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A Survey of Pesticide Use and Safety Practices Among Farm‐workers in KY
Author(s) -
Bebe Frederick N,
Panemangalore Myna
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.558.8
Subject(s) - personal protective equipment , environmental health , pesticide , medicine , occupational safety and health , certification , demographics , toxicology , covid-19 , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , agronomy , biology , demography , sociology , political science , law
Reports indicate inadequate compliance with pesticide safety practices by agricultural workers. The objective was to determine the degree of safety compliance followed by limited resource farm and greenhouse workers. A survey covering demographics, knowledge of pesticide safety, formulation, application and health was administered (n=83). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Workers followed pesticide label directions 96%; hand washing 92%, changing clothes 76%, showering 82%; awareness of the health effects of pesticides 99%; participation in mixing and loading 68%; applying or spraying 88%; re‐entering fields 53%; eating and smoking 15%. Only half were registered applicators, while 34% reported occasional or never using pesticide protection equipment (PPE). Of those who reported using PPE, 50% wore complete attire, 69% gloves and 59% face/nose masks. Only 7% reported having health problems with pesticides, while many experienced symptoms such as nausea 20%, dizziness 36%, allergies 29% and headaches 53%. Although workers were knowledgeable of the potential health effects of pesticides, observance of safety measures was insufficient, reflecting the need for continuous emphasis on basic safety precautions, training, oversight and certification in order to minimize health related effects of pesticide exposure.(Evans Allen #KYX‐50‐07‐21H).