Washington — Employers of nonagricultural workers operating near farmland can reduce the risk of pesticide exposure by notifying farms about their work, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Michigan Department of Agricultural and Rural Development recently investigated separate incidents involving a total of 10 solar panel installation workers who needed medical attention after being exposed to pesticides. One of the workers developed new-onset asthma, while the rest didn’t experience any lingering aftereffects.
In one of the cases, exposure was related to spray drift that reached a group of about 20-25 workers after pesticide was applied from an airplane to an area of a field that was 12-50 yards away. In the other instance, around eight workers were exposed when a tractor sprayed pesticide about 5 yards away from them.
Common symptoms of pesticide exposure include sore throat, irritated and watery eyes, skin rash or redness, cough, chest pain, muscle weakness, and headache, the study states.
Researchers wrote that “because farmers are not required to apprise nonagricultural workers about pesticide application,” employers “should consider contacting farmers to determine pesticide application schedules so that nonagricultural workers can be advised to avoid the area or wear protective equipment during application times.”
Additionally, the researchers call on anyone who applies pesticides to follow product labeling and recommend contacting local poison control centers for guidance related to acute exposures.
The study was published in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication