**TECHNICAL NOTES**

**USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service**

**Boise, Idaho**

##### ***TN - Agronomy No[.]{.smallcaps} 29 October 2006***

**USING PESTICIDES SAFELY**

*(Summarized from Daniels, C.H., "Pesticide Safety, Toxicity, Worker
Protection", PNW Insect Management Handbook and PNW Weed Management
Handbook, 2006)*

**[Introduction]{.underline}**

**The single most important approach to pesticide safety is to read the
pesticide label before each use and follow the directions**. If still in
doubt after reading the label, contact a person qualified to help in
evaluating the hazard of the chemical and its use. Qualified people
include appropriate Extension specialists and county agents and product
representatives. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) has
prepared a brochure to help you interpret pesticides labels, available
for download at:
<http://www.agri.state.id.us/Categories/Environment/water/waterPDF/factSheets/pesticides/label_brochure.pdf>.

Each season there are accidents, and in some years, deaths attributable
to pesticide misuse. Many pesticides are toxic and should be handled
with care---but even the most toxic can be used safely if recommended
precautions are followed. Follow all label requirements and strongly
consider any recommendations for additional, personal protective
clothing and equipment. In addition to reading and following the label,
safe and effective use of pesticides is determined by the pesticide
applicator's common sense, qualifications and good attitude.

In case of accidents involving pesticides, see your doctor at once. The
doctor will need to know exactly which pesticide is involved. The label
on the container gives this information. Take the pesticide label or
information from the label---the product name, EPA registration number,
common name and percentage of active ingredient, and first aid
instructions---to the physician. If the label cannot be removed, take
along the pesticide container (if not contaminated), but do not take it
into the hospital or doctor's office.

**[General Precautions for All Pesticide Users]{.underline}**

-   If you plan to apply any of the more dangerous pesticides, make sure
    your physician knows the types of compounds you are using.

-   Follow all requirements for personal protective clothing and
    equipment listed on the pesticide label. Bathe and change clothing
    daily. Separately launder clothing used during pesticide application
    or handling.

-   Wear a respirator when loading or mixing concentrates and whenever
    pesticides may be inhaled.

-   Recycle or dispose of pesticide containers properly (see Agronomy
    Tech Note 33).

-   Keep your pesticide storage shed or room locked.

-   Do not smoke, chew tobacco or eat while handling pesticides. Wash
    hands before engaging in these activities and before using the
    bathroom.

-   Mix pesticides according to directions and apply them precisely at
    the recommended rate.

-   Poisoning occurs most often in hot weather, when applicators might
    not be wearing all the personal protective equipment (PPE) the label
    requires. PPE is not a choice. However, you should take extra care
    when wearing PPE during hot weather to avoid heat-related illnesses.

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-   Cover crops treated with most pesticides should not be used as
    pasture or be fed to livestock unless stated otherwise on the label.

-   Agricultural workers should not eat unwashed, chemically treated
    fruit or vegetables in the field. The time limits from application
    to harvest (pre-harvest intervals or PHI) are to protect the
    consumer from harmful residues. Disregarding these limitations
    presents a special hazard to the picker, grower and field person.

**[Worker Protection Standards (WPS) for Agricultural
Pesticides]{.underline}**

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992 issued new
regulations pertaining to the Worker Protection Standard for
Agricultural Pesticides (WPS). The WPS is designed to protect employees
on farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses from occupational exposure
to agricultural pesticides. The WPS covers both restricted-use and
general-use products, and requires the registrants of pesticides to add
label references to the WPS and to list specific application
restrictions and other requirements.

The WPS regulations provide good guidelines for all individuals who work
with and/or near pesticides:

-   Minimize worker/handler exposure to pesticides

-   Mitigate for any exposures

-   Inform workers/handlers/others about the hazards of pesticides

**Minimize Pesticide Exposure**

-   [Protection during applications]{.underline} ---Handlers are
    prohibited from applying pesticide in a way that will expose workers
    or others. Workers must be kept out of areas while pesticides are
    being applied, and during the restricted-entry interval (REI). The
    restricted-entry interval is the time between the end of pesticide
    application and the time when the treated area is safe to access.
    REIs are specified on all agricultural pesticide product labels. The
    REI for a given product may be different for different crops,
    different climates, different crop activities (irrigation, pruning,
    etc.) or different application methods. In general, REIs are:

    a.  48 hours for pesticides with DANGER labels

    b.  24 hours for pesticides with WARNING labels

    c.  12 hours for pesticides with CAUTION labels

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-   [Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)]{.underline} ---The employer is
    required to provide and maintain PPE for handlers and early-entry
    workers. The handlers and workers must be provided a place to
    remove, clean and store PPE and to clean themselves (see list of PPE
    in the section below).

