Pesticide Management
Pesticides, in the wrong or untrained hands can be extremely dangerous to both human health and the environment. This has led to pesticides being subject to stringent legislation covering their:
- Usage
- Storage
- Handling
- Disposal of pesticides and their wastes
Safe and responsible chemical storage is therefore a key element of protecting both humans and the wider environment, with the legislation imbedded in cross compliance and farm assurance standards. Good housekeeping and management of the store can also help reduce costs and can also reduce the risk of incurring potentially costly penalties.
Why is the safe storage, management and handling of pesticides important?
- Good management ensures all waste is handled in a way that protects people and also the environment e.g. with one dropped foil lid is capable of polluting 30km of stream (DEFRA).
- Good stock control can prevent surplus chemicals being purchased.
- Condition of chemicals and their containers can be monitored, preventing spillages or costly disposal charges.
- Chemicals which are in the process of being revoked can be identified and either utilised or disposed of before their legal use by date.
- Knowing the exact contents of the store is vital to identify theft or for emergency services to respond in the correct way.
As pesticides and their use come under increasing scrutiny, the number of active ingredients losing their approvals is increasing meaning it is even more important for producers to become as informed as possible and be able to keep track of the contents of their stores, ensuring that no illegal pesticides are present.
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