Pesticides: code of practice for using plant protection products in Scotland
The code is aimed at all professional users of plant protection products (pesticides) in Scotland.
Annex E: guidance on using personal protective equipment
Follow the guidance in this annex when you are using a pesticide in a situation not covered by the product label.
Follow the guidance in this annex when you are using a pesticide in a situation not covered by the product label (or the appropriate notice of approval when using a pesticide for an approved use not specified on the product label or using a substance that has a non-pesticidal use but is approved for use as a pesticide) or when you need extra protection.
| Situation |
Reason |
Wear |
|---|---|---|
| All situations (including all those set out below) |
Good occupational hygiene practice, to avoid exposure of your hands and skin and to keep your personal clothing clean |
Coverall Gloves Boots |
| Preparing products Handling contaminated equipment and containers |
To avoid exposure to 'very toxic', 'toxic' or 'corrosive' products |
Apron (for liquid products), coveralls, gloves and boots |
| Handling and applying dusts Handling contaminated equipment and empty containers after applying dusts Handling and applying 'very toxic' granules applying fogs, smoke or gases Handling liquid products applying to targets above waist height applying indoors (for example, to protected crops) Cleaning equipment used to apply pesticide |
To avoid the chance of eye, face or head contamination (for example, by splashes or contact with droplets or particles in the air) |
Face-shield for splashes, hood, coveralls, gloves and boots |
| Handling and applying dusts Handling contaminated equipment and empty containers after applying dusts Handling and applying 'very toxic' granules Applying fogs, smokes or gases |
To avoid breathing in droplets, particles or gases in the air |
Respiratory protective equipment (full-face type if product is 'very toxic'), coveralls, gloves and boots |
| Reduced-volume spraying outdoors by a vehicle without a closed cab or hand-held sprayers |
To avoid increased exposure from using a more concentrated spray solution |
Face-shield, coveralls, gloves and boots Hood for 'harmful' or 'irritant' products and coveralls, gloves and boots |
| Reduced-volume spraying by indoor sprayers and outdoor equipment on a vehicle without a closed cab |
To avoid increased exposure from using a more concentrated spray solution |
Face-shield, RPE, hood, an apron for 'harmful' or 'irritant' products, and coveralls, gloves and boots |
| Applications using ATV-mounted or trailed equipment Applying from tractors without closed cabs |
To avoid increased exposure from using a vehicle without a closed cab |
Face-shield, hood, coveralls, gloves and boots |
Notes
Coveralls - choose your coveralls for the particular purpose, in line with the following table.
| Purpose |
CEN type |
Description |
|---|---|---|
| Protection against: liquid jets |
Type 3 |
Chemical protective clothing where liquid cannot pass through the connections between different parts of the clothing |
| Sprays |
Type 4 |
Chemical protective clothing where spray cannot pass through the connections between different parts of the clothing |
| Solid particles |
Type 5 |
Reusable and limited-use protective clothing which particles cannot pass through |
| Liquid splashes and solid particles |
Type 6 |
Reusable and limited-use protective clothing offering limited protection against liquid splashes and aerosols and solid particles |
Gloves - unless the pesticide label or a specific COSHH assessment says otherwise, gloves should be made from nitrile rubber, be at least 0.5 millimetres thick and at least 300 millimetres long. Gloves should be taken off when entering 'clean' areas such as tractor cabs.
Boots - appropriate boots are wellington boots or waterproof footwear
Face-shields - choose face-shields that give full protection of your face and do not mist up when you use them (anti-mist visors).
Respiratory protective equipment - your choice will depend on the product label and a COSHH assessment. Consider the following as the basic conditions.
| Potential dust particles or spray droplets in the air |
Use an En 149 particle-filtering half mask FF2-Sl or EN 140 + 143 half mask connected to particle filter P2 |
| Potential vapour in the air |
Use an EN 140 + 141 half mask connected to combined filters A1P2 |
Open-backed cabs - open cabs (including cabs with open rear windows) do not count as closed cabs as spray can be drawn inside.
There is a problem
Thanks for your feedback