

 

Determine in advance the proper safety equipment, protective clothing and measuring equipment you will need for the pesticide task that you will be performing. 

 

The protective equipment necessary may include socks, shoes, long pants, long-sleeve shirt, and a hat. Additional safety equipment may also be required by the label. Consult the Precautionary Statements of pesticide label for the minimum Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) required by law.

Your physician should be advised of the types of pesticides you use in your work and if you will be using a respirator. Before the start of the spray season, each applicator should have a blood cholinesterase level determined. Every 4 to 6 weeks during the spray season, the level of blood cholinesterase should be reevaluated.

 

When applying pesticides, be sure to have a supply of clean water and liquid detergent available for drenching and washing in case of an accident. A single drop in the eye of certain pesticides is extremely hazardous. If the label requires goggles for eye protection, the handler must have immediate access to an eyewash container with a minimum of one pint per person at all times.

Be prepared to wash a contaminated eye with clean water for as long as 15 minutes. Only an experienced applicator wearing the protective clothing and safety equipment prescribed by the manufacturer should handle highly toxic pesticides, such as concentrated organophosphates or carbamates

 

Applying Pesticides

Before using a pesticide, read and obey all labeling instructions. Always have the label readily available when applying a pesticide. 

The following general guidelines should be followed when applying pesticides:

• Do NOT handle or apply pesticides if you have a headache or do not feel well. Never smoke, eat or drink (or use cell phones!) while handling pesticides. Avoid inhaling pesticide sprays, dusts, and vapors. If the pesticide is dangerous to your respiratory system, the label will tell you to wear a respirator and specify which type.

 

• Thoroughly wash exposed areas of yourself before eating, drinking, using tobacco products, using the bathroom, or using your cell phone. Wash your gloves with soap and water before you take them off. Then wash your hands and face.

 

• If hands, skin, or other body parts become contaminated or exposed, wash the area immediately with clean water and a liquid detergent. If clothing becomes contaminated, remove it immediately. If you splash a concentrate of a pesticide labeled with a “Danger “or “Warning” signal word, take your contaminated clothing off immediately and dispose of it; do not wash these items!

 

• After each spraying or dusting, bathe and change your clothing; always begin the day with clean clothing. Wash contaminated clothing separately and run an extra rinse cycle afterwards.

 

• Always have someone with you or close by if you are using highly toxic pesticides (those with the signal word DANGER plus skull and crossbones).

Reasons for Applying the Correct Pesticide Dosage

• To avoid excessive residues on crops for feed and food
• To achieve optimum pest control and minimum danger to non-targeted organisms
• To avoid chemical damage to the crops
• To obtain the most economical control of pests.

Use pesticides for only those crops specified on the label, and use only those that have state and federal registration. 

Avoid drift to non-targeted areas. Dusts drift more than sprays; air blast sprays drift more than boom sprays. When cleaning or filling application equipment, do not contaminate streams, ponds, or other water supplies. Always keep a record of all pesticides used (dates, locations, quantities).

 

Pesticide Transport

When pesticides are transported in a service vehicle to an application site outside the farm boundaries, the transport vehicle must be clearly marked as a pest control service vehicle

 

Containers must be well secured to prevent breakage or spillage. If pesticide containers are glass, pad and secure them to prevent breakage. When containers are larger than 15 liters, tightly brace them to a structural part of the vehicle to prevent accidental spills. Carry a supply of absorbent material to soak up or contain any liquid spills.

 

Keep a shovel and/or broom and pan in the transport vehicle to help quickly contain any spills. Carry a working fire extinguisher (10 - B: C dry chemical, or carbon dioxide) on board as well. While under transport, pesticides must be stored in a separate compartment from the driver such as the bed of a pick-up truck or a van equipped with a partition.

 

All pesticide containers and equipment must be secured to the vehicle so as to prevent removal by unauthorized person(s) when the vehicle is unattended. The door or hatch of any service vehicle tank containing a pesticide must be equipped with a cover that will prevent spillage when the vehicle is moving. The above requirements do not apply if the pesticide is being transported within the application equipment tank.

