1. Fresh from the Orchard: Practical Solutions for Minimizing Pesticide Exposure
Jennifer Krenz, Richard Fenske, Kit Galvin, Pablo Palmández, Maria Tchong-French
Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety & Health Center (PNASH), Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
INTRODUCTION
EXAMPLES OF PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
A practical solution is a practice that makes a job more convenient and also serves as a safety measure to minimize pesticide exposure.
The Practical Solutions project is part of a larger project run by the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety & Health Center (PNASH) called Interventions to Minimize Worker and Family Pesticide Exposures.
The project work is taking place in orchards, vineyards, and hop fields in central Washington (Figure 4); these agricultural lands span over 300,000 acres and use airblast sprayers as the primary pesticide application method (Figure 3 ).
The Practical Solutions project focuses on pesticide handling activities, which includes mixing concentrated pesticides, loading pesticides into spray tanks, applying pesticides in the orchard, and decontaminating spray equipment and personal protective equipment.
The focus is on pesticide handlers because they are considered to have higher levels of pesticide exposure than other agricultural workers.
Practices that are already being used in orchard workplaces are being used as examples because they are more likely to be adopted due to already demonstrated success in practice.
Thermo-wind meter: Applicator can check for temperature and wind conditions and determine whether it is okay to spray (Figure 1).
PPE “skeleton:” Personal protective equipment hangs on a metal frame to make it easier to spray with a high pressure washer hose (Figure 2).
Nurse tank: One large tank delivers pesticide mixture to smaller tanks in the area, which eliminates the need for multiple mixing and loading stations (Figure 5).
Rearview mirror: This aids in viewing the spray tank and spray pattern, so the applicator does not need to turn their head. Turning to view the tank in full PPE is difficult because the hood interferes with vision (Figure 6).
Steel grated tables: The surface of the table does not absorb pesticide. Further, the table is at a good height for mixing, so there is less likely to be a spill (Figure 7).
Figure 3: Applicator with airblast sprayer
Figure 4: Project locations in Washington state
METHODS
Identifying Potential Practical Solutions
The project team recruited orchards through established connections and advertising with flyers.
Orchard walkthrough evaluations were conducted to observe mixing and loading areas, application equipment, decontamination areas, pesticide storage areas, and personal protective equipment and respirator storage areas.
Potential practical solutions were identified from walkthrough evaluations and at least one manager and one handler were interviewed about their perspective on each potential solution.
Results of the handler and manager interviews are being summarized on a form, which also includes project staff input and photographs.
Evaluating Potential Practical Solutions
The potential practical solutions will be evaluated based on the criteria in Table 1.
Two methods will be used to evaluate the practical solutions:
1) Evaluation survey: Health and safety professionals will be provided with solution summaries and asked to complete evaluations for each solution.
2) Audience participation survey: Participants who attend a presentation on the practical solutions at an annual agricultural conference will be asked to answer questions using clicker tools and also provide feedback on the solutions.
Evaluations from both evaluation methods will be compared using a consensus based assessment approach.
Consensus based assessments will also be used to compare evaluations from agricultural managers and agricultural safety and health professionals.
The solutions with the best consensus for a good practical solution will be recommended for inclusion in the final resource.
Figure 7: Steel, grated table
Practical Aspects
Compatible with work activities
Convenient for handlers
Convenient for management
Affordable
Adaptable to other workplaces
Health and Safety
Health concerns brought up other than pesticide exposure. (For example, does the solution create another hazard, such as ergonomic problem?)
Minimization of pesticide exposure. (Does the solution actually decrease, or at least not increase, pesticide exposure?)
Uniqueness of Solution
Is the solution an unusual practice?
Figure 1: Thermo-wind meter
Figure 2: PPE “skeleton”
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS PROJECT GOALS
To identify unique orchard practices that can be examples of practical solutions for minimizing pesticide exposure of pesticide handlers.
To evaluate potential practical solutions based on compatibility, convenience, affordability, and contributions to improving health and safety in the orchard workplace.
To consult with the Expert Working Group (EWG), a group of orchard managers and pesticide handlers formed by PNASH, who have extensive experience working in orchards in central Washington, to ensure the “research to practice” component of the project is successful.
To compile practical solutions into a resource that will be available to the tree fruit industry and pesticide safety educators.
Table 1: Criteria used to evaluate potential practical solutions
Figure 6: Rearview mirror
Figure 5: Nurse tank
For questions contact Jennifer Krenz at
Funding provided for the Practical Solutions Project provided by NIOSH/CDC Cooperative Agreement #2 U50 OH07544
Funding for the poster provided by the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington