Minimize Exposure with Personal Protective Equipment
Learn the ABCs of PPE to help minimize pesticide exposure
Using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which includes clothing (shoes, socks, shirt, pants), gloves, and masks helps to reduce human exposure to pesticides during mixing and application.
For homeowners and professional applicators, the area of highest exposure is your hands and wearing gloves is important to reduce exposure. Gloves are the most important tool for reducing hand exposure during mixing, loading, and applying pesticide products. Gloves will reduce total exposure by ~ 85% for products applied with hand-held pump sprayer and ~ 55% for aerosol applied products. Additional protection is provided by clothing worn.
All gloves are not equal so make sure to use the proper type of glove that is chemical and water-resistant – refer to the product label.
Inhalation is also a high route of exposure for aerosols so make sure to stand up wind of where you are applying, be aware of spray patterns, and wear a dust mask if desired. Finally, eye protection is important and wearing safety glasses or prescription glasses will help prevent chemicals from entering the eye.
Always Read the label and wear the required PPE. PPE requirements are put on the label because the manufacturer has tested the product and determined that PPE is required to reduce potential exposure. ALWAYS use the required PPE when using pesticide products.
Visit the PROPER use BASF website for more information.