Minister Healy-Rae calls for the safe use of pesticides, highlighting the importance of farm safety

Health and safety for tillage farmers was highlighted at a crops event in Carlow today. Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae, TD., called on farmers as professional users of pesticides, to ensure that plant protection products are used safely in accordance with the product label.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae, TD., called on farmers as professional users of pesticides, to ensure that plant protection products are used safely. Pictured at the Crops and Technology Open Day in Oak Park, organised by Teagasc in partnership with the Irish Farmers Journal, were:
Professor Pat Dillon, Director of Research Teagasc; Anne Marie Dillon, DAFM; Declan Kealy, DAFM; Minister Michael Healy Rae and Francis Bligh Teagasc safety specialist. 

Speaking at the Crops and Technology Open Day, held by Teagasc at its Crops Research and Innovation Centre at Oak Park, Carlow, in partnership with the Irish Farmers Journal, Minister Healy-Rae said:

“I am reminding farmers of the importance of handling pesticides safely in accordance with the instructions on the approved product label. Wear the appropriate personal protection equipment when working with pesticides and read the label to avoid risk to yourself and anyone working with these chemicals.” 

A broad range of technology on the efficient use of pesticides was demonstrated at the open day including GPS controlled spraying, automatic nozzle switching technology, sensor-controlled boom height control to reduce drift and sensor-controlled ‘patch’ spraying technology to identify crop areas for attention.F

Teagasc Health and Safety advisors partnered with staff from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Pesticide Control Division to demonstrate the essential requirements of safe pesticide use, highlighting the importance of farm safety.

Teagasc Health and Safety Specialist Francis Bligh advised:

“Those who use professional plant protection products must be registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) as a Professional User (PU). This involves completion of the required training. Sprayer, or pesticide applicator, should be tested and in good working order and properly calibrated. Using suitable personal protective equipment, safe rinsing of chemical containers and disposal of sprayer washings are also prerequisites for safe use of pesticides”. 

The Teagasc Specialist called on farmers to give particular attention to the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). A recent UCD study based on an on-line survey among Irish farmers on compliance with pesticide application rules found that while there was good overall compliance, PPE usage received the lowest score (65.5%) among a range of compliance categories.

Information on the safe storage, handling and use of farm chemicals, including pesticides, along with risk prevention strategies is available in the Health and Safety Authority’s Farm Safety Code of Practice and Risk Assessment document.

UCD Research paper ‘Self-reported assessment of compliance with pesticide rules’ is available here.