18 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | March 2024 chemical. Clothing should be a long sleeve shirt, but to avoid absorbing chemical, producers could also wear a repellent material like Tyvek. The PPE worn when handling chemical is also only beneficial if it’s clean and well cared for. “If you are wearing coveralls or spray clothes, keep them separate from household laundry. Run them through the wash twice and then run the washer without anything in it before washing anything else,” suggests Anderson. This will keep PPE clean without contaminating other clothes. Forrest adds that people are more willing to use PPE when it is clean. Once PPE has been cleaned, it should be stored somewhere clean, dry, and out of direct sunlight to avoid breakdown, Dyck says. It should be frequently checked over for faults or cracks, as damaged PPE will be less effective. Sprayer operators and anyone handling pesticides should always practise good hygiene. Hands, face, and any other exposed skin should be washed immediately after working with chemical. Storing pesticides and sprayers Proper sprayer maintenance reduces risks of spills and exposure to pesticides. When operators are finishing up spraying the field, they should assess if they have product left in the sprayer. “Generally, the best thing to do if you have a bit of waste spray is to speed up and spray the last bit on the field,” explains Anderson. “You might apply a little extra, but most pesticides have a safety factor of twice the application rate on a specific crop.” After the sprayer has been emptied, it should be cleaned as soon as possible to avoid any product drying in the machine, which could cause blockages or rust from corrosive chemicals. Improper cleaning can also lead to contamination when switching products and can damage crops. “Cleaning is dependent on the product being used,” says Forrest. “The best rule of thumb is to triple rinse the spray tanks and booms. Clean the filters and triple rinse them as well.” Dyck adds, “Some more modern sprayers have a continuous rinse system. They have a separate container on the sprayer with clean water and once you’ve drained the tank, you use the rinse to inject clean water into the sprayer tank and continue to spray on the field. It’ll dilute the residue and flush out the boom.” The sprayer should always be put away clean and should be frequently inspected to avoid leaky nozzles or hoses. Pesticide should also be stored appropriately. Storage instructions will be on the label, but as a general rule, jugs and totes of chemical should have their own storage area. “Storage is very important,” says Dyck. “Under the Pesticides Act, it is illegal to store pesticides under unsafe conditions. What constitutes unsafe conditions might be different depending on the chemical.” He says that they should be kept in a self-contained room dedicated to pesticides with proper ventilation and no floor drains. The door should be secured with a lock and have signs to warn about potential hazards. The room should also be accessible from outside. Farmers may want to store different products away from each other to avoid cross contamination. If precautions and labels are taken seriously, the risks associated with handling pesticide can be kept to a minimum. This growing season, make sure safety is a top priority when keeping fields clean. BF Toll free in SK: 1.877.645.7275 usedoilrecyclingsk.com By recycling used oil, filters, antifreeze, their plastic containers and DEF containers, you help keep Saskatchewan's water, land and air clean and safe. With 37 EcoCentres, nearly 100 drop-off points and over 30 registered collectors province-wide, we have one of the best recycling networks in the country, let's use it! Making every drop count Recovering. Recycling. Reusing PESTICIDE SAFETY EMILY CROFT Emily lives on a beef farm, raising Red Angus and Simmental cattle. She holds a Master of Science in Animal Biosciences, with a focus on ruminant nutrition.
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