Job Hazard Analysis: Pesticide application

A general example for this task. Your JHA should reflect your crew, equipment and site — review it with a competent person before work starts.

Steps, hazards and controls

1. 1. Read the product label and SDS, check the weather, and plan the job

   • Using the wrong product, rate, or PPE because the label was not readHigh
     • Choose the least toxic product that does the job, such as spot-treating instead of broadcast spraying.
     • The crew leader reads the label out loud: signal word, mix rate, PPE, and re-entry time.
     • Keep the label and SDS in the truck for every product on board.
   • Spray drift onto people, pets, gardens, or water from windMedium
     • Do not spray when wind is over the label limit (commonly about 10 mph) or when rain is expected.
     • Mark buffer zones around ponds, drains, play areas, and vegetable gardens before you start.

2. 2. Mix and load pesticide into backpack sprayers or the truck tank

   • Splash of concentrate into eyes or onto skinHigh
     • Use pre-measured packs or a closed transfer system when available.
     • Mix on the tailgate at waist height, never above your face, and pour slowly with a funnel.
     • Have at least 5 gal of clean water and an eyewash bottle on the truck before opening any container.
     • Wear chemical-resistant gloves, chemical splash goggles or a face shield, and an apron while mixing.
   • Breathing vapors or dust from concentrateMedium
     • Mix outdoors, upwind of the containers, never inside a garage or shed.
     • Wear the respirator the label calls for, fit-tested and with the right cartridges.
   • Spill or tank overflow that contaminates soil or drainsMedium
     • Never fill near storm drains or wells, and use an anti-backflow device or air gap on the fill hose.
     • Stay with the tank the whole time it fills and keep a spill kit with absorbent on the truck.

3. 3. Transport pesticides and loaded equipment to the site

   • Containers tipping and leaking in the truck bed or cabMedium
     • Carry pesticides only in the truck bed in a locked, secured box, never in the cab.
     • Strap down sprayers and close all lids and tank valves before driving.
     • Keep food, drinks, and clothes away from pesticides.

4. 4. Spray the target area with backpack sprayer or hose gun

   • Skin and eye contact from drift, leaking backpack, or walking through wet sprayHigh
     • Inspect the backpack seals, hose, and wand for leaks before strapping it on.
     • Use low pressure and coarse-droplet nozzles, keep the nozzle low, and spray with the wind at your back.
     • Walk backward away from treated areas so you do not walk through wet spray.
     • Wear long sleeves, long pants, chemical-resistant gloves and boots, and eye protection as the label requires.
   • Bystanders, children, or pets entering the spray areaMedium
     • Ask the customer to keep people and pets inside, and stop spraying if anyone comes within 25 ft.
   • Heat stress from wearing protective clothing in hot weatherHigh
     • Schedule spraying for early morning when it is cooler and calmer.
     • Drink water every 15 minutes and take shade breaks; new workers build up time in the heat gradually.
     • Wash hands and face before drinking so you do not swallow pesticide.
   • Back strain and slips from carrying a full 4-gal backpack on slopes and wet grassLow
     • Fill the backpack only partway on steep slopes and adjust both shoulder straps snug.
     • Wear boots with good tread and walk across slopes, not straight up and down.

5. 5. Post treated areas and notify the customer

   • People or pets entering before the re-entry time on the labelMedium
     • Place lawn flags or signs at the entrances to treated areas as the job requires.
     • Tell the customer the product used and when it is safe to go back on the treated area.

6. 6. Clean sprayers, rinse empty containers, and store pesticides

   • Splash and skin contact while rinsing tanks and containersMedium
     • Triple-rinse empty containers and pour the rinse water into the spray tank to apply on a labeled site.
     • Keep gloves, goggles, and apron on until all cleanup is done.
   • Unsecured pesticides reached by unauthorized people or mixed with incompatible productsMedium
     • Store in original labeled containers in a locked, ventilated area away from fertilizer, fuel, and food.
     • Never put pesticide in a drink bottle or unlabeled container.

7. 7. Remove PPE and wash up

   • Pesticide residue carried home on clothes or skinMedium
     • Wash gloves before taking them off, then remove the rest of the PPE and wash hands last.
     • Wash hands and face with soap and water before eating, smoking, or using the restroom.
     • Bag work clothes and wash them separately from family laundry.