Chemicals are an important part of modern agriculture. They allow for efficient and cost-effective treatment of weeds, pests and diseases to help farmers grow more produce.

Our five part educational video series contains information and practical tips to help farmers and workers:

  • understand their obligations in relation to the safe use and storage of chemicals
  • know how to properly handle and use chemicals safely
  • prevent injuries and harm to people’s health from exposure to chemicals.

These short videos cover five key areas:

Purchasing and delivery

Before chemicals can be used on the farm they have to be purchased and transported. Knowing what to ask for to ensure safety requirements are met with certain chemicals is the first part of the process.

Storage

With the chemical order picked up and delivered and now home on the farm it’s time to make sure it is stored correctly and safely. Chemicals must be stored as soon as they get to the farm and there’s some basic rules to follow.

Personal protective equipment

Chemicals can get into our bodies in many different ways, causing poisoning and long term illness. As a farm owner or manager, you are required to provide all necessary Personal Protective equipment (PPE) to workers on your farm.

Chemical mixing and use

Now that you have the right personal protective equipment it’s time to start thinking about how to best mix and use these chemicals. Safety data sheets are an important resource for making sure chemicals are handled and used safely and have specific sections dedicated to handling chemicals.

Spillage and disposal

It’s important to think about how you might handle a chemical spillage, should one occur on your property. This video covers what you should do if you experience one and how to safely dispose of chemicals.