Safety and Health in the Use of Agrochemicals

An ILO contribution to the International Programme on Chemical Safety 
(a collaborative programme of the United Nations Environment Programme the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organization)

5. Education and training

Agrochemical users have a responsibility to ensure that they are competent for all tasks that may be carried out. Such competence will only be achieved by an appropriate level of education and training. Consistent effort is also needed to identify and implement cost-effective programmes of education and training. These should be organised with the co-operation of all concerned and should be adjusted to the needs of each target group. Training should be dynamic and action oriented to encourage the planning of potential improvements and their implementation to achieve successful results.

5.1. Information

Information about agrochemicals and how they may be used safely and efficiently is available in most countries. It is produced by authorities such as international agencies and government, by associations representing manufacturers, suppliers and users, and also by agricultural experts, schools and colleges, Most of this information is presented in an easy-to-read form and is often free of charge. An increasing amount of information is now being made available in the form of videos, which are especially useful to users-with reading difficulties. The distribution of this information is often a problem because of the distance and remoteness of some users. Users should, however, make inquiries through local agricultural associations, community leaders, government offices, agrochemical suppliers, schoolteachers and primary health-care workers.

Manufacturers also have a responsibility to ensure that people involved in the transport, marketing and use of their products are properly informed about safety procedures. There have been many initiatives to disseminate this information in the form of free leaflets, posters and booklets. The series of booklets published by the GIFAP (International Group of National Associations of Manufacturers of Agrochemical Products) is a good example of what can be achieved internationally.

5.2. Workers' education

Agrochemical use may be self-taught or taught in agricultural schools. In some countries the la w requires pesticide users to complete a period of training followed by a practical test which requires demonstration of competence. Education and training should ensure that the user:

• understands the national law and regulations on the use of agrochemicals. The law regulates the use of agrochemicals so that they are without risk to people, livestock, wildlife and the environment. The user should know the law and comply with it;
• understands and follows labeled and other product information on the calibration of agrochemical application equipment, and the correct sequence and procedure for diluting concentrated substances and mixing the various formulations of emulsions, wettable powders, adjuvants and others;
• understands and uses safety devices on application equipment. This will include the use of equipment stands for safe storage together with machinery guards for powerdriven components. Knowledge is also required about the correct use of engineering controls designed to prevent operator contamination. On tractor sprayers these may comprise a closed system, or the incorporation of pre-mix bowls, filling devices or a tractor cab filtration unit. Maintenance procedures for any type of applicator will need to be followed in order to avoid leakage. This is particularly important with knapsack sprayers where there is close body contact with the applicator;
• understands correct procedures for the safe storage of agrochemicals and procedures for the disposal of empty containers and surplus products;
• knows what to do in an emergency. There may be circumstances when emergency action is necessary to deal with accidental spillage which may threaten food or water supplies. There may also be a need to decontaminate someone who has been careless, or to recognise symptoms of poisoning and provide first aid;
• knows when to be particularly careful. Agrochemical application is a potential threat to areas adjoining the application site. The user should know about the avoidance of dust or spray drift and the need to observe separation distances between the site of application and any sensitive areas such as sources of food or water supplies, or places where people, livestock, wildlife or the environment are at particular risk;
• observes standards of good personal hygiene. These are important measures which require an observance of basic rules to ensure that agrochemical exposure is kept to a minimum. It includes such matters as washing thoroughly before meals and after work, avoiding selfc-ontamination from careless or dangerous practices, and ensuring that contaminated clothing and material are thoroughly cleaned;
• identifies, selects and maintains protective clothing. The agrochemical user should be able to understand hazard information on any product and then identify the appropriate level of personal protection. Knowledge will be required of the meaning of hazard symbols, together with an understanding of labeled information and data sheets. The us6r should also be able to select items of protective clothing of the required quality. This will include respiratory protective equipment, where necessary. The user must know how to correctly decontaminate, safely launder and replace protective clothing, and provide suitable ventilated accommodation for its storage;
• keeps records when required. This may be necessary in order to observe harvesting intervals, and diagnose and treat illness, or to improve agrochemical use in the knowledge of recorded information. Figure 54 shows a sample record of agrochemical application.

