1. Safe Pesticide Storage Are your pesticides and fertilizers in a safe place?
Introduce your self
Provide:
Name
Title and where you work
Brief description of the MGSP
Cooperative effort of MSUE, MDA, NRCS, Americorps
Funded by user fee on pesticides and N fertilizers
Money provides technical assistance, education, and cost share.
Safe Pesticide Storage
How and where to keep hazardous materials in the house to prevent accidental exposure to people and to water.

2. Problems Easy access by children or pets Old or leaking containers
Missing labels
Hazardous location
Children or pets can get into containers that are easily accessible. The bright colors, triggers, or danger might attract them.
Old leaking containers might be hazardous by spreading material on to shelves or floor, where it might be easy to come into contact with.
Missing labels makes it hard to properly use, store, or dispose of chemicals.
Hazardous locations include
Garage shelves that could be hit by a car
Areas close to furnaces or hot water heaters
Areas prone to freezing
Areas without good ventilation

3. Storage for hazardous materials:
Original containers with labels
Away from children, pets, wildlife, irresponsible adults
Secondary Containment
Original containers with labels – the Label is the Law!
Locked cabinets or storage containers can keep hazardous chemicals away from people or animals that shouldn’t be near them.
Secondary containment helps to collect spills, drips, or leaks. This makes it easier to:
Clean up
Contain any major leaks
Prevent large areas from being contaminated
Secondary containment may include:
Disposable aluminum roasting pans
Plastic storage containers
Food trays

4. Storage for hazardous materials:
Off the floor
Ventilated area
No food, feed, seed, and water
Floor drains
Hazardous product should be stored off of the floor where if spilled they are less likely to go into any drains or soak into the soil or concrete
Ventilation is important to reduce the buildup of hazardous vapors or odors. It can also help to prevent spontaneous combustion of volatile chemicals
Food, feed, seed, and water can all be accidentally contaminated when stored in close proximity of hazardous chemicals.
Do you know where your floor drains go? Many floor drains in houses go to the sanitary sewer, but most floor drains in garages drain directly into the ground. That is not a place to put any hazardous chemicals!

5. Storage for hazardous materials:
Get rid of old and unusable products
Buy only what you need
Household hazardous waste collection services or Clean Sweep locations are excellent ways of getting rid of unused or unusable chemicals.
Prevention works even better, if you don’t have them you don’t need to store them or dispose of them.

6. Here are the contents of a pesticide spill and storage kit
Here are the contents of a pesticide spill and storage kit. A complete kit may be assembled for as little as$15. Professional kits for farmers or businesses may cost over $100.
Lockable storage container - $4-$25 – The container acts as secondary containment and is lockable to prevent access.
Pet lietter - $1-$4 – The litter readily absorbs spilled liquids. Contaminated litter can be bagged and disposed of in your regular trash.
Chemically resistant gloves - $3-$10 – A must for whenever you are handling hazardous chemicals. Best kinds are nitrile or neoprene and include wrist guards.
Safety goggles - $3-$10 – Eyes are extremely sensitive to harsh chemicals. Goggles can prevent exposure due to splashes.
Broom and Dustpan - $2-$4 – To sweep up spilled material
Garbage bags - to easily dispose of spilled material.
Locks - $3-$15 – To lock the container

7. For more information
Michigan State University Pesticide Education –
Poison Control System (800)