Pesticide User's Guide

Bulletin 745

To Protect the Applicator

Follow the directions given in mixing and applying the pesticide. Observe all the safety precautions. For your personal protection, wear the protective clothing and respiratory devices as indicated on the pesticide label. The amount of protective clothing will vary depending on (1) toxicity, concentration, and vapor action of the pesticide, (2) degree of exposure, (3) length of exposure, and (4) extent to which the pesticides can be absorbed through the skin. Personal cleanliness is a basic principle to pesticide safety. When using toxic pesticides you must bathe thoroughly, preferably a shower, after application and change to clean clothing. Rubber gloves, boots and rain hat should be washed and clothing laundered daily.

Requirements for protective clothing and precautions vary somewhat, depending on the pesticide, method of application, and local conditions. Specific requirements for each pesticide are listed on the label. Study and follow them exactly. Following are some general examples of maximum protection:

1. A florist or vegetable grower applying concentrated aerosol in a greenhouse or closed area is greatly exposed. He should wear complete covering - hood, coveralls, rubber gloves, and rubber boots or washable non-canvas shoes. Under these conditions, he should wear a full-face gas mask equipped with a canister and fume-type filter (approved by U.S. Department of Agriculture).

2. An orchardist spraying an apple orchard should wear a rain or hard hat or hood, raincoat or water resistant clothing and waterproof gloves and boots. He should use goggles to provide eye protection and a chemical cartridge respirator recommended for the specific pesticide being used.

A farmer or applicator spraying or dusting a field crop should wear a water resistant hat, coveralls or water resistant clothing (waterproof for spraying with highly toxic materials), and waterproof gloves and boots usually of unlined neoprene or natural rubber. Do not use cloth gloves or canvas shoes. A chemical cartridge respirator and goggles or a face shield will be necessary if highly toxic pesticides are being used.

Respiratory devices are needed to prevent the inhalation of toxic dusts, vapors or gases. There are three kinds of respiratory devices: (1) a chemical cartridge respirator, (2) gas masks, and (3) supplied-air respirators. Each should be selected and used for the specific purpose for which it is designed. Some devices are limited in the range of their effectiveness. Be sure to get the one which gives you the necessary protection.

Chemical-Cartridge Respirators covers the nose and mouth but do not protect the eyes. They have one or two cartridges attached to the face piece containing a chemical such as activated charcoal that absorbs toxic vapors or gases. Generally, the chemical cartridge respirators are used for protection against dusts and mists during the field handling of pesticides.

Gas Masks are designed to cover the entire face and protect the eyes. They may have a chin canister or a chest-type canister connected with a flexible hose. Gas mask canisters contain more of the poison-removing materials than do the chemical cartridge respirators; therefore, they have longer service life. Because of the larger canister and the better fitting of the face pieces, gas masks give greater protection. Gas masks should be worn under the following conditions:

1. Formulating, mixing or applying pesticides in closed, poorly ventilated places.
2. When applying fumigants to stored grain or in similar enclosures.
3. Mixing and applying sprays, aerosols, or concentrated dusts in enclosed places such as greenhouses.

Supplied Air Respirators provide a supply of pure air under pressure through a flexible tube to the operator's mask. This type of respirator is generally used in very specialized situations such as workers in grain elevators, ship's holds and other places where the natural supply of oxygen in the air is low or where high concentrations of pesticides are in the air. Lightweight, supplied-air respirators that have full-face masks are now available for pilots engaged in aerial application.

Spray Cabs are now available, which can be mounted on a tractor keeping the operator clean and free of pesticide residues. These special cabs have a closed system with a series of filters, which collect the pesticide droplets and vapors, thereby protecting the pesticide applicator.