Because of the variations in the level of literacy and the increasing number of agrochemicals entering the market, training of workers and other users could be facilitated by the use of pictograms.1 GIFAP, in co-operation with FAO, has devised a set of pictograms with a recommendation to incorporate them in labels. These illustrations may be used as artwork for the production of pictograms and of audio-visual aids.

5.3. Public awareness

The use of agrochemicals will often have implications for the general public living in the vicinity. They should be aware of impending use so that those who wish to take precautions may do so. That is not to say that agrochemicals may be applied without regard to the public interest, but advance warning would permit windows and doors to be closed against dust, pets to be taken indoors and washing removed from the drying line. The public should also be told not to walk into recently treated areas until after any restriction on re-entry has lapsed. This will be determined by the hazard classification of the product.

The general public is becoming increasingly aware about agrochemical use. This is because the effects of such use are not always confined to the area of land treated. Nitrates and fertilisers may seep into sources of drinking-water, and pesticides may contaminate river water or be carried as spray drift on to public land. Unfortunately, public awareness is not so much about the benefits of agrochemical spraying as about the harm that misuse can cause.

Agrochemical users should be alert to public concern and answer criticism by their own example of good safety practice. Public awareness should be created about the benefits of the judicious use of agrochemicals.

5.4. School education

In many rural communities where most parents may be functionally illiterate, primary-school children could contribute to society by serving as communication links. This is not unrealistic, as some endemic diseases such as hookworm disease have been virtually irradicated by schoolchildren 11 educating" the parents about good personal hygiene.

Basic safety and health matters and personal hygiene with regard to the use of agrochemicals can be incorporated in the primary school curriculum. This could include simple information about

• pests in the garden (e.g. insects and weeds); how they are killed or controlled;
• the minute quantity of pesticides in concentrated form needed to destroy pests;
• extreme precautions to be taken when handling concentrated agrochemicals: that are toxic;
• how to dilute agrochemicals according to the instructions, in case someone seeks a child's help in reading the label;
• the fact that the same poison that Id1led an insect could harm a child or an adult; if small quantities enter the body in its concentrated form it could even cause death.

Safety and health in the use of agrochemicals could be integrated with the natural science subjects in the secondary and post-secondary school curriculum. Practical exercises on safe use could be demonstrated. Safety and health projects such as surveys of cases of agrochemical poisoning in the local community, lessons learnt and measures taken to prevent recurrence are some examples. Safety, poster and slogan competitions with the involvement of parents would motivate both groups and would encourage total commitment by the community to promoting safety and health in the use of agrochemicals.

Discussion and activities

1. Collect press cuttings or information sheets, or record from radio or television broadcasts essential information on safety and health in the use of agrochemicals.

2. Ask the retailer or any other supplier for chemical safety data sheets on the agrochemicals you use regularly. Try to read and understand them or ask for help. Are you aware of any courses on safety in the use of agrochemicals: in your area?

• If yes, have you attended a course? List ten important points which you have learnt that would help you to improve safety and health at work.
• If there are no courses in your area, try to prepare an outline for one based on real needs in your area, with the assistance of the extension officer.

3. Prepare and give a talk at the community centre about safety in the use of agrochemicals. Seek the help of the extension worker or any other community leader to draft it.

4. List the examples you can find in the curriculum of your local school that relate to safety and health in the use of agrochemicals.

6. Safety and health in developing countries

The use of agrochemicals in developing countries will continue to grow in the coming decades, mainly because of the economic advantages they bring. Increased yield of agricultural products with the controlled use of agrochemicals will help sustain the agricultural economies of many countries. Nevertheless, the hazards associated with the use of agrochemicals and the particular safety and health problems in developing countries need to be identified for appropriate action to be taken.

Users of agrochemicals, both in industrially developed and developing countries, are exposed to certain risks from the use of hazardous chemicals at work.

In developed countries workers and other users are afforded greater protection by factors such as:

• the enforcement of regulations;
• workers' education;
• encouraging the use of less toxic substances and more appropriate equipment;
• better awareness about personal protective equipment and its ready availability;
• temperate climatic conditions where the wearing of personal protective equipment would not cause much discomfort;
• easier access to health-care facilities and social security benefits;
• general status of health and nutrition;
• support through mass media and other organisations for the protection of workers, the general public and the environment from the adverse effects of hazardous chemicals, including agrochemicals.

