Chemical spillage

Pesticide spillage is an economic waste and hazardous both to the operator and the environment. Common causes of spillage are:

• Containers bursting through poor handling
• Container leaking through defective packaging and storage
• Containers punctured during transport
• Careless pouring when pouring from the concentrate to the applicator
• Equipment failure

When spillage occur the following steps should be taken

• Contain the chemical by preventing the spillage spreading and contaminating a wider area. This may require a soil barrier or bund to be made around the spill site
• Keep other people, animals and vehicles away from the site
• Wear protective clothing
• Soak up liquid chemicals with adsorbent material such as soil, sand, wood shavings or a neutralizing agent such as lime. The contaminated material should then be shoveled into a bag for safe disposal.
• Dry powders or granules should also be removed by collecting and shoveling into a bag. If there is a risk the spillage may be come airborne (dust), damp sand may need to be spread over the powder before removal occurs.
• Decontaminating vehicles and equipment is best done by washing down and draining the material to a safe place or soak up site
• Bathing and washing immediately afterwards is advisable.