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 regulations 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

Safety equipment
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 dispatchers 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!!)

Basic Pesticide Safety:

Storage
Pesticides should be stacked
separately
And, ideally, be separated by product
type
A current inventory should be available
at the dispatchers desk
Fire hazard signing should be accurate

Pesticide Safety
- Fire Safety Sign

Pesticide Safety
Fire Sign Translated

FSH 6709.11,60
- Exhibits

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 dispatchers desk
for ready access in the event of an
emergency

Basic Pesticide Safety:

Spill Plan Document
Provide for care of injured or
contaminated personnel

Specific concerns

Identify spilled material

Notify

Basic Pesticide Safety:

Spill Plan Document
Who to notify + phone #
What they need to know
Contain the spill

Safety measures to be
observed during cleanup

Basic Pesticide Safety:

Spill Plan Document
Clean-up
Documentation
Summary
dry spills

Summary
wet spills

Basic Pesticide Safety:

Spill Plan Document

Phone numbers of people

to notify and people or
organizations who can
provide assistance

Basic Pesticide Safety:

Spill Plan Document

Vehicle spill kit

Storage facility spill kit

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 dispatchers 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

Basic Pesticide Safety:

When a Spill Happens
Reporting required:
Dispatcher
District Ranger
Forest Pesticide Coordinator *
Forest Supervisor
Regional HAZMAT Coordinator *

Continue talk

Basic Pesticide Safety:

Forest
Pesticide
Coordinators
Alabama -Jim Clute
Kisatchie -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

Mississippi -- Jerry
Windham
North Carolina John
Blanton
Ouachita -- Finis Harris
Ozark -- Jack Davis
Savannah River -Jamie Scott
Texas George Weick
Return

Basic Pesticide Safety:

Regional Hazmat Coordinator
Walt Sternke
404-347-3369
Email: asternke@fs.fed.us
Return

Basic Pesticide Safety:

Environmental Concerns
Already mentioned spills
Caution must be taken to avoid
Drift
Leaching
Runoff, and
Other forms of off-site movement

Labels, MSDS, labeling and other

documents help

Basic Pesticide Safety:

Environmental Movement

More
later

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