Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
b.
Prevent Water Damage
Choose a storage site where water damage is unlikely to occur. Water
from burst pipes, spills, overflows, excess rain or irrigation, or flooding
streams can damage pesticide containers and pesticides. Water or excess mois-
ture can cause:
•
metal containers to rust
•
paper and cardboard containers to split or crumble
•
pesticide labeling to peel, smear, run, or otherwise become unreadable
•
dry pesticides to clump, degrade, or dissolve
•
slow-release products to release their pesticide
•
pesticides to move from the storage site into other areas
If the storage site is not protected from the weather or if it tends to be
damp, consider placing metal, cardboard, and paper containers in sturdy plastic
bags or cans for protection. Large metal containers, which may rust when
damp, often can be placed on pallets within the storage site.
c.
Control the Temperature
The storage site should be indoors, whenever possible. Choose a cool,
well-ventilated room or building that is insulated or temperature-controlled to
prevent freezing or overheating. The pesticide labeling may tell at what tem-
peratures the product should be stored. Freezing temperatures can cause glass,
metal, and plastic containers to break. Excessive heat can cause plastic con-
tainers to melt, some glass containers to explode, and some pesticides to vola-
tilize and drift away from the storage site. Temperature extremes can destroy
the potency of some pesticides.
d.
Provide Adequate Lighting
The storage site should be well lighted. Pesticide handlers using the facil-
ity must be able to see well enough to:
•
read pesticide container labeling
•
notice whether containers are leaking, corroding, or otherwise disinte-
grating
•
clean up spills or leaks completely.
