Re p r e s e n t i n g the Pl a n t Sc i e n c e In d u s t r y

G u i d e l i n e sf o r

personal protectionwhen using

crop protection p r o d u c t s

in hot climates

G u i d e l i n e s

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f o rpersonal protection

when usingcrop protection

p r o d u c t sin hot climates

G u i d e l i n e s

It should be clearly understood that these guidelines are intended to complement the requirements of any local and national laws andregulations and also the FAO International Code ofConduct on the distribution and use of pesticides.

The information contained in this booklet isaccurate to the best of the knowledge of CropLifeInternational but no liability whatsoever can beaccepted in respect of the use of this informationnor in respect of any advice contained herein.

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FOREWORD

CropLife International places great importance onthe responsible, safe and effective use of crop protection products and has produced guidelinesand other literature to facilitate this. These provide practical advice to farmers and others forusing products under the real conditions theyface. They emphasise that crop protection products should be used only when needed andto follow the instructions provided on the label ofthe product. However, tropical and other hotcountries present a particular challenge as it is notalways feasible for operators to obtain specialisedprotective equipment, or, when available, it is notpossible to wear because of the personal discomfort or distress caused by the hot andhumid conditions.

Therefore, in order to provide more advice forsuch situations, guidelines on the use of personal protective equipment were published in 1989 byGIFAP, CropLife International’s predecessor.These guidelines, adopted by the Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO) as the basis of their own recommendations,brought together advice and recommendationsfrom a variety of sources in a simplified form.In 2004 CropLife International recognised theneed to update and reprint the guidelines; thispublication incorporates lessons learnt from theiruse in the field for more than 10 years.

The guidelines are for use by trainers, extensionofficers, farmers and other agricultural workersusing crop protection products in tropical conditions and complement the CropLifeInternational Guidelines for the safe and effectiveuse of crop protection products. Together, theyprovide sufficient information for operators tohandle and apply crop protection products safelyin a variety of climatic conditions worldwide.

The effort to improve the knowledge and advicein this area is very much in the spirit of the FAOInternational Code of Conduct on the distributionand use of pesticides and I recommend theseGuidelines to all concerned with the responsibleand effective use of crop protection products.

C. Ve r s c h u e r e nDirector General,CropLife International

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

1. How crop protection products can get into the body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

2. General personal safety precautionsRead the product label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Prevent skin contamination . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Personal hygiene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

3. Personal protection in hot climatesGeneral advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Work clothing for handling and applying crop protection products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Hand, eye and face protection . . . . . . . . . 22Gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Eye and face protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Other protective equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 24Protection against leakage from application equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

4. Materials, design, availability and maintenanceof protective clothing items and equipmentProtective garments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Maintenance of work clothing . . . . . . . . . . 30Gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Maintenance of gloves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Boots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Eye and face protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Aprons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

5. Appendix: Instructions for making personal protective equipmentFace mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Two piece protective garment . . . . . . . . . . 40Apron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

All crop protection products m u s t be handledwith respect and certain basic precautionsm u s t be followed. In some situations, for example during the mixing and loading of f o r m u l a t i o n s, additional items of protective clothing may be required to ensure safety.Such additional items of protective clothing willbe specified on the relevant product labels.

It is recognised that there are greater difficulties in wearing additional items of protective clothing in hot and humid climatesthan in temperate conditions. This is becausesuch items may increase discomfort and,in some circumstances, lead to actual physicalhazard. More advice needs to be given to pestcontrol operators working in these conditionsand therefore these Guidelines have been produced to help in this respect.

In these Guidelines the word ‘m u s t’ is used toindicate minimum acceptable standards, a n dthe words ‘ s h o u l d ’ and ‘ r e c o m m e n d e d ’ i n d i c a t eproven good practices.

This booklet should be read in conjunction withthe CropLife International Guidelines for thesafe and effective use of crop protection products and the FAO Code of Conduct on thedistribution and use of pesticides, which provideoverall advice to farmers and others on the correct use of crop protection products,wherever and however they are applied.

