UF/IFAS
Okeechobee County Extension Service
458 Highway 98 North
Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578
Phone: (863) 763-6469
E- mail: dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu
Feature
Article - for release the week of
Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent
Celebrate Farm Safety with safely stored pesticides
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we will certainly hear of many unfortunate events involving pesticides in homes and on the farms that have been released into the environment as a result of storm damage. We can learn from these experiences by reviewing how we handle this important tool for home and garden.
A presidential proclamation has been signed, naming the week of September 18-24 as National Farm Safety and Health Week. While it is not up there with Christmas, Easter or even Halloween as one of the most exciting celebrations on the calendar, ranchers and homeowners alike can use this week to review how they store their pesticides.
According the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, there are several practices that commercial pesticide users must follow. Let’s see how they apply to homeowners who are storing pesticides:
• The best way to minimize storage problems is to minimize the amount you store. Limit inventory, and purchase only the amounts needed. If you don’t need a gallon jug of spray in the next month don’t buy it – and if you need that much pesticide, why not ask a professional to do the job for you.
• Design and build pesticide storage structures to keep pesticides secure and isolated from the surrounding environment. Store pesticides in a concrete or metal structure with a roof and lockable door. A rusted tin shed won’t provide much protection from the weather, and will not be very secure from curious kids or pets. Here’s a good comparison - Would you put your loaded gun out there next to the weed killer?
• Keep pesticides in a separate facility or at least in a locked area separate from areas used to store other materials, especially fertilizers, feed, and seed. If a spill or leak occurs, will the pesticide get into other stuff? If it does, your cleanup problem is bigger that just that one bag of bug dust.
• Do not store pesticides near flammable materials, hot work (welding, grinding), or in shop areas. Not only the container, but some of the chemicals used as pesticides will burn – and you don’t want anyone breathing that mess!
• Do not allow smoking in pesticide storage areas. Smoking pesticide applicators can also get exposure to pesticides when they smoke or use chewing tobacco products. You ought to wash your hands after using pesticides and before you eat or smoke.
• Store personal protective equipment (PPE) where it is easily accessible in an emergency, but not in the pesticide storage area. Be sure you wear the right clothes when using pesticides to limit the chances of pesticide poisoning – check the label for what to wear.
• Do not put pesticides in containers that children and others might mistake for food or drink. An empty milk jug with mixed pesticide spray looks a lot like milk – and may invite some unsuspecting child to take a drink.
• Dry bags should be raised on pallets to ensure that they do not get wet. Your homeowner pesticide cabinet is probably not as big as a palate, by the idea here is to keep the containers of weed and feed off the floor. If there is a leak from a broken pipe or a flood from a rainstorm, will it move into your garage and get the pesticide bag wet?
• Do not store liquid materials above dry materials. If they leak, gravity will cause the liquids to drip onto the solid materials, making for a bigger mess and waster products.
• Keep containers closed tightly. Tight containers or bags that are clipped closed can prevent spills in case the container trips over.
• Inspect inventory frequently and watch for damaged containers. I’d suggest at the minimum, look through your stock at least once each year – so why not do it this week?
• Store flammable pesticides separately from nonflammable pesticides. Keep gas and pesticides separate.
• Segregate herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides to prevent cross-contamination and minimize the potential for misapplication. I’ve heard too many cases where homeowners use an insecticide to kill a weed, and even the other way around. It is not only illegal and dangerous, but can kill the wrong thing and is an expensive waste of money.
I’ve placed more information on our Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu. If you need additional information on storing pesticides safely, please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469. Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1 to 5 PM on Tuesday afternoons. KEEP FRANKLINTON, LOUISIANA AND ALL “KATRINIANS” IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS!
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Larry
A. Arrington, Dean Last update: 09/12/2005
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by Dan Culbert
Florida DEP Best Managment Practices for the Green Industry - Summary Manual http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/applying/water-quality/bmp-summary.pdf