We’ve talked about chemical safety before, but this is the time of year when many of us are applying anhydrous ammonia to our fields, using a wide variety of chemicals and handling thousands of pounds of seed, so here’s a brief refresher on safe handling of farm chemicals.
Anhydrous Ammonia Safety
- Wear a full-face respirator with ammonia cartridges and pre-filters.
- Use lined rubber gloves – and don’t forget to turn the cuffs up to catch any drips.
- Your shirt should be heavy and long-sleeved.
- Ensure your boots are made of a nonabsorbent material. No leather or canvas.
- Always have at least 8 ounces of clean water on you at all times, and the water supply on nurse tanks full and fresh.
Seed, Chemical and Fertilizer Safety
- Protect your skin – gloves, long-sleeved shirt, overalls.
- Use of a dust mask is recommended to prevent respiration of harmful dust, or the specific mask that is required for the chemicals you are using based on their SDS sheet.
- Wash your hands immediately after performing any operations involving treated seeds, chemicals or contaminated planting equipment.
- Follow the instructions on seed tags and safety data sheets (SDS).