Whenever this sign appears it indicates badp r a c t i c e s, which should be avoided.

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1. HOW CROP PROTECTIONPRODUCTS CAN GET INTOTHE BODY

In order to understand how to protect againstthe hazards of crop protection products it isimportant to know how they might enter theb o d y. There are three routes, via the mouth( o r a l ) , the skin (dermal) and by breathing intothe lungs via the nose or mouth (inhalation).

In most operations with crop protection products exposure to the skin is the most likelyroute of contamination because of spillage,splashes or spray contact. Thus the mainemphasis in this Guideline is how to minimiseskin contact. The head is a sensitive area dueto a higher rate of absorption of product viahair follicles. The eyes are particularly sensitiveand require special attention.

An inhalation hazard may occur in some instancesbecause some products are volatile or becausethe method of application produces liquid orsolid particles fine enough to reach the breathing zone and be inhaled. Ways in whichthis exposure can be minimised are described.

Although intake through the mouth is the leastlikely route of exposure during normal uses ofcrop protection products, simple measures aredescribed to avoid this exposure.

It is also important to understand that thegeneral precautions to avoid or minimisecontact apply to the use of all crop protectionp r o d u c t s. Even if you know that a product h a slow toxicity, always follow the general safetyprecautions described in the next section.

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9

Through the skin

By breathing

Crop protection products can enter the bodyin various ways. Proper handling and use minimises risk of exposure

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Through the mouth

Crop protection products can enter the bodyin various ways. Proper handling and use minimises risk of exposure

There are certain personal precautions whichm u s t a l w a y s be followed when crop protectionproducts are used in order to minimise personalexposure during handling and application.

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Types of pesticide containers

2. GENERAL PERSONAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Crop protection products are sold in containersor packages in various forms and in mostcases the concentrated product will have to bediluted before application

Read the product label

Always read the product label before startingto use a crop protection product. If you do notunderstand any instruction, seek advice fromsomeone who does. Note the safety precautions recommended for handling theconcentrated formulation, which may be different to those for applying the diluted product. Obtain and wear the necessary itemsof protective clothing if these are recommended on the product label.

A l w a y sread thelabel andget adviceb e f o r eusing acrop p r o t e c t i o np r o d u c t

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Look for warning symbols, pictograms andcolour coding on labels

Some crop protection products have to beused with more care than others. Look forcolour coding, warning symbols, pictograms oradditional safety instructions in order to knowif more than general precautions are to be followed. For information on label colours andp i c t o g r a m s, see the CropLife leaflet‘Pictograms for agrochemical labels’ or visit theCropLife International website,w w w. c r o p l i f e. o r g.

Prevent skin contamination

When pouring or mixing the concentrated productavoid splashing or spilling on to skin or clothing.If any product falls onto the skin, or into thee y e s, wash it off as soon as possible. Heavilycontaminated clothing m u s t be removed immediately and washed with detergent and w a t e r.

Use suitable equipment for measuring out andtransferring the product. Never use hands asscoops or for stirring liquids.

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Wash off skin contamination

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Use suitable equipment for measuring andmixing products

Never scoop or stir crop protection productswith hands

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Do not spray into the wind

When spraying the diluted product always workupwind of the spray and avoid coming intocontact with it. Avoid contact with freshlysprayed foliage.

Use the correct application equipment, m a i n t a i nit properly and use it correctly. N e v e r use leakye q u i p m e n t ; leaks cause skin contamination.

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Do not blow out clogged nozzles with themouth—clean them with water or a soft probe

Do not attempt to blow out clogged spraynozzles with the mouth. Clean them with wateror a soft probe such as a grass stem.

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Wash hands and face before eating, drinking ors m o k i n g

Personal hygiene

Personal hygiene is of utmost importance whenusing crop protection products.

• When working with crop protection products do not eat, drink or smoke

• Do not touch the face or other bare skinwith contaminated hands or gloves

• Always wash hands and face beforee a t i n g, drinking or smoking, or going to thet o i l e t .

