Safety
32
Other Precautions and Safety Tips
Fresh water supply
Always carry a supply of fresh water to clean up
accidental spills and a clean pair of gloves for
equipment adjustments.
Remote control devices
Devices (e.g. solenoid valves) can be installed to
remotely control the sprayer, preferably from within
the tractor cab. These devices can reduce operator
exposure to pesticides.
Tractor cab cleanup
After spraying pesticides, the inside of the tractor
(
seat, steering wheel, etc.) can be decontaminated
by wiping with warm soapy water and a sponge.
Tractor cab filters
Charcoal filters are available for fitting onto the
tractor air intake system, to filter out pesticides from
the air entering the tractor cab. The use of these
filters is highly recommended to reduce pesticide
exposure during spraying operations. Check with
tractor manufacturers to determine which charcoal
filter is recommended for your tractor.
Grazing and Haying Restrictions
Traditionally, pesticides have been registered for use
on crops grown to maturity. Grazing or cutting of the
immature crop for hay has not been considered as the
intended use, so residue information on the immature
plant has not been requested in the registration
process. A grazing or haying interval is considered in
the registration process only if the green matter is to
be fed to livestock. Consequently, many pesticide
labels are currently silent about grazing, i.e. there is
no statement on the label as to whether or not it is
safe to graze the crop(s) listed on the label prior to
maturity. The absence of this information may lead
producers to assume that since there is no specific
warning with respect to grazing, it is safe to do so.
Present pesticide labelling policy is meant to define
only the acceptable uses of the product. It does not
list or take into account the “do not’s.” Therefore, it
cannot be assumed that if something is not stated on
the label, it is accepted for use. A new accepted use
can only be made through the submission of relevant
data to support that use.
In light of the above, pesticide labels that are silent
on grazing will carry the following statement: “Do not
graze the treated crops or cut for hay; there are not
sufficient data available to support such use.”
Honey bee safety
Bees may be affected by pesticides, including those on
and associated with treated seed. Avoid spraying/spills
of treated seed near hives or contaminating puddles of
water from which bees may drink. Spray early in the
morning or late in the afternoon when bee activity is at
a minimum. Warn beekeepers of your intentions, so
they can confine the bees or move them until risk of
poisoning bees is over.
Farm Safety Program
For further information on farm safety, please contact
the Farm Safety Program of Alberta Agriculture and
Rural Development at 7000 - 113 Street, Edmonton,
Alberta, T6H 5T6.
Safety Equipment and Clothing
Protective clothing and equipment is available
from the following:
Local U.F.A. and safety equipment suppliers
Fleck Bros.
1-800-262-9063
Levitt-Safety Limited
1-800-661-3973
Acklands-Grainger Inc.
1-800-661-3950