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Information sheets   |   Elsenburg infopaks   |   Mechanisation: 1

Spraying poisonous substances Afrikaans | Xhosa

Click to enlarge!		 Introduction

Poisonous substances that are sprayed onto plants and trees can seriously affect human health. However, they are necessary to protect the harvest against pests and diseases. Without them it would not be possible to produce enough food to feed everybody.

If the necessary precautions are followed when applying sprays, it is possible to ensure your safety and protect your health.

Click to enlarge!		 What must be put on before you start to spray?
  • Always wear an overall while you are spraying and never take it off before you have finished, even if it is hot.
  • Keep an overall to be worn only when you spray.
  • An overall in a lighter colour is cooler and easy to distinguish from your other working clothes.
  • Wear a rain suit when the wind is blowing or if you get wet while you are spraying. Ask the foreman or manager whether a rain suit is necessary for the kind of poison you must spray.
  • Always wear a washable hat with a broad rim that will keep the poison spray from falling on your head and face.

Click to enlarge!		 What precautions must be observed while you are spraying?
  • Do not smoke or eat while you are spraying. Wait until you can take a break.
  • Put your cigarettes and food in a plastic bag in a safe place away from the poison.

Click to enlarge!
  • Wash your face and hands with soap and water before you smoke or eat.
  • If the spraying agent causes a stinging sensation on your skin, immediately wash it off with soap and water.

Click to enlarge!		 What must you do when you have finished spraying?
  • When you have finished spraying, immediately take off your overall.
  • Wash your hair and entire body with soap and water.
  • Wash your overall with soap and water and rinse it thoroughly.
  • Hot water gets rid of poison more effectively than cold water does.
  • Wash your overall separately from the other laundry so that the poison will not spread to your other clothes.
  • Try to put on a clean overall every day that you spray.
  • If there is anything you are unsure of, rather ask the foreman or manager.

J Barnes
ELSENBURG / TYGERBERG medical school