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Wash contaminated skin and clothing with soapand water

After working with crop protection productswash thoroughly

• Wash contaminated skin and clothing withsoap and water

• Wash work clothes each day, s e p a r a t e l yfrom other clothing

• Do not wash near, or discard washingwater into, watercourses such as streamsand lakes.

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3. PERSONAL PROTECTION IN HOT CLIMATES

General advice

The general precautions recommended in theprevious section apply to the use of crop protection products in any area of the world.

In addition to these general precautions, w o r kc l o t h i n g, gloves and, when recommended,additional protective equipment such as eye protection and protective garments help reduce exposure.

The problem in hot and humid climates is thatwearing additional protective clothing maycause severe discomfort or physical distressdue to heat stress.

There are certain measures, which can betaken to help reduce this problem:

• Always keep the protective clothing equipment in mind when choosing a product to use

• Where possible, a formulation that doesnot require the wearing of additional itemsof protective clothing should be used

Work at the cooler times of the day

• If possible apply the product during thecooler hours of the day when it is morecomfortable to wear protective clothing.

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Wear clothing to cover as much of the body asp o s s i b l e

Work clothing for handling andapplying crop protection products

Work clothing m u s t be comfortable but alsogive sufficient protection to do the job safely.

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The m i n i m u m requirement for a l l types of cropprotection product operations is clothing covering most of the body. In practice thisincludes a long sleeve upper garment,a garment covering the lower body includingthe legs, footwear (boots or shoes) and,if spraying high crops, a hat. In practice,the thicker or heavier the clothing material thebetter it protects against pesticide penetration.Thicker or heavier materials however may beless comfortable. Where possible choose clothing made of the thicker/heavier materialthat is durable and also comfortable enough to wear for a working day.

The body is well covered by some types ofnational dress

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Wear recommended personal protective equipment when mixing and loading

Hand, eye and face protection

When pouring, mixing and loading formulationsof crop protection products, gloves m u s t b ew o r n , additionally the wearing of eye protectionand an apron is recommended. Since this operation usually takes a short period of time,these precautions can be taken in hot andhumid conditions as easily as in other s i t u a t i o n s.

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Gloves are available in various types of material. Some materials give better protectionthan others against the different kinds of f o r m u l a t i o n s. Advice on the protective properties of glove materials, as well as careand maintenance, is given in Section 4.

Gloves protect the hands when applying g r a n u l e s

G l o v e s

Gloves can reduce possible contamination by alarge extent if they are used and maintainedp r o p e r l y. As well as being required for mixingand loading, it is recommended that they areworn when applying liquid products.They m u s t be worn when applying dusts orgranules by hand.

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Other protective equipment

The measures outlined above will help protectthe operator during the mixing, loading andapplication of most crop protection products.There will be cases, h o w e v e r, where additionalprotective equipment is required because ofspecial circumstances.

These circumstances include protection frominhalation of vapour, fine dust or spray,protection against especially hazardous products or application methods and crop characteristics such as tall dense crops.

In these cases additional items of protectiveequipment will be specified on product labels.Such items may include: a p r o n s, b o o t s, f a c em a s k s, respirators or overalls.

Advice and information on these items in thecontext of their use in hot and humid climatesis given in Section 4.

Eye and face protective equipment

Eye and face protection

Face shields or goggles are used for eye protection. Face shields are the cooler to wearin hot and humid climates, do not mist over aseasily as goggles and give whole face p r o t e c t i o n .Advice on types and design, as well as careand maintenance, of eye and face protectionequipment is given in Section 4.

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Preferably a properly designed garment madeof suitable protective material should be wornover the potentially exposed body areas. T h ematerials and designs for such garments aregiven in Section 4.

Do not use leaking or defective equipment

Protection against leakage fromapplication equipment

Leaks from defective application equipment,such as hand sprayers, are the most likelycause of severe contamination. The first priority is to avoid leakage by using good quality application equipment that does notl e a k , by keeping this equipment in good orderand not overfilling the equipment. If leakage f o rshort periods cannot be avoided, c o n t a m i n a t i o nof work clothing and skin can be minimised bywearing extra protection. Simple measuresinclude placing plastic sheeting or bags overthe upper and/or lower body areas where leakage may occur.

