Pesticide safety training materials with the expanded content required by the 2015 revision to the WPS are available at the Pesticide Education Resources Collaborative. The WPS safety poster “Protect Yourself from Pesticides” should be available from your local Cooperative Extension Center or State Lead Agency. If not try the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative. Protect Yourself and Your Family […]
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In Case of a Spill or Accident
In case of a pesticide spill, follow the “Three C’s” – control, contain, and clean up. Control the spill immediately to prevent further spillage. Contain the spill by diking the spill with absorbent material or sorbent pads to keep it out of the water and prevent environmental contamination. Clean up the spill. Use absorbent material […]
Loading Pesticides
Thoroughly inspect all containers at the time of purchase, before loading. Wear chemical-resistant coveralls or a Tyvek suit and chemical-resistant gloves, even when handling unopened pesticide containers, in case any of the containers leak. Accept the pesticides only if the labels are legible and securely attached to the containers. Check all caps, plugs, and bungs; […]
Vehicle Safety and Equipment
The safest way to transport pesticides is in the back of a truck or pickup truck that is in good operating condition to help reduce the chance of an accident. Use common sense; any vehicle should have working brakes, lights and turn signals, horn, and windshield wipers. This is especially important when transporting pesticides. Never […]
Federal Hazardous Material (HazMat) Requirements
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has federal requirements that may apply to some transport of pesticides. Federal requirements vary, depending on the type of pesticide, amount, concentration, and distance transported. Farmers may have special exceptions from some of the regulations, as explained in the following two paragraphs. Transport from storage to field/use – Farmers A […]
Introduction to Transporting Pesticides
Take precautions when transporting pesticides. Accidents can happen even during a short trip. Pesticides containing solvents or their containers can be flammable or explosive. Smoke, fumes, vapors, dusts, and liquids can be toxic. The driver, others in the vehicle, and people outside the vehicle may be exposed to pesticides if there is an accident. An […]
How to Prevent Water Contamination
There are a variety of common management practices that provide multiple benefits. Crop and Soil Management Strategies Crop rotation keeps pests off-balance, especially those that prefer a particular crop with its associated cultural practices. Cover crops provide crop residues, which enhance soil organic matter. Careful crop variety selection ensures that the crop is well-adapted to local […]
The Problem of Leaching
Leaching is the movement of contaminants, such as water-soluble pesticides or fertilizers, carried by water downward through permeable soils. Generally speaking, most pesticides adsorb to soil particles (especially clay), become immobile, and do not leach. The fate of mobile pesticides, however, can be thought of as a race between the various degradation processes and leaching […]
The Problem of Runoff
Runoff is the movement of water and any contaminants across the soil surface. It occurs when irrigation, rain or snow melt adds water to a surface faster than it can enter the soil. Water running off the land towards canals, streams, rivers, and lakes can also move chemicals, such as pesticides and fertilizers. Pesticides may […]
Understanding the Fate of Pesticides after Application
Pesticides are frequently found in surface and groundwater. That statement, although true, does not by itself give a complete picture of the situation. After decades of testing water for the presence of pesticides, very few samples have been found to contain enough pesticide to be a human health concern. Rarely are concentrations found that could […]