On the contrary, safety and health problems associated with the use of agrochemicals in developing countries are confounded by adverse factors such as:

• lack of enforcement machinery that would lead to the indiscriminate use of even very toxic substances whose use is banned or restricted in developed countries;
• low levels of functional literacy among workers
• propaganda by some importers and suppliers to sell more toxic agrochemicals as " more effective" products because of a highly competitive market;
• high comparative cost of personal protective equipment compared with income, its scarcity, lack of training in its use, repair and maintenance, and scarcity of replacements for disposable components such as filters;
• tropical climatic conditions that greatly hinder working with protective clothing and equipment even if supplied;
• poor health-care facilities, remoteness of health centres from workplaces and primitive modes of transport that prevent the provision of prompt medical attention in case of serious illness;
• lack of social security or health insurance schemes;
• poor status of health and nutrition that may be further aggravated by endemic diseases, large family size, low income and unemployment.

All these factors tend to expose workers and users in developing countries to greater health hazards from the use of agrochemicals. Inducements such as "risk allowances" would encourage the workers to take greater risks. Their functional illiteracy may also be exploited: they see the immediate benefits of earning more as casual or contract workers with disregard for subsequent chronic health effects.

Agrochemicals are clearly of value in agricultural production. However, the indiscriminate use of these products in developing countries has had disastrous consequences at times. With several case histories this guide highlights the root causes of fatalities and serious injuries from improper use of agrochemicals and attempts to set some basic rules for preventing the recurrence of such events.

Case histories

Case 1. Ignorance confounded by sales advertisements

A woman had toothache. In her local culture, a toothache is described as " a worm eating the tooth ". She had heard that pesticides killed worms, so she soaked a small piece of cotton with a concentrated pesticide solution and inserted it into the cavity of the tooth. She was dead before admission to hospital.

This is a case of sheer ignorance. A cultural and linguistic information barrier has come into play. This sad death would not have occurred if the mass media that advertised the product had made it explicitly clear that: pesticides are made to destroy pests - insects, animals and plants. A small quantity of a pesticide in its concentrated form can kill you if breathed in or swallowed or allowed to be absorbed through the skin.

Please note that the pesticides you normally purchase are highly concentrated. Therefore they should be handled with extreme care. The concentrated pesticides have to be diluted according to instructions. Even diluted pesticides used to destroy pests can harm you. Therefore take all necessary precautions to avoid breathing in or swallowing or skin absorption.

Case 2. Non-disposal of empty containers

Several young girls were poisoned and paralysed below the waist. They had consumed a vegetable oil supplied to them by their parents, who believed that drinking the oil on reaching puberty would make them beautiful. The cause of poisoning was traced. The oil, contaminated with an organophosphorus pesticide, had been bought from the same boutique in the locality. The boutique owner, who had purchased the oil from the city in a discarded pesticide drum, was unaware of the consequences.

A case of neglect. The user of that pesticide - whether supplier, formulator, retailer or farmer - had failed in his duty to dispose of empty containers safely. There was no system of recycling used drums. The user must rinse the drum taking necessary precautions, puncture it in several places and bury it as already described in the guide, or else return it to the retailer for safe disposal. Empty drums have a good saleable value, mostly for dangerous practices as in the case in point. This practice must be banned.

Case 3. Lack of supervision

Four workers who sprayed dinitro ortho cresole - a weedkiller - in a plantation felt very thirsty immediately after work. They staggered to a nearby stream to drink and collapsed. The only worker who recovered in hospital related the story. The supervisor was absent. The workers decided to spray without diluting the pesticide properly because they wanted to complete the work in half a day and go home. To those workers, diluting with little water meant spraying a small quantity in a shorter time. They were not instructed about the hazards and precautions.

This is a case of neglect by the employer or the supervisor. Supervisors should always satisfy themselves that workers are adequately instructed and licensed if required by the regulations. Employers must ensure that workers are prohibited from working with dangerous substances without adequate supervision. They should also ensure that relevant safety regulations and safe working practices are adhered to.

