Looking Out For The Environment:

A Chemical Mixing Checklist

This checklist appeared in "The Grower," June 1995.

The growing season is one of the busiest times of the year. With all the pressures of the job, it’s easy to overlook safety precautions when handling ag chemicals. The following checklist is a reminder that we can never be too busy for safety.

• Read the label carefully and take notice of personal safety and environmental precautions.

• Wear appropriate personal safety equipment when handling ag chemicals.

• When mixing and loading chemicals in the field, prevent spills that might contaminate water supplies.

• Prevent spray-tank overflow by never leaving the filling station unattended.

• While filling sprayers, avoid back-siphoning by always keeping the discharge end of fill hoses above the tank’s water level.

• Be certain pumping equipment has anti-backflow devices and check valves.

• Never exceed labeled chemical rate, always mix carefully, and calibrate your sprayer before applying ag chemicals.

• Prevent leftover chemicals by mixing only needed quantities.

• Never rinse equipment near wellheads, ditches, streams, or other water sources. If needed, install a longer rinse-water hose in order to move the cleaning operation to a safe distance from the well.

• Before disposing of chemical containers, triple rinse or pressure rinse them, and pour the liquid into the spray tank.

• Dispose of equipment and container rinse water by spraying it out over the soil, following label instructions.

When preparing your tank mix recipe, it’s wise to take a few moments to prepare a record of the following items

• the order in which to mix the products

• prescribed rates per acre for each product

• capacity of the spray tank

• amount of mix to be applied per acre

• types and rates of any additives

• acres covered per tank

• types of nozzle to be used

• nozzle pressure in psi

• tractor speed

This information, along with the field location, type of crop, and date of product application will help provide you with an important record as well as a handy reference during this busy time of year.
Safety Precautions

• Wear rubber gloves.

• Use goggles or face shields.

• Wear a wide brim hat, long sleeve shirt, long pants, and rubber boots or shoe cover.

• Keep a supply of clean water handy, and wash your hands before eating.

• Check the label for additional precautions.