SAFE Transport, Storage and
Disposal of Pesticides
and Farm Security
Why the concern?
• Prevent
– pesticide poisonings
– environmental contamination
• Compliance with the Law
Transporting Pesticides
• Safest way – back of a truck or pickup.
• Never in passenger compartment!
• Nonporous truck beds.
• Truck in good operating
condition.
• Secure all containers to
prevent load shifts.
Loading Pesticides
for Transport
• Wear appropriate gloves.
• Carry clean PPE in passenger compartment
of vehicle.
• Inspect containers before loading.
• Handle containers carefully.
• Secure all containers to prevent load shifts.
• Keep spill kit in vehicle (shovel, absorbent
material and containers).
Unloading Pesticides
• Never leave pesticides unattended!
– You are legally responsible
if people are accidentally
poisoned from pesticides left
unattended in your vehicle.
• Inspect vehicle to make sure
nothing leaked or spilled.
Pesticide Storage Location
• 150 ft. from wells (800 ft. for dairy farms
or farms with hired employees).
• 200 ft. from surface water.
• Consider wind direction and what is
downwind from storage site.
• Easily accessible for delivery, pickup
and emergency vehicles.
• Local zoning, building and fire codes.
Pesticide Storage Facility
• Separate structure for fire concerns
• Drainage into secondary containment
Fire-resistant structure
• Sealed floor WARNING
• Non-absorbing shelving PESTICIDES
• Pesticide storage sign FIRE WILL CAUSE TOXIC FUMES
No Smoking
Pesticide Storage Facility
Designing Facilities for Pesticide Storage
MWPS-37 Designing Facilities for
E-2335 On Farm Agrichemical
Storage and Handling, Pesticide and Fertilizer
available from local MSU Containment, available from MSU
Extension office. Ag Engineering Dept.
Pesticide Storage Facility
• Follow the pesticide label.
• Cool, dry, well-ventilated area
• Avoid temperature extremes.
• Always store pesticides in original
containers with label intact.
Pesticide Storage
LOCK IT UP
• Limit access to keys.
• Inspect storage routinely during off-
season.
• Check certification of users.
• Clearly post storage areas.
• Use secondary containment.
• Have PPE, spill kit available.
• Avoid stock-piling.
• TAKE INVENTORY.
Pesticide Spills
5 “Cs”
1. Caution – Beware of
danger.
2. Control the spill to
prevent further spillage.
3. Contain the spill.
4. Cleanup the spill.
5. Comply with reporting
requirements.
Pesticide Spills
Michigan Department of Agriculture’s
Agriculture Pollution Emergency Hotline
1-800-405-0101
Practical assistance
with the cleanup of
pesticide, fertilizer
and manure spills.
Disposal of Excess
Pesticide
• Small amounts – apply to label approved site
being careful not to exceed maximum
application rate.
• Michigan Clean Sweep (contact your local
MGSP technician).
• Inventory your pesticides and purchase only
what you need – then no need to worry about
disposal of excess product.
Disposal of Pesticide
Containers
Refillable
• Return to supplier as soon as possible.
Non-refillable
• Rinse immediately after use.
• Pressure rinse or triple-rinse.
• Add rinse solution to sprayer tank.
• Utilize the pesticide container recycling
program sponsored by the MGSP and MABA.
Farm Security
A 50 pound box of Accent®
herbicide is worth $26,000.
Record-keeping
Inventory of products
• chemical/trade name
• product type
• EPA number
• amount on site
Inventory of equipment
• brand/description
• serial numbers
Know your...
employees &
customers suppliers
neighbors emergency responders
Reporting
• trespassers
• thefts
• unusual activity
• suspicious people
Planning
• Keep a list of emergency numbers.
• Have a written emergency plan.
• Share the plan with employees.
MSUE Emergency Preparedness Web Site
http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/emp/
Developing a Farm Security Plan
(based on Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point (HACCP))
1) Identify hazards and determine risks.
2) Institute measures to reduce these hazards.
3) Determine critical points in your operation.
4) Develop monitoring procedures at each point.
5) Develop ways to correct problems or failures if
critical points are compromised.
6) Test your program periodically.
For more information contact:
• Your local MSU Extension office
• Montana Department of Agriculture
• MSU Pesticide Safety and Education Program
http://mtpesticides.org