Basic Pesticide Safety

Reemphasis of some of the important points

Basic Pesticide Safety: Method Selection

Use the method which

• Is ecologically effective
• Poses lowest risk to the human environment
• Is cost effective

Not necessarily a pesticidal method.

• If not – pesticide safety is not a concern

In this session we assume pesticide use.

Basic Pesticide Safety: Proper Use

Always treat pesticides with

• Respect
• Know the product
• Know its limitations
• Read the label
• Know the label requirements
• Care
• Know the application equipment and its limits
• Know and follow proper storage, transport and use procedures

Basic Pesticide Safety: Personnel Safety

• Avoid contact with the pesticide
• Wear all designated safety equipment
• Be careful of drips and spills
• Keep hands away from eyes and mouth
• Wash your hands before
• Smoking
• Eating
• Bathroom breaks

Designated safety equipment

• Based on the WPS statement on the label & Regional requirements
• Minimum in R-8
• Long sleeved shirt & long pants of tightly woven material
• Waterproofed boots
• Goggles
• Hard hat
• Unlined nitrile gloves

Safety equipment

• Requirement for nitrile gloves is in conflict with F.S. fire regs if you are working a fire in a recently treated area
• Fire regulations say leather gloves, chemical presence requires nitrile
• Unresolved at present-waterproofed leather gloves may ultimately be the compromise position
• It is recommended that a tyvek suit be carried to the field
• More for modesty should someone have to change out of contaminated clothes
• Virtually useless in the briar patch

Basic Pesticide Safety: Accidental Contact

If you contact a pesticide

• Clean the body parts contacted
• Immediately, and
• Thoroughly
• Change clothes if necessary
• Apply First-Aid, if necessary
• If pesticide was swallowed, if it has gotten into the eyes, or if the person contacted is showing any symptoms resulting from the contact – get him or her to a doctor immediately

Basic Pesticide Safety: Serious Exposure

If you have to go to a doctor

• Notify your dispatcher and have them determine which doctor and prearrange for you to be seen immediately
• (Which doctor should be determined from your previously prepared Spill Plan which is filed at the dispatcher’s desk)
• Carry a copy of the label and MSDS to the doctor

Basic Pesticide Safety: Transport

• Do not carry pesticides in the passenger compartment of a vehicle
• Do not carry "mixed loads. "
• Carry herbicides separately from insecticides from fungicides, etc
• Tie containers down to avoid bouncing them around
• Licensing requirements (Hazmat drivers)

DOT regulations: loads greater than 1,000 pounds

• HAZMAT certification
• Any load greater than 1,000 pounds GROSS weight
• With water weighing about 8 pounds per gallon this restricts the load to
• Less than 100 gallons of formulated product OR of tank mix in water

Basic Pesticide Safety: Storage

• Store pesticides in a separate building
• Storage area should be locked
• And, access should be strictly limited (in light of the current emphasis on Homeland Security – these common sense requirements have taken on an importance and life of their own!!)
• Pesticides should be stacked separately
• And, ideally, be separated by product type
• A current inventory should be available at the dispatcher’s desk
• Fire hazard signing should be accurate

Pesticide Safety- Fire Safety Sign

Pesticide Safety – Fire Sign Translated

Basic Pesticide Safety: Spills Preparation

Spill Plan

• Template available
• Customize it to the District – local doctors and emergency response team phone numbers and locations
• Update for each ongoing project (labels & MSDSs)

Spill kit on truck

• Contents listed last page of spill plan

Basic Pesticide Safety: Spill Plan Document

• Typed and legible
• Maintained current
• Always available at dispatcher’s desk for ready access in the event of an emergency

Spill Plan Document: Page 1
Spill Plan Document: Page 2
Spill Plan Document: Page 3
Spill Plan Document: Page 4
Spill Plan Document: Page 5

Spill plan

• Review before going to the field
• In addition – carry label & MSDS to the field
• Keep a copy of the current spill plan at the district dispatcher’s desk where it is readily accessed if needed

Basic Pesticide Safety: When a Spill Happens

• Take care of injured personnel first!
• Contain the spill
• Get appropriate help

Reporting required:

• Dispatcher
• District Ranger
• Forest Pesticide Coordinator
• Forest Supervisor
• Regional HAZMAT Coordinator

Basic Pesticide Safety: Forest Pesticide Coordinators

• Alabama -- Jim Clute
• Chatt-Oconee -- Pat Hopton (Tallulah RD)
• Cherokee – Ed Brown
• Daniel Boone -- Paul Finke
• Florida -- Gary Hegg (Wakulla RD)
• FMS -- Jay Purnell
• GW/J – Russ MacFarlane
• Kisatchie -- Finis Harris
• Mississippi -- Jerry Windham
• North Carolina – John Blanton
• Ouachita -- Jack Courtenay
• Ozark -- Jack Davis
• Savannah River -- Jamie Scott
• Texas -- Ron Haugen

Basic Pesticide Safety:Regional Hazmat Coordinator

Walt Sternke
Phone: 404-347-3369
Email: asternke@fs.fed.us

Basic Pesticide Safety: Environmental Concerns

• Already mentioned spills
• Caution must be taken to avoid
• Drift
• Leaching
• Runoff
• Other forms of off-site movement
• Labels, MSDS, labeling and other documents help

Basic Pesticide Safety: Environmental Movement

Safety products catalogs

Basic Pesticide Safety: Low Risk Pesticide Use

• Low-risk application is the focus of all of our safety messages with respect to pesticides
• Most of the remainder of the session will deal with how to do it right

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