Pesticides should only be used for their intended purpose by competent persons using application equipment in good condition. Labeled instructions should be followed to the letter making sure that the pesticide does not go outside the target area or contaminate the environment, a source of drinking-water, for example. Selfc-ontamination should be avoided by careful handling and the avoidance of careless practices such as wiping the face or mouth with a gloved hand.

Case 4. Inappropriate personal protective clothing and equipment

A casual worker employed in an organophosphorus formulation factory was walking home for lunch after half a day's work; it was his first day at work. He felt sick, vomited and was rushed to hospital. He succumbed to the effects of severe pesticide poisoning. During investigations the employer demonstrated the type of respirator provided. They were gauze masks. Water vapour in the exhaled breath condensed on the mask and partly evaporated during subsequent breathing. This evaporation caused the cooling of the outside of the mask. Organophosphorus vapours in the working environment condensed on the cooler surface of the mask. The workers were virtually inhaling more toxic vapours! In addition, the impervious aprons provided were too short. The workbench was too low, and heavily contaminated with pesticide. Consequently, the working clothes below the short aprons were soaked with a very toxic substance and workers absorbed large quantities of the substance through the skin around the thighs.

Personal protective equipment and clothing of the approved type and appropriate for the task must always be supplied when handling or using agrochemicals, particularly the concentrates marked as " toxic ", " harmful " or " corrosive ". It is important and relevant to reiterate other safety precautions as a follow-up to this case.

Training

Training in safety in the use of agrochemicals is essential for managers, employers and farmers. Your training should ensure that you are competent to use an agrochemical safely without risk to other people and the environment. Of particular importance is your ability to understand labeled information and how to operate any application equipment safely.

Labels

Read the label on the container of the agrochemical before use. If you have reading difficulty, get someone to explain it to you. Labeled instructions, particularly about your own protection, should be followed exactly. Employers must read, understand and follow the details given in chemical safety data sheets and information sheets. Necessary precautions must be taken to protect the workers, other people, livestock and the environment.

Cleaning up

Thoroughly decontaminate after use so as to remove agrochemicals from your body, the workplace and protective clothing. All washings should be confined to a tank, soak-away or safe land area to contain the toxic substances without risk of wider pollution. Contaminated clothing of any kind should never be taken home; it should be washed separately to avoid the contamination of family clothes or placing others at home at risk.

First aid

If anyone else becomes ill, call a doctor at once, giving the name of the agrochemical used. The casualty should rest in a clean, cool, shaded but airy place with protective clothing removed and personal clothing comfortably loose. Any deposits on the body should be washed away. Avoid selfc-ontamination. If the casualty becomes unconscious, place him or her in a comfortable recovery position as already described and follow all other instructions as well.

Case 5. Lack of warning signs and disregard for re-entry

Fruit pickers were poisoned after harvesting ripe fruit from a crop sprayed earlier the same day. They may have eaten some fruit while picking.

Warning signs should be displayed after spraying. Re-entry periods as given in the label or instruction sheets must be strictly followed.

Employers must ensure that workers are protected against hazards. Workers and other users must be instructed never to breathe in toxic substances or allow them to come into contact with their skin, and never to eat or drink contaminated food such as treated seed or recently sprayed crops.

Never eat or drink while using pesticides and always wash first. Places for eating and drinking should be outside the application area so as to avoid contamination of anything eaten or used with the meal.

Case 6. Negligent retailing

Children were poisoned after drinking pesticide from a soft drinks bottle which was used to dispense that very toxic substance.

An agrochemical retailer should never sell products other than in the original container in which they were supplied and a user should not transfer them to another receptacle. Toxic substances must always be kept out of the reach of children.

Agrochemicals should always be stored in a secure, weatherproof, well-ventilated building or cabinet. This should be separate from where you live or keep food.

All agrochemical users must learn from these case histories. They, or similar careless actions that would cause suffering and death, should never be repeated.

Discussion and activities

1. Study each case history in detail. Do you know of similar incidents?

2. After studying each case history list all the points you consider should be taken to prevent a recurrence of similar events in your locality.

3. List as many points as you can that you consider would ensure the active cooperation of all those in your locality who are concerned with safety and health in the use of agrochemicals. Try to prepare a poster for public display to accompany the list you have established.