> [Notification of workers]{.underline} ---Employers must notify workers
> about treated areas so that workers can avoid exposure. Information
> about recent applications must be posted in a central location at the
> workplace. Workers can be notified of applications orally or by posted
> signs. Signs must be posted at all the entry points of treated fields,
> forests or greenhouses.

**Mitigate Pesticide Exposure**

-   [Decontamination]{.underline} ---Employers must provide, for
    handlers and workers who handle anything that may have been treated
    with pesticides, a place to clean up after work. For handlers mixing
    pesticides, there must be a clean-up site at the mixing site.

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-   [Emergency assistance]{.underline} ---Employers must make
    transportation available to take a worker injured by pesticides to
    an emergency medical facility. The employer must also provide the
    medical professionals with the label(s) of the product(s) used and
    the circumstances of the exposure.

**Inform Employees about Pesticide Hazards**

-   [Pesticide safety training]{.underline} ---Training, by a
    state-certified or other qualified trainer, must be given to all
    workers and handlers. Handlers and workers must be trained every 5
    years.

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-   [Pesticide safety poster]{.underline} ---The WPS requires posting a
    pesticide safety poster with a list of emergency phone numbers and
    procedures.

-   [Access to pesticide label information]{.underline} ---The WPS
    requires that pesticide handlers and early-entry workers be informed
    of pesticide label safety information.

-   [Access to specific information]{.underline} ---Employers must post,
    in a central area accessible to all workers, specific information
    about pesticide treatments on that workplace. This information must
    be accessible to employees for at least 30 days after each pesticide
    application.

**Penalties for Noncompliance**

The Worker Protection Standard contains penalties for noncompliance.
They are similar to penalties for using pesticides in a way that is
inconsistent with the label. Most states and tribes can enforce their
own laws and regulations and have their own penalties. Contact the Idaho
Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Bureau (208-332-8500) for more
information.

**Personal Protective Equipment (PPE*)***

Apparel and devices worn to protect the body from contact with
pesticides or pesticide residues include the following:

> Coveralls\
> Chemical-resistant suits, gloves, footwear, aprons and headgear\
> Protective eyewear\
> Respirators

While the following attire is not defined as PPE, the labeling might
require pesticide handlers or early-entry workers to wear it for some
tasks:

> Long- and short-sleeved shirts\
> Long and short pants\
> Shoes and socks\
> Other items of regular work clothing

If such non-PPE attire is required, the employer must make sure that it
is worn.

For more information on the Worker Protection Standard and safety, visit
EPA's worker safety website at
<http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/worker.htm> or the Idaho State
Department of Agriculture at:
<http://www.agri.state.id.us/Categories/Pesticides/workerProtection/indexworker_protection.php>

[**What to Do for Poisoning**]{.underline}

**Specific first-aid instructions can be found on the pesticide label.**
Get needed medical advice quickly by calling your Poison Center (toll
free) at **800-222-1222** or by calling a physician if you or any of
your fellow workers have unusual or unexplained symptoms starting at
work or later the same day. Do not let yourself or anyone else get
dangerously sick before calling your physician or going to a hospital.
**It is better to be overly cautious than to delay or be too lax.** The
EPA maintains a handbook that provides the toxicology, signs and
symptoms of poisoning and treatment for 1,500 pesticides. It is
available for download at:
<http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/safety/healthcare/handbook/handbook.htm>.

If labeling instructions are not available, follow these general
guidelines for first aid.

-   **The best first aid in pesticide emergencies is to remove the
    source of pesticide exposure as quickly as possible**.

-   First aid is the initial effort to help a victim while medical help
    is on the way. If you are alone with the victim, make sure the
    victim is breathing and is not being further exposed to the
    pesticide before you call for emergency help. Apply artificial
    respiration if the victim is not breathing. **Do not become exposed
    to the pesticide yourself while trying to help.**

-   **Pesticide on the skin** ---Drench contaminated, exposed skin with
    plenty of water. Remove personal protective equipment and
    contaminated clothing. Wash skin and hair with a mild detergent and
    water. Dry victim and keep him/her comfortable.

-   **Pesticide in the eye** ---Wash the eye quickly but gently with
    clean running water. Rinse eye for 15 minutes or more.

