O1 Cleaning your PPE
Channel: Pesticidewise
Date: 2016-11-14

Pesticidewise: How to clean your personal protective equipment (PPE). 

Visit this page https://www.pesticidewise.com/en/questions/after-spraying/how-do-i-clean-my-ppe/ to learn more about cleaning your knapsack sprayer and using pesticides.

Video script:

In this video we show you how to clean each of the pieces of PPE that you are most likely to use when applying very toxic and toxic pesticides upwards.

You will need:
The PPE to be cleaned,
two buckets, 
clean water, 
a measuring jug or container, 
detergent,
a disposable cloth,
a mixing tray or a square meter of plastic sheet,
a plastic bag and 
your record sheet.

You will also need a safe area for cleaning. Refer to your label for any advice on selecting an area that is away from animals, children and surface water such as streams and ponds and is not near any drinking water sources and other sensitive areas.

Place the 2 buckets on to the clean mixing tray. Pour clean water into both buckets and add detergent. We will show you how to clean each item of PPE in the preferred order of their removal. Gloves are the last article to be removed but as gloves may be contaminated they must be cleaned first so that they do not recontaminate other items of PPE (personal protective equipment).

In the first bucket clean the outside of the gloves thoroughly and keep your gloves on. When you remove them later they will need to be washed again both outside and inside.

Now that you've cleaned the outside of your gloves remove each item of PPE starting with those that protect your head. Remove your face shield, goggles and respirator and wipe these items with the disposable cloth. Wash and rinse the goggles and face shield. Note that respirators should be cleaned following the manufacturer's instructions.

Next take off the upper part of your coverall and tie the sleeves around your waist to keep it from getting recontaminated by your boots.

Remove your shirt and wash it carefully.

Remove your boots whilst standing on the mixing tray and step off it onto a clean surface. 

Remove your coveralls completely and then wash them thoroughly. Always wash these work clothes separately from your daily clothes.

Note that some coveralls are not washable and so should be disposed, whilst others may be washed for only a specified number of times. Coveralls that are damaged should be disposed of.

Boots maybe heavily contaminated.

Finally wash your gloves again.

Pour any water that has slopped into the mixing tray back into buckets and disposed of safely.

If no guidance is available on how best to dispose of contaminated rinsing water then check with local experts. It may be permitted to spray this liquid out over weedy areas of your land. 

Never pour these rinsings down drains or at any single point. Hang or place your PPE to dry in a safe place ready for next time.

Check all of your PPE equipment for damage: check your boots and gloves for leaks, and if used check the condition of the respirator's cartridge. 

Do not keep your PPE in the actual pesticide store but ideally in an area nearby.  

Complete your records noting the condition of your PPE and noting what needs to be replaced or mended.

For more information about using pesticides and which PPE to use, visit our website http://www.pesticidewise.com 

The YouTube URL for this video is https://youtu.be/y_dQiDcZ6Wo