PPE for Spraying

[Jamin_Mayer]

What precautions do you all use when spraying?

Do you use any PPE when doing deep root fertilizing?

Or, is this an area most don't really care about becaue the side effects aren't immediate?

For example, not wearing chaps could result in a bad cut and the side effects are immediate. So, it makes good sense to use chaps while operatina chainsaw.

But, chemical exposure is subtle, therefore is PPE ignorantly dismissed?

 

[cerviarborist]

Any insecticide or fungicide will have a signal word on the label, and will also have specific instructions for appropriate ppe to wear during the application, as well as a re-entry interval after the application.

The labels are designed so that you have to read through that information, in order to get to the portion of the label that describes how to mix the product, how much to prepare for the application you have in mind, and how to apply it.

 

[treegazer]

Every label has the MINIMUM PPE REQUIRED. Usually this consists of baseball cap, long sleeve shirt, pants, eye protection, chemical resistant gloves, boots and socks.
Shorts, t shirts, and no gloves doesn't cut it.
A question I have is if fertilization and pesticide application are considered part of tree care operations we are supposed to wear a hard hat according to ANSI Z133, right?

When fertilizing I do not wear the nitrile gloves or the long sleeve shirt, but definitely always wear eye protection.

 

[macrocarpa]

When I fert I wear rubber boots because in some soils my shoes get pretty wet when the fert pools up. I always wear safety glasses and sometimes gloves while deep root ferting.

Spraying, I wear glasses, cheap surgeon mask, face sheild, long sleeves and gloves. I started out not wearing the face protection other than safety glasses, but a couple drifts changed that. Its not required on the label to wear all that ppe, but I still don't want even hort oil on my face or in my lungs so I wear it. I don't spray anything that requires a respirator and don't plan to.