Pesticide Safety Training For Equipment Maintenance Professionals

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

This may not be the first thing that comes to mind to producers whose spraying equipment malfunctions in the field, but it sure matters to the service technicians who are called upon to fix the problem.

What sort of precautions do they need to take when they are bringing in a sprayer?

The Saskatchewan Institute of Sciences and Technologies (SIAST) now offers a program for the workplace that can help ensure safety risks are minimized, according to David Warnock, Instructor of Agricultural Programs at SIAST.

“We have done machinery operation and maintenance training for students here, and we have dealt with machinery dealers in the cities. Staff at one of the local dealerships, who indicated they do a fair bit of repairs on high-clearance sprayers, approached us. Some of them were a little nervous about dealing with some of these machines after they had been out in the field. Sometimes, they would even come in with some pesticide in them and they wouldn’t know how to handle it. They needed to find out what the risks were, and what the best procedures would be to observe when working on the equipment,” Warnock says.

“So, we staged a one-day workshop where an instructor from here goes to the dealership and goes through some of the basic information related to pesticides. They discuss some of the hazards and which products are of particular concern, and how to deal with them; things like the type of clothing that would be appropriate, what work practices would be worth considering, and even what to do if someone was accidentally exposed, or if there was a spill.”

Warnock says the program is customized in the sense that the instructor spends time working with the staff—looking at their particular facility and planning a kind of workplace program that would help them know how to deal with situations, and what they should do based on their facility and their surroundings.

“We did this with one facility in Saskatoon last year, one in Regina and one in Yorkton. We do it on a cost-recovery basis. We charge so much for a day. It relates to the Pesticide Applicator Certification training that we do. We use some of the material we use for that course as a resource, and we are certainly prepared to do it more than we have been, if people are interested,” Warnock says.

“What often happens with a sprayer that breaks down in the field is that it could even have product still in it. It is contaminated externally because of the spray drift and dust on the wet parts of the equipment. So when it gets into the workplace, staff need to clean it properly and then they ask, what do you do with the contents left in the sprayer?”

Warnock explains that, when machine components are removed for replacement or repair, quite often there is some spillage from what is in the line.

“So just deciding what resources the technicians can call upon to contain this material is of crucial importance. How do they dispose of the pesticide? How do they protect themselves when handling the equipment?

“The most important precautions are to wear the proper protective clothing, to have good personal sanitation, and to have a shower facility in the workplace."

Many mechanics who come from a farm background understand the importance of precautions when handling pesticides, but that is not always the case for everyone.

“They really appreciate knowing what the risks are, first of all, and knowing how to deal with them—how not to put themselves at risk. At one location, there were a couple of employees who had been fairly significantly poisoned in the past and had been off work for a day or two at least, and perhaps longer. That made them realize how important it was to know the risks and how to handle them.”

Accidental poisoning is dangerous. Anything from mild symptoms, like headaches, dizziness and nausea, to actually being laid up for a time are real possibilities.

“It is a great program. We know it; the mechanics know it,” says Warnock. “It gives them confidence in going to their employers and saying, 'Maybe we need to spend some money to make the workplace safe.' Employers, who themselves might not be aware of what can happen, appreciate discovering what the best practices are. In one workplace, they changed some of their policies and now refuse to bring in machinery that has product in the tank. They require that it be washed down in the field so they don’t bring all this stuff into the shop.”

To bring in an instructor and access the program in your workplace, call SIAST at (306) 798-6310 or 798-0456.

For more information, contact:

David Warnock
Agricultural Programs
Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Sciences and Technologies (SIAST)
(306) 798-6310
http://www.siast.sk.ca/