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Due Diligence

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Take Reasonable Care When You Apply Pesticides

  1. Attitude!  Do you really care about yourself and what you do?  Do you take pride in your work?  Are your considerate of others?  Do you consider yourself to be a professional?  Do you look and act like a professional applicator? 

  2. Are you qualified to work with pesticides?  Do you have the required education, experience, training, and certification/licence?  Do you attend workshops at the local dealers that sell pesticides?
  3. Is the pesticide registered in Ontario and Canada? 

  4. Was the pesticide you applied purchased from an approved pesticide vendor?

  5. Did you read and comply with the label instructions for the pesticide you were using?  

  6. Did you check the weather forecast before you applied the pesticide?

  7. Did you check the wind speed and direction, and other factors such as humidity and temperature before applying the pesticide?

  8. Did you notify residents who may be affected by spray drift prior to applying pesticides so that they know what you are spraying, and what precautions they can take?

  9. Did you observe and record in your notebook areas of environmental sensitivity such as nurseries, nature preserves, churches, schools, parks, soccer pitches, etc. prior to applying the pesticide?

  10. Did you check your vehicle and application equipment prior to the application?

  11. Did you check that both the crop and pest are on the label? Did you record this information?

  12. Did you wear the proper clothing and personal protective equipment?

  13. Did you record in your notebook the:
    • dealer where the pesticide was purchased,
    • date of application,
    • name of pesticide being applied,
    • application rate and total amount of pesticide used,
    • wind speed and direction changes during application,
    • boom height and equipment breakdowns etc.?
  14. In the event of off-target impact due to spray drift, was the pesticide incident foreseeable or predictable under the circumstances? 

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Restricted Entry Intervals

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Restricted Entry Interval (REI) is the period of time after a pesticide has been applied that agricultural workers or anyone else must not do hand labour tasks in treated areas.  The REI allows the pesticide residues and vapours to dissipate to safe levels for work to be done. Hand labour tasks involve substantial worker contact with treated surfaces such as plants, plant parts or soil.  Examples of these activities include: ·   harvesting, detasseling, thinning, weeding, scouting, planting, mowing, roguing, and packing produce into containers in the field or greenhouse. You can only do these tasks after the Restricted Entry Interval has ended.
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Emergency Numbers

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Emergency Numbers 9-1-1 Spills Action Centre: 1-800-268-6060 Ontario Poison Centre: 1-800-268-9017 Transport Emergencies: *666 (cell) 1-888-CANUTEC 1-888-226-8832 Farm Information Contact Person: Phone: 9-1-1 Address: Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks: -      Regional Office: -       District Office: Pesticide Vendor: Insurance Agent: Pest Management Regulatory Agency:                              1-800-267-6315 Ontario Ministr...
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Water Soluble Packages

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Water Soluble Packages (WSP) are designed to reduce exposure during mixing and loading.  However, the Agricultural Handlers Exposure Task Force (AHETF) found that ►   users were more exposed when using Water Soluble Packages than Wettable Powders. Exposure occurred when users sprayed high pressure water on the packets and/or intentionally broke the packets to help them dissolve.   Use Water Soluble Packages properly to reduce exposure.   Follow these handling and mixing instructions developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the AHETF. Handling Instructions •   Mix in the spray tank only.   •   Keep the WSP intact. Do not cut or puncture the WSP.  Do not break or release the contents. •   Keep the WSP in the outer packaging until just before use. •   Keep the WSP dry until adding it to the spray tank. •   Reseal the WSP in its outer packaging to protect any unused WSP(S). •   Handl...
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Ontario Pesticide Education Program

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Offering Certification and Training  in Pesticide Safety Since 1987 The Ontario Pesticide Education Program certifies and trains Ontario’s farmers and pesticide vendors in pesticide safety.  Certification and training through the Ontario Pesticide Education Program is recognized by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.   Visit the Ontario Pesticide Education Program’s website for information about our courses.  Call 1-800-652-8573 or e-mail us at rcopep@uoguelph.ca . Farmers Under Regulation 63/09 of the Pesticides Act, Ontario farmers must be certified to buy and use Class B or C pesticides on their farms or woodlots.  Certified Farmers must ensure that pesticides are purchased, used, stored, transported and disposed of according to Regulation 63/09.  To become certified, a farmer must successfully complete the Grower Pesticide Safety Course .  Farmer Assistants Farmer Assistants who use Class B or C pesticid...
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Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks: Pesticide Specialist Offices

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Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks:  Pesticides Specialist Offices Region Field Offices Telephone Central 5775 Yonge St, 8th Floor Toronto    M2M 4J1 1-800-810-8048 416-326-6700 West-Central Ontario Gov't. Bldg., 119 King St. W., 12 th Flr Hamilton    L8P 4Y7 1-800-668-4557 905-521-7640 Eastern 1259 Gardiners Road, Unit 3 Kingston    K7P 3J6 1-800-267-0974 613-549-4000 Southwestern 733 Exeter Rd., London    N6E 1L3 1-800-265-7672 519-873-5000 Northern 199 Larch Street, Suite 1201 Sudbury    P3E 5P9 1-800-890-8516 705-564-3237 Ontario Gov’t Bldg., 435 James St. South Suite 331, 3 rd Floor Thunder Bay    P7E 6S7 1-800-875-7772 807-475-1205 Technical Assessment and Standards Development Branch ...
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Pesticide Safety for Farmer Assistants

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Farmer Assistants who use Class B or C pesticides on farms must be trained. Certified Farmers are responsible for all pesticide use and handling on their farms including the use and handling of Class B or C pesticides by Farmer Assistants supervised by Certified Farmers.  Farmer Assistants could be family members, farm employees or seasonal workers.   Farmer Assistants must: Be 16 years of age or older Work on a farm under the supervision of a Certified Farmer have basic pesticide safety training recognized by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks before they handle or use Class 2 or 3 pesticides re-train every 5 years.   There are two ways for Farmer Assistants to get the training they need.   They can: participate in a Grower Pesticide Safety Course (no test required), or participate in a training session presented by an On-Farm Instructor . On-Farm Instructors   The Ontario Pesticide Education Program offers half day sessions ...
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Selling Class D Pesticides

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Selling Class D Pesticides There are requirements that vendors must follow for the sale of Class D pesticides.  The requirements depend on the product’s active ingredients and labelled uses.  There are Class D products that can be sold to anyone.  These products have: all their active ingredients on the Allowable List , namely the List of Active Ingredients Authorized for Cosmetic Uses. These are low risk pesticides or biopesticides that can be used to manage weeds, insects or other pests affecting lawns and gardens around the home ; or all their uses are allowed in Ontario, that is, there are no banned cosmetic uses on the label. Examples include ant control products used inside a home or repellants for mosquitoes and biting flies. Certain Class D products are Controlled Sales pesticides.  Controlled Sales pesticides are pesticides that are used in, on or over land and: have directions for use that are both allowed and not allowed by the cosmetic...
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