-   **Inhaled pesticide** ---Get victim to fresh air immediately. Loosen
    tight clothing on victim that would constrict breathing. Apply
    artificial respiration if breathing has stopped or if the victim's
    skin is blue. If pesticide or vomit is on the victim's mouth or
    face, avoid direct contact and use a shaped airway tube, if
    available, for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

-   **Pesticide in mouth or swallowed** ---Rinse mouth with plenty of
    water. Do not induce vomiting or give high-potency activated
    charcoal unless a physician or the label tells you to do so.

-   **Induce vomiting only if the label indicates.** Position the victim
    face down or kneeling forward and carefully put a finger or the
    blunt end of a spoon at the back of the victim's throat.

-   Do not induce vomiting if the victim is unconscious or convulsing or
    if the victim has swallowed a corrosive poison or an emulsifiable
    concentrate or oil solution.

-   **Atropine should be administered only by a physician.** It can be
    poisonous if misused and can mask the symptoms of poisoning, thus
    delaying proper treatment.

-   **First-aid kit** ---A properly equipped portable first-aid kit can
    be important in a pesticide emergency. Make sure one is available at
    each work site.

**[How to Handle Spills Safely]{.underline}**

The best way to handle a spill is to prevent it from happening. Review
your process for using, transporting and storing pesticides to identify
areas for additional training or precautions. Know the necessary actions
to take if a spill should occur. Prior training on how to limit a spill
and then safely clean it up is invaluable. Accidents most commonly
happen when pesticides are being transported or when pesticide
containers have leaked in storage. Pesticide spills require immediate
action. Keep a spill cleanup kit immediately available at all locations
where pesticides are handled, transported or stored because you will not
have time to locate all the necessary items before a significant amount
of contamination has occurred. Important items in a typical spill kit
include the following:

-   Telephone numbers for emergency assistance

-   Personal protective clothing and equipment as required by the label,
    including:

> Sturdy gloves, footwear and aprons that are chemically resistant to
> most pesticides, such as foil-laminate gear

-   Protective eyewear

-   An appropriate respirator, if any of the pesticides require the use
    of one during handling activities or for spill cleanup

-   Containment "snakes" to confine the leak or spill to a small area

-   Absorbent materials such as spill pillows, absorbent clay, dry peat
    moss, sawdust, "kitty litter," activated charcoal, vermiculite or
    paper to soak up liquid spills

-   Sweeping compound to keep dry spills from drifting or wafting during
    cleanup

-   A shovel, broom and dustpan made from non-sparking and non-reactive
    material (foldable brooms and shovels are handy because they can be
    carried easily)

-   Heavy-duty detergent

-   Fire extinguisher rated for all types of fires

-   Any other spill cleanup items specified on the labeling of any
    products regularly used

-   Sturdy plastic container that will hold the entire volume of the
    largest pesticide container being handled and that can be tightly
    closed

-   Highway flares ([don't]{.underline} use around flammable material!)

Stopping large leaks or spills is often not simple. If you cannot manage
a spill by yourself, get help. Even a spill that appears to be minor can
endanger you, other people and the environment if not handled correctly.
Never leave a spill unattended. When in doubt, get help. A good way to
remember the steps for a spill emergency is the "three Cs": Control,
Contain, Clean up.

-   C**ontrol the spill situation:** Protect yourself, stop the leak,
    protect others and stay at the site.

-   **Contain the spill:** Confine the spill, protect water sources,
    absorb liquids and cover dry materials.

-   **Clean up:** Clean up the spill, decontaminate the spill site,
    neutralize the spill site, decontaminate equipment and decontaminate
    your PPE.

[**Reporting Spills**]{.underline}

When you need assistance, report pesticide spills as well as
pesticide-related fires and poisonings first to 9-1-1 for immediate
response. If the spill is large or particularly hazardous, also contact
the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security at 1-800-632-8000. Additional help
with chemical emergencies, including pesticide emergencies involving
spills, leaks, fires or exposures, can be obtained from the Chemical
Transportation Emergency Center: CHEMTREC (800-424-9300).

**[Resources]{.underline}**

-   Regional Poison Center for Idaho: 800-222-1222

-   Idaho Department of Agriculture (208-332-8500):

> Pesticide Training and Certification
>
> <http://www.agri.state.id.us/Categories/Pesticides/licensing/indexPestLicenseMain.php>
>
> Workers Protection Program
>
> <http://www.agri.state.id.us/Categories/Pesticides/workerProtection/indexworker_protection.php>

-   University of Idaho Pesticide Safety Resources

<http://www.ag.uidaho.edu/pmc/programs/psp.htm>

-   US EPA Pesticides Program

<http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/>