At Genera Energy, we are committed to providing a safe work environment for our employees. All employees working in feedstock production will undergo an extensive training program before handling or applying restricted use pesticides. By law, it is only required that the acting supervisor be a certified applicator, however Genera feels that redundancy in pesticide safety is the best way to mitigate risk and keep our biomass supply chain employees safe. Through teamwork, we can efficiently accomplish our workload goals while maintaining a high standard of pesticide safety practices. Here are few tips concerning pesticide application safety. Following good pesticide safety practices in the field is not only the best way to ensure the continued health of yourself and those around you but also the best way to protect your pocketbook. The safety of yourself and your coworkers should always be paramount. Assess the risk, discuss the possible hazards, and take time to make the necessary changes. Unfortunately, that last step, “take time to make the necessary changes”, is not used very often in agriculture.
As professionals in this industry, we have the tendency to always be in a hurry. This is mostly due to the nature of our work. When field conditions are right, and encroaching storms are right on the horizon, it is easy to find yourself saying “we should really do this but we just don’t have the time”. I would challenge all of you to take a moment, look around, and identify what the potential disasters are around you. Now, what can you do to mitigate some of risk for yourself and those working with you? Ask yourself, is the extra 5 or even 10 minutes it will take to address the issue really worth the price of someone getting hurt? The answer is of course, no. One common example, I have seen numerous times at all kinds of farming operations, is the lack of good procedures at sprayer fill-up. The safest way to fill an elevated spray tank is to utilize an induction system on the water truck. Chemicals can be poured by the applicator safely from the back of the truck or on the ground without the use a ladder. When an induction system is not available, the pesticides must be added to the tank directly, and most of the time this from an elevated position. So as a manager or an applicator, what would be an appropriate series of questions be to ask yourself in this situation before you get to the field?
The first question is always, have I read the entire pesticide label along with the MSDS and do I understand the chemicals I am working with? It is important that you take the time, before going to the field, to read the pesticide labels. This should be your first source of information to make the best decisions possible concerning safety and usage rates. The label also contains valuable information concerning targeted pests, environmental considerations, proper weather conditions, and equipment most suited to deter off-target pesticide movement or drift.
The second question to ask is if have I made all the correct calculations needed for this application and is my equipment calibrated and operating properly? This a very important step that must be checked and double checked. Even a minor miscalculation in your tank mix formula or equipment calibration can cost hundreds of dollars in over application along with potentially causing a number of environmental concerns. The consequences of under applying can be equally as severe, with the problems you were addressing with the pesticide will not be corrected resulting in another application or complete crop failure from the undeterred pests.
Part two of this series will address additional pesticide safety issues. Stay tuned for more!
By Lucas Graham, Feedstock Production and Supply Manager
