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A Technical Guide for Wine Producers
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IPW guidelines for handling, storage and disposal of agrochemicals (part 3): Training of spray operators, protective gear and prescribed medical examinations
Elleunorah Allsopp, ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij
The handling, storage and disposal of agrochemicals and their empty containers are regulated by South African legislation. The Scheme for Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) requires producers to comply with national legislation in this regard. In this article, the last in a series of three about the above-mentioned legislation, a closer look is taken at the regulations that pertain to the training of spray operators, protective gear and medical examinations.
No herbicide, pesticide or insecticide is completely harmless to humans. All products, including blue and green band products (toxicity class III & IV), hold potential risks for humans and the environment. Many products are not acutely toxic to people, i.e. you will not die if you ingest it, but long term exposure to low dosages may cause a gradual accumulation of residue in human tissue or organs. Low dosages of many products may damage the nervous system or other organs and some compounds are carcinogenic - these are often referred to as "sub-lethal effects". For this reason manufacturers recommend the use of protective gear such as gloves even when working with green band products.
TRAINING OF SPRAY OPERATORS
SANS 10206 stipulates that all workers who handle agrochemicals have to receive sufficient formal training in the safe handling and application thereof. The organisation or person who presents the training has to issue each worker with a certificate confirming that training has been received. Spray operators have to understand the potential risks of handling agrochemicals, and must be able to read and understand the safety measures for handling and application as stated on the labels. They also have to know how to prevent environmental pollution when measuring out formulations, filling and cleaning spray equipment.
At least two members of each team of spray operators have to receive formal training in basic first aid, especially with regard to the handling of emergencies related to agrochemicals and as stipulated in Annexure B of SANS 10206. This annexure also indicates the basic emergency procedures that have to be followed. The "Material Safety Data Sheet" or MSDS of each product in the storeroom has to be on hand so that it may be handed to medical personnel in the event of contamination or poisoning. These documents contain inter alia all the necessary information regarding medical treatment in the event of exposure or poisoning. If this information appears on the comprehensive product label, it is not necessary to keep a separate MSDS for the product in the storeroom.
Copies of all training certificates have to be filed in the farm office and be available for auditing purposes.
PROTECTIVE GEAR
SANS 10206 contains very specific guidelines for protective gear. These prescriptions are also summarised in the Guidelines for handling, storage and disposal of agrochemicals in the South African wine industry (www.winetech.co.za) and the IPW checklist (IPW Guidelines for Farms). Protective clothing that does not comply with the prescriptions, e.g. gloves that are too short, do not offer sufficient protection against contamination and expose both the person handling the product as well as the producer to unnecessary risks.
Protective overalls should be kept in the store and washed on site - overalls may not be washed at home with other laundry, as the latter may also be contaminated by toxins. Overalls for spraying and clean clothes have to be kept separately in the storeroom and ablution facilities must be available for spray operators to wash at the end of the day and go home wearing clothes without spray residue.
Protective gear can be very uncomfortable when spraying in warm conditions. Tractors with enclosed cabins, especially the kind with air-conditioning, offer excellent protection and largely eliminate the problem of uncomfortable, hot overalls.
PRESCRIBED MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
Legislation (inter alia the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Nr 85 of 1993) stipulates that only workers who have undergone a medical examination and been declared fit for the purpose, are allowed to handle and apply agrochemicals. Prospective spray operators have to be examined by an occupational health practitioner, i.e. a doctor with a post-graduate diploma in occupational medicine, and declared fit to work with agrochemicals. This examination may not be done by a clinic sister or ordinary general practitioner. Doctors may contact the Occupational Medicine Department at the US Medical School at the Tygerberg campus, for information about courses in occupational medicine. Certificates issued after this examination have to be filed and made available for auditing purposes.
All employees who work with agrochemicals, or are regularly exposed to them, should be examined annually and undergo blood tests to determine whether there are any signs of exposure or poisoning. Reports of medical examinations and blood tests have to be filed at the farm office for auditing purposes, as well as to protect the producer against wrongful claims for purported health problems allegedly caused by exposure to agrochemicals on the farm.
Details about the prescriptions for training of spray operators and medical examinations may also be found in the Guidelines for handling, storage and disposal of agrochemicals in the South African wine industry which is available on the Winetech website (www.winetech.co.za).
For further enquiries, contact Elleunorah Allsopp at tel (021) 809-3007, fax (021) 809-3584, or email allsoppe@arc.agric.za
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