Week 11 Farm Chemicals Handling and Storage PDF

# QUARTER 2: WEEK 11 ## LO 3. HANDLE MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT ### TLE-AFAC10CW-11a-e-3 Chemicals are used on farms for a variety of purposes. The safe management of chemicals requires access to information and responsible action. Manufacturers, suppliers, and users of farm chemicals all have an im...

# QUARTER 2: WEEK 11 ## LO 3. HANDLE MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT ### TLE-AFAC10CW-11a-e-3 Chemicals are used on farms for a variety of purposes. The safe management of chemicals requires access to information and responsible action. Manufacturers, suppliers, and users of farm chemicals all have an important role to play. Chemical substances present different types of risks to people’s health, safety, and the environment. For this reason, there are different laws controlling them. The purpose of these laws is to ensure that chemicals are used safely and efficiently so that risks to human health, the environment and damage to property are minimized. ## OBJECTIVE 3.1. Store/dispose of waste material and debris in a designated area according to workplace procedure/OHS procedure ## VOCABULARY LISTS - **Storing** - to place or leave in a location (such as a warehouse) for preservation or later use or disposal - **Labeling** - to affix written or printed matter accompanying an article to furnish identification or other information - **Packaging** - enclosing of something in a container or covering ## Information Sheet ### Storage Practices and Principles for Materials and Equipment #### Safe Management of chemicals involves - correct labeling and packaging - provision of material safety data sheets (MSDS) - safe transport, storage, use, and disposal of substances ### Labeling and Packaging of Chemicals Chemicals must be supplied in packages that are correctly labeled and suitable for the substance. Information provided on the label will depend on the type of substance and the risks associated with it. Items to look for are: - Signal words such as _CAUTION_, _POISON_, or _DANGEROUS POISON_ used for scheduled poisons - a signal word alerts users to the possibility of poisoning if the substance is swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. - The Dangerous Goods (ADG) diamond, if there is an immediate risk to health or safety e.g. flammable liquids. - Risk phrases describing the type of health effects e.g. _irritating the skin_, and safety phrases stating precautions for safe handling, storage, spills, disposal and fire e.g. _keep away from combustible material_. #### Ensure that containers remain labeled Farmers must ensure that the original labels remain on containers of substances. If a substance is poured into a second container such as a spray tank then that container must be labeled with the product name and appropriate risk. ## Material Safety Data Sheets Material safety data sheets (MSDS) must be produced by the manufacturer or importer of hazardous substance. The MSDS is not just a piece of paper. It provides important and useful advice about what is in the product, its health effects, safe use and handling, storage, disposal, first aid and emergency operation. Farmers must obtain the MSDS from their supplier and keep them in a register where they are available to people who could be exposed to the hazardous substance. The register is a collection of the MSDS and other information which can be kept in a folder, filing cabinet or other practical system. The register can be kept in the house, workplace or the chemical store, as long as it remains accessible to emergency service personnel and any employees who may be exposed to hazardous substances. ## Storage and Transport of Chemicals Safe storage of farm chemicals is needed to protect them from the elements, restrict access to them, prevent contamination of the environment, food, or livestock, and ensure separation from other incompatible chemicals. Arrangements must be in place to contain any spillage of the chemical. After considering the potential risk to people’s health or to the environment, a farmer might decide that a locked shed with a roof and concrete floor, which is bounded to contain any spills, is the best way to provide safe storage. Remember, you should never store oxidizing agents with fuels. That is - never store substances labeled yellow diamond with a red diamond. ## STORING PLANTS AND MATERIALS Propagation nurseries must have a reliable supply of good-quality plant material. This might be seed from reliable seed suppliers or from plants which can be readily used as a source seed collection. It might also be cutting or grafting material from healthy, correctly identified plants (known varieties). Seeds are alive and like any living thing they can be harmed by adverse conditions. While some seeds may survive for thousands of years under the proper conditions, others will lose viability quickly, even when properly stored. ### To maintain dormancy, the following must be done. 1. Keep seeds in a cool, dark location with low humidity, like a refrigerator. 2. Label (seed name, source, year) and store them in a small resalable bag or empty film canister that is, in turn, kept in a larger plastic container. Once you are ready to sow, you can test the viability of many, but not all, seeds by soaking them in water for a few hours. The seeds that are still living will sink to the bottom, while the dead ones will float on the surface. This test generally works better for larger seeds, but there are no absolutes. ### Stored seed can be affected by: - **Moisture content.** Many short-lived seeds lose viability if they become dry - citrus seed, for example, can withstand only slight drying. Medium-to-long-lived seeds need to be dry to survive long periods of storage (4-6% moisture level is ideal-higher or lower can be detrimental to viability). For seeds not adversely affected by low moisture, each 1% decrease in seed moisture, between 4% and 14%, doubles the life of the seed. Fluctuations in moisture levels during storage will reduce longevity. For this reason, seeds keep better in dry climates than in areas of high humidity. - **Temperature.** Most seeds will store for longer periods to lower temperatures. Each decrease of 4.6°C (9ºF) between 0º and 44°C (32° 112ºF) will double the seed storage life. - **Storage atmosphere.** Some techniques of modifying gas levels (increasing carbon dioxide) can be of value. ## Types of seed storage 1. **Open storage with no control.** Storage in bins, sacks or paper bags. Fumigation or insecticide/fungicide applications are sometimes necessary. Seeds of many annuals, perennials, vegetables and cereals can be successfully kept this way. Apart from a few exceptions (corn, onion, parsley), seeds from these groups will normally retain viability for at least a few years. 2. **Cold storage with or without humidity control.** Temperatures below 10ºC (50ºF) will improve the longevity of virtually any type of seed. Cold storage of tree and shrub seed is recommended if the seed is to be held for more than one year. 3. **Cold moist storage.** Seed should be stored between 2º and 10ºC (35-50ºF) in a container which holds some moisture - retaining material such as peat or sphagnum moss. Relative humidity should be 80-90%. It should be placed in an area of the nursery that is cool. The roots must be moist and are protected from direct sunlight, wind or extreme temperature inside the nursery area. ## CHEMICAL STORAGE 1. Store pesticides in their original labeled containers. 2. Keep pesticides locked in a storeroom and out of children’s reach. 3. Keep pesticides out of the kitchen. 4. Do not place pesticide bottles beside bottles of vinegar, oil and soy sauce. 5. Do not place pesticide powders near salt or sugar. 6. Keep pesticides away from the fire or open flame, stove or lamps. Liquid formulations may have flammable solvent which can be a fire hazard.