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Use additional protection if leakage fromdefective spray equipment for short periodscannot be avoided.

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4. MATERIALS, DESIGN,AVAILABILITY AND MAINTENANCE OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHINGITEMS AND EQUIPMENT

This section contains advice on the range ofprotective clothing items that can be used byoperators when handling and applying crop protection products. Recommendations arebased upon the best information available andtake account of the practical conditions in tropical countries.

All hygiene precautions advised in the previoussections m u s t be observed even thoughprotective clothing items are worn.

Protective garments

For many operations, clothing covering most ofthe body provides sufficient protection (seeSection 3). When more protection is required, thiscan be provided by wearing garments such asoveralls; these preferably should have elasticatedends to the sleeves and trousers.

Cotton is one of the most comfortable materialsfor tropical conditions and is readily available inmost places. It is durable over long periods whenworn for work. The protection afforded by cotton depends upon the weave of the material,its weight and thickness. Where possible, choosegarments with material as thick and as heavy ascan be worn with reasonable comfort in the pre-vailing climate. However, if cotton becomes wet itwill not afford protection, and can increase skincontamination; handling and spraying practicesshould be such as to avoid the garment becomingwet, e.g. do not walk into the spray or throughareas of the crop that have been recentlysprayed. Alternatively, wear extra protective clothing, such as an apron or a rain suit to preventsoaking of overalls or other clothing.

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Suitable alternative materials to cotton for wearing in hot and humid climates include thosebased upon non-woven polypropylene; they are ascomfortable as cotton under these conditions.They are less durable than cotton however, andtherefore will have to be replaced more oftenaccording to the type of work involved. Availabilityof suitable materials and clothing will vary fromcountry to country.

Clothing covering most of the body providessufficient protection

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A two-piece garment that gives extra p r o t e c t i o n

Overalls provide a simple design for protectiveg a r m e n t s. An alternative is to have a two-piecegarment with a separate top and trousers. T h i sgives greater flexibility because the top or thetrousers can be worn separately or togetherover normal work clothing according to thetype of handling operation. Instructions formaking a two-piece garment are given in theA p p e n d i x .

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Maintenance of work clothing

Work clothing must be kept in a good state ofrepair so that there are no tears or worn areasthrough which crop protection products cancause skin contamination. Footwear must beinspected regularly for any signs of damage andbe repaired or replaced accordingly.

Do not wear damaged clothing

Repair damaged work clothing

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Wash work clothing after each day’s use

Work clothing, including footwear, m u s t be washed after each day’s use with soap orother detergent – even if it does not appeardirty or soiled, every item of clothing that hascontact with concentrated or diluted producthas to be assumed to be contaminated. It m u s tbe washed separately from other clothing andkept in a separate place. If heavy contamination is suspected washing is unlikelyto be effective. If this occurs, or the clothing isdamaged beyond effective repair, or the ‘ w o r-king life’ of specialised protective clothing hasbeen reached, the clothes should be destroyed (cut up and made unusable) anddisposed of as described for contaminated material in the CropLife International‘Guidelines for the avoidance, limitation and disposal of crop protection product waste onthe farm.’

Gloves

Protective gloves are available in a wide variety ofmaterials and designs. The following advice coversmost situations:

• Always follow the general recommendationson wearing gloves, given in Section 3

• Select gloves that fit the hands comfortablyand that are flexible enough to grip containers and other equipment firmly.They must be long enough to reach theelbows and should be worn outside the sleeves of the shirt/overalls. If short glovesare the only ones available they should coverthe wrists at least and be worn inside thesleeves, which should be elasticised. Gloveswith lining inside are not recommended forhandling crop protection products (the liningwill make cleaning difficult if contaminationoccurs)

• Gloves made of nitrile rubber or Neopreneoffer good protection against a wide range ofcrop protection products and should preferably be used

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Choose gloves that fit the hand comfortably

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• Gloves made of natural rubber offer protection against liquid products, w h i c hare dissolved or suspended in water,for example, suspension concentrates. They also protect against solid productssuch as granules or dusts. Rubber glovesdo not provide sufficient protection againstliquid products containing other solvents,for example, emulsifiable concentrates

• For temporary protection against aqueousbased or solid products disposable glovesmade of polyethylene can provide sufficient protection. These m u s t be wornfor one load or application operation onlyand disposed of safely afterwards.