 

Pesticide Storage

Pesticides should always be stored in their original containers and kept tightly closed. Always read the label. Special storage recommendations or restrictions will be included. Write the purchase or delivery date of the product on the label with indelible ink. Products may lose their effectiveness over several years. Check for expiration dates in case they are included on the label

 

Herbicides, especially hormone-like weed killers such as 2,4-D, should not be stored with other pesticides- primarily insecticides and fungicides - to prevent the accidental substitution of the herbicide for these chemicals.

 

Store pesticides in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area that is not accessible to children and others who do not know and understand their safe and proper use.

 

Any restricted use pesticide or empty containers contaminated with their residues must be stored in a secure, locked enclosure while unattended. That enclosure must bear a warning that pesticides are stored there. If any pesticide must be stored in other than its original container (for example if the original container is leaking), that container must be labeled with the name and concentration of the active ingredient and the signal word and warning statements for the pesticide.

Keep an inventory of all pesticides held in storage and locate the inventory list in an accessible place away from the storage site, so it may be referred to in case of an emergency at the storage site.

 

Keep your local fire department informed of the location of all pesticide storage locations. Fighting a fire that includes smoke from burning pesticides can be extremely hazardous. A fire with smoke from burning pesticides may also endanger the people of the immediate area or community

 

Winter Storage of Pesticides

Plan pesticide purchases so that supplies are used by the end of the growing season. When pesticides are stored for the winter, keep them at temperatures above freezing, under dry conditions, and away from direct sunlight. After freezing, place pesticides in warm storage, 50-80°F (10-27°C), and shake or roll container every few hours to mix product or eliminate layering. If layering persists or if all crystals do not completely dissolve, do not use product. If in doubt, call the manufacturer for guidance

 

Disposal of Pesticides

Pesticides should not be disposed of in sanitary landfills or by incineration, unless disposal sites and equipment are especially designed and licensed for this purpose by the government. The best method to dispose of a pesticide is to use it in accordance with current label requirements.

 

The triple rinse-and-drain procedure or the pressure-rinse procedure is the recommended method to prepare pesticide containers for safe disposal. This method can save you money as well as protect the environment.

 

Crush or puncture the container for disposal in a sanitary landfill or deposit in landfills that accept industrial waste, or deliver the intact container to a drum reconditioner or recycling plant. Check with the landfill operator prior to taking empty containers for disposal. For additional information on the disposal of pesticides themselves or unrinsed containers or rinsate, call the state agency responsible for hazardous wastes.

 

Organic Phosphate Pesticides: The handling and disposal of waste organic phosphates is a specialized job. Many organo-phosphorous compounds break down by hydrolysis; most of these chemicals decompose much faster in alkaline situations than in acids or neutral solutions.

 

Carbamate Pesticides: Usually these chemicals decompose rapidly in soil; many break down much faster in an alkaline situation. An example of such carbamate chemicals is carbaryl.

 

Disposal of Pesticide Containers

Triple Rinse-and-Drain Method: To empty a pesticide container for disposal, drain the container into the spray tank by holding container in a vertical position for 30 seconds. Add a solvent, capable of removing the pesticide, to the pesticide container, so that it is approximately one-fourth full. Agitate the container thoroughly, and then drain the liquid (rinsate) into the spray tank by holding in a vertical position for 30 seconds. Repeat two more times.

Pressure Rinse Method: An optional method to rinse small pesticide containers is to use a special rinsing device on the end of a standard water hose. The rinsing device has a sharp probe to puncture the container and several orifices to provide multiple spray jets of water. After the container has been drained into the sprayer tank (container is upside down), jab the pointed pressure rinser through the bottom of the inverted container.

 

Rinse for at least 30 seconds. The spray jets of water rinse the inside of the container and the pesticide residue is washed down into the sprayer tank for proper use. Thirty seconds of rinse time is equivalent to triple rinsing. An added benefit is the container is rendered unusable.