To use any pesticide safely, you must know the hazards involved and how to protect yourself. Remember this basic rule: By lowering your exposure to the pesticide, you can lower the risk to your safety and health.
Read the label CAREFULLY. One section of the label will tell you of any fire, explosion, or chemical hazards of the product. Knowledge that the chemical is highly flammable or corrosive will allow you to avoid these hazards.
The label also tells about the toxicity of the product. The level of toxicity is measure of how poisonous a chemical substance is to humans.
Pesticides can enter the body in three ways:
First, you need to know how toxic the product is. Look at the "signal word" (DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION) to find out.
Next, you must find out how the pesticide can enter your body. Look under the boldface heading "Hazards to Humans". The statements in this section indicate which part or parts of the body should be protected from exposure to the pesticide. For example: "Fatal if swallowed or absorbed through the skin. Do not get on skin."