Anyone coming into contact with plant protection products should use appropriate personal protective equipment to protect themselves and other persons and places to which contamination may be transferred.
The choice of PPE depends primarily on the working conditions and the toxicity of the preparations applied. Details of personal protective equipment at: Srodki-ochrony-osobistej-broszura.pdf (akademiapsor.pl). For effective protection against chemical preparations, it is recommended to use at least a category III protective suit that protects the wearer against liquid aqueous aerosols (type 4), active ingredients in particulate form (type 5) and provides limited protection against spray (type 6). Exposure to concentrated formulations, adjuvants and other products used in crop protection is particularly high during the preparation of the spray, and also during emptying or breakdown of the sprayer or dressing machine. The greatest risk of contact with the concentrated crop protection product occurs during the preparation of the spray liquid, while the longest contact time with the spray liquid itself, also in the form of a mist, threatens the farmer during treatment. In this case, an effective reduction in his exposure can be achieved by using either self-propelled treatment equipment or a tractor equipped with a sealed cab and air filters, which we aggregate with the sprayer.
When preparing the spray liquid, it is recommended to use:
- non-soaking safety boots made of rubber, vinyl or neoprene; the legs of the suit should be worn over the boots in such a way as to prevent liquids running down into the boots,
- protective suit type III, category 4, 5, 6,
- nitrile flocked gloves, with the sleeves of the suit worn over the gloves in such a way as to prevent liquids from running down into the gloves,
- masks or half masks at least P2/A2
- safety goggles or a protective screen
- headgear in the form of a suit hood or cap
A waterproof front apron is also recommended.
During treatment, PPE depends on the degree of protection in the operator’s cab – when without a cab, full protection including head protection and a full-face mask is needed.
When working in low crops, it is recommended to use:
- solid rubber safety boots, the legs of the suit should be worn over the boot in such a way as to prevent liquids from running down into the boots,
- suit,
- gloves, the sleeves of the suit should be worn over the gloves in such a way as to prevent the liquid from running down into the gloves.
When working in tall crops, it is recommended to use in addition:
- waterproof clothing,
- half masks,
- safety goggles or a protective screen,
- hood-type headgear.
When treating and sowing treated grain, it is recommended to use:
- safety shoes,
- suit,
- gloves,
- half-masks,
- safety goggles or a protective screen,
- hood-type headgear.
What items of protective clothing are necessary for the various stages of working with plant protection products? Where to look for information on mandatory protection? What should you do if a product spills or if you spill it on yourself? This is explained in the following video: https://youtu.be/LhFgIKzy0Aw
Leakage or spillage can occur where the product is stored, spillage can also occur when filling the sprayer or during spraying. The contents of the plant protection product label will assist in proper handling. By following the correct procedures, the negative effects of such incidents can be prevented by doing the following:
- prevent human or animal access to the site,
- protect yourself from contamination by wearing protective clothing, taking particular care when dealing with concentrated agents,
- the spill site must be secured,
- notify the official authorities if the spillage has occurred in a public place or may lead to environmental contamination,
- all contaminated material (e.g. soil) must be removed in an appropriate manner.
In the event of a spillage of the plant protection product, the following steps should be taken as soon as possible:
- reduce leakage,
- reduce the area of spill contamination by capping the edges of the spill with material that readily absorbs liquids,
- apply absorbent material such as sand or vermiculite to the spillage in order to absorb the spill. Using sawdust for this purpose can be a fire hazard,
- the material and the absorbed substance should be collected in a sealed container,
- the material collected must be treated as hazardous waste contaminated with plant protection product.
In the event of a spillage of plant protection product in the form of dust, powder or granules, take these steps immediately:
- limit further spillages,
- the granulated preparation should be collected with a brush and dustpan from the spill site,
- dust/powder formulation sprinkle with a sorbent, e.g. sand, which will reduce the rising dust of the substance when brushing it off the surface,
- collect the sorbent and absorbed substance in a sealed container,
- the material collected must be treated as hazardous waste contaminated with plant protection product.
If the spillage has occurred on an unpaved area where the concentrated product or application liquid may have soaked in, it is advisable to collect the top layer of soil, about 5-10 cm, and treat it as hazardous material, which should be handled according to the instructions on the label or, failing that, sent for disposal as hazardous waste.