Working safely with chemicals

February and March see the highest number of incidents of people suffering workplace injuries due to single contact with a chemical or substance on New Zealand farms.

“On average, ACC deals with 79 claims for single contact chemical-related injuries incurred in farm workplaces during February and 87 in March,” Al McCone, Agriculture Lead for WorkSafe New Zealand says. Farmers use a wide range of chemicals and fuels in their work. Many of these are potentially harmful and need to be handled, used and stored with care. Employers have a legal duty to train employees, or make sure someone who is trained supervises them, so they can work safely. “While many people say, ‘this is just common sense’, hundreds of workers are suffering harm from single chemical-related incidents on farms every year,” Al says. “Many others will be exposed to harmful substances that may not be immediately obvious but can have serious effects on health over time. “Farmers should be up to speed with the chemicals and fuels they have on-farm and the risks they pose. The person in charge must ensure everyone using these substances is trained to do so, including certified handler certificates if required for highly hazardous substances, such as explosives, fumigants, vertebrate toxic agents (VTAs) or acutely toxic (6.1A and 6.1B) substances. If you employ a contractor to do work on your farm, you must make sure they have certification, if required.” Training in handling chemicals and fuels may be provided by experienced staff in the workplace or through a training provider, such as GROWSAFE. Employers are required to provide the right personal protective equipment (PPE) to anyone working with chemicals and fuel and if required, must also monitor exposure to hazardous substances. To find out if a substance has a prescribed exposure standard, see the controls database on the Environmental Protection Authority website, www.epa.govt.nz.

| Farmers should be up to speed with the chemicals and fuels they have on-farm and the risks they pose. “Safety gear needed will depend on the product you are using and the job you are doing,” Al says. “You may need different gear for mixing, handling, applying, cleaning application equipment or cleaning up spills. “It’s essential to read the product label and safety data sheet (SDS) before using fuels and handling, mixing or applying farm chemicals and follow the instructions. The label will tell you the hazards of the product and the precautions that you need to take. The SDS will include information about what safety gear you need. “When planning to use chemicals, check in advance what the manufacturer’s requirements are, to make sure you and anyone else working with the substances has the knowledge and PPE they need to use them safely.” Farm fires are also becoming more common. It is a good idea to make your inventory or Hazsubs inventory pin available to your local rural fire brigade. This would save time in an emergency situation.

Using the online Hazardous Substances Calculator will help you create an inventory of fuels and chemicals kept on-farm and work out what key requirements you need to meet. See www. hazardoussubstances.govt.nz/ calculator. You can also download the ‘Working Safely With Chemicals and Fuels on Farms’ from worksafe.govt.nz.

Article supplied by WorkSafe