Chemicals are an important part of modern agriculture. They allow for efficient and cost-effective treatment of weeds, pests and diseases to help farmers grow more produce. Knowing how to properly and safely use chemicals will help to prevent injuries and harm to people’s health.
SafeWork SA’s five part educational video series will help farmers and workers understand their obligations on how to safely use and store chemicals. These short videos contain information and practical tips to get you started across five key areas.
Video 1: Purchasing and delivery
Before chemicals can be used on the farm they have to be purchased and transported. Knowing what to ask for to ensure safety requirements are met with certain chemicals is the first part of the process.
Video 2: Storage
With the chemical order picked up and delivered and now home on the farm it’s time to make sure it is stored correctly and safely. Chemicals must be stored as soon as they get to the farm and there’s some basic rules to follow.
Video 3: Personal protective equipment
Chemicals can get into our bodies in many different ways, causing poisoning and long term illness. As a farm owner or manager, you are required to provide all necessary Personal Protective equipment (PPE) to workers on your farm.
Video 4: Chemical mixing and use
Now that you have the right personal protective equipment it’s time to start thinking about how to best mix and use these chemicals. Safety data sheets are an important resource for making sure chemicals are handled and used safely and have specific sections dedicated to handling chemicals.
Video 5: Spillage and disposal
It’s important to think about how you might handle a chemical spillage, should one occur on your property. This video covers what you should do if you experience one and how to safely dispose of chemicals.