At the end of each day’s use, gloves m u s t b ewashed inside as well as outside and driedbefore they are used again.

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Maintenance of gloves

Before use, examine gloves carefully for any signof wear or tear particularly between the fingers.If in doubt, replace them.

Do not touch other parts of the body with gloveswhile using crop protection products and prior towashing them.

After use, gloves must be rinsed with water before they are removed from the hands.

Wash gloves during breaks and after work

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Boots

Boots made of rubber give protection to a widerange of crop protection products. Leather footwear is unsuitable because it absorbs somecrop protection products and cannot be decontaminated.

Boots should be at least calf height, unlined (liningwill make cleaning difficult if contaminationoccurs), with trousers worn outside so that anysplashes or spills do not fall inside the boots.They must be washed inside as well as outside atthe end of each day’s work and then allowed todry. They must be inspected regularly for any signof damage or leakage and replaced when necessary.

Wear trousers outside the boots

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Faceshields for full face protection

Goggles or safety glasses may also beworn for eye protection

Eye and face protection

Eye protectionA simple face shield made from clear transparentmaterial is a comfortable form of eye and faceprotection for wearing in tropical field conditions.Face shields offer protection against splashes andare less likely to mist over than goggles.Instructions for making a simple face shield aregiven in the Appendix. Goggles, which are an alternative for eye protection, are more uncomfortable and may not be acceptable to operators in hot and humid conditions. If eye protection is needed, and a face shield is not available, then a pair of safety glasses is anacceptable alternative.

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Full or half-face respirators are required onlyfor certain specialised operations, for examplefumigation indoors, and m u s t be worn if recommended. They should be cleaned andmaintained after use as directed by the m a n u f a c t u r e r. Because of the physical discomfort involved, this type of equipmentcan be worn for only very short periods in tropical conditions.

Face mask to protect against dusts only

Maintanence of eye protection equipmentBefore use, examine eye protection equipmentcarefully for signs of damage. If in doubt,replace it.

Clean eye protection equipment when necessary during use to ensure clear vision.Wash after use to remove any contamination.

Face masksA lightweight face mask covering the mouthand nose m u s t be worn when handling dusts(but normally should not be used for spraying,unless local regulations specifically requirethis). It should be emphasised that such masksare to be regarded as disposable items andm u s t be discarded after use.

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If nothing else is available, clean plastic sheetsor sacks cut to form an apron can be worn asa temporary measure and destroyed after use.

Apron for extra protection when mixing and loadingcrop protection products

Aprons

Aprons are useful additional protective items formixing and loading operations with concentratedformulations and for cleaning out containers before disposal. Aprons made of PVC or rubber,or disposable ones made of polyethylene materials, provide adequate additional protectionfor operations of this kind. To be effective, anapron should cover the front of the body up tothe neck and down to the knees. As with otherprotective equipment it must be washed after useand inspected regularly for signs of damage.Instructions to make a simple apron are providedin the Appendix.

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APPENDIX:INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKINGPERSONAL PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT

A. Face mask

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B. Two piece protective garment

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C. Apron

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D e s i g n : NAos designI l l u s t r a t i o n s : Bruno Manfrin

Published by CropLife International

To reproduce all or part of this guideline,please contact Keith Jones at

k e i t h @ c r o p l i f e. o r g

October 2004

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For contact details and updates please visit the CropLife website

w w w. c r o p l i f e. o r g

CropLife InternationalAvenue Louise 143

1050 Brussels, Belgium tel +32 2 542 04 10

fax +32 2 542 04 19 c r o p l i f e @ c r o p l i f e. o r g

h t t p : / / w w w. c r o p l i f e. o r g