Absorbent: The movement of a chemical into plants, animals (including humans), microorganisms, or soil.
Activated Charcoal: A finely ground charcoal that adsorbs chemicals.
Active Ingredient: The chemical or chemicals in a product responsible for pesticidal activity.
Back-Siphoning: The movement of a liquid pesticide mixture from a spray tank through the filling hose into the water source.
Berms: Contain water runoff and leaking pesticide.
Certified Applicator: A person who is certified to use or supervise the use of any restricted-use pesticide covered by his certification.
Chemtrec: The Chemical Transportation Emergency Center. It supports a toll-free number that provides 24-hour information for chemical emergencies such as a spill, leak, fire, or accident—1-800-424-9300.
Cleanup Kit: Should include telephone numbers for emergency assistance, PPE, absorbent materials; pillows, clay and cat litter, a shovel, broom and dustpan; and heavy duty detergent.
Combustibles: A material that is capable of catching fire and burning, flammable.
Commercial Applicator: A certified applicator who uses or supervises the use of pesticides for purposes other than those covered under a private applicator certification.
Confined Area: An area, such as a building or greenhouse, that may have restricted air circulation and, therefore, promotes the buildup pf toxic fumes or vapors from a pesticide application.
Contain: To prevent a spill or leak from spreading to other areas or contaminating surfaces.
Containment Pad: An impermeable pad used for mixing and loading pesticides and cleaning equipment that is designed to catch spills, leaks, overflows, and wash water for reuse or disposal.
Contamination: The presence of unwanted substance in or on a plant, animal, soil, water, air, or structure.
Decontaminate: To remove or degrade a chemical residue from the skin or a surface.
Defoaming agent: An adjuvant used to reduce the foaming of a spray mixture due to agitation.
Dermal: Pertaining to the skin.
Detoxify: To render a pesticide active ingredient or other poisonous chemical harmless.
Disinfectant: A chemical or other agent that kills or inactivates disease-producing microorganisms in animals, seeds, or other plant parts. Also, commonly refers to chemicals used to clean or surface-sterilize inanimate objects.
Disposal: Properly throwing away or getting rid of something.
Drift: The movement of pesticide dust, spray, or vapor away from the application site.
Emergency response plan, (ERP): Can help prevent an emergency from becoming a catastrophe.
Exposure: Unwanted contact with pesticides or pesticide residues by people, other organisms, or the environment.
Fertilizers: A natural or synthetic material that is applied to the soil or to plants to supply one or more nutrients essential to plant growth.
Flammable: Any material that can be ignited easily and that burn rapidly.
Global Harmonization System, GHS: Defines a standard format for the information included in an SDS.
Groundwater: Water located in aquifers beneath the soil surface from which well water is obtained or surface springs are formed.
Label: All printed material attached to or part of a pesticide container. The label is a legal document.
Leaching: The movement through soil of a pesticide or other chemical that is dissolved in water.
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): A safety data sheet available from the manufacturer that provides information on chemical properties, toxicity, first aid, hazards, personal protective equipment, and emergency procedures to be followed in the event of a spill, leak, fire, or transportation crisis.
NFPA: The National Fire Protection Agency.
NFPA Flammability Hazard, the Red Section: The Number in this section relates to the flammability hazard a chemical has.
NFPA Health Hazard, the Blue Section: The number in this section relates to the following hazards to health the chemical has.
NFPA Instability, the Yellow Section: The number in this section, relates to the instability hazard a chemical has.
NFPA Rating System: Used to assist emergency personnel is a diamond shaped warning symbol.
NFPA Special Hazard, the White Section: The letters in this section relate to any special hazard a chemical has.
Non-point-Source Pollution: Pollution that comes from a widespread area. The movement of pesticides into streams or groundwater following a broadcast application to an agricultural field, large turf area, or right-of-way is an example of non point-source pollution.
Off-site Movement: Any movement of a pesticide or chemical from the location where it was applied. Off-site movement occurs through drift, water runoff, crop harvest, blowing dust and by being carries away on people, animals or equipment.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Devices and clothing that protect pesticide applicators, handlers, and workers from exposure to pesticides.
Pesticide: Any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any insects, rodents, nematodes, fungi, bacteria, or weeds, or any other forms of life declared to be pests; and any other substance of mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant.
Placards, Public notices: U.S. Department of Transportation placards are diamond shaped warning signs placed on all vehicles that transport certain types and quantities of hazardous materials.
Point-Source Pollution: The contamination of water and soil from a specific, identifiable place or location, such as a spill site or a permanent mixing, loading, and cleaning site.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: (OSHA): Requires that employers provide access to SDS information and keep copies in multiple locations.
Oxidizer: A highly reactive chemical that is potentially explosive and a fire hazard under certain conditions.
Posting: The placement of warning signs around pesticide or chemical areas as required by the label. This serves to provide information about pesticide applications.
Pressure-rinse: The process of decontaminating an empty pesticide container with water by using a special high-pressure nozzle to rinse the container.
Protective Equipment: Equipment intended to protect a person from exposure during the handling and application of pesticides. Includes long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, coveralls, suitable hats, gloves, shoes, respirators, and other safety items as needed.
RCRA: The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: The federal law regulating the transport, storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous wastes.
Residue: Traces of pesticide that remain on treated surfaces after a period of time.
Right to Know: Refers to a workers rights to information about chemicals in their workplaces.
Runoff: The movement of water and associated materials on the soil surface.
Signal Words: Words that are required to appear on every pesticide label to denote the relative acute toxicity of the product. The signal words are DANGER—POISON used with a skull and crossbones symbol for potentially lethal products, DANGER for severe skin and eye damage, WARNING for moderately toxic, or CAUTION for slightly toxic compounds.
Special Toxicity Statements: Say if the product is hazardous to wildlife and what precautions to take.
Specific Action Statements: Gives precautions and PPE.
Spill: Is the accidental release of any pesticide in small or large quantities.
Spill Tube/Sock: Polypropylene with cover stock for general purpose cleanup of leaks and spills.
State Lead Agency (SLA): The agency within a state or territory designated by the EPA as having the authority for carrying out the provisions of FIFRA.
Toxicity: The degree to which a substance is poisonous.
Transportation Security Plan: A plan required of all operations that transport pesticides in containers that are larger than 119 gallons or in quantities greater than 1,000 pounds. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires that the plan include protection against unauthorized access, a security check for employees that pick up and transport placarded hazardous materials, and a security plan for the intended travel route. Vehicles that transport pesticides in these quantities must be placarded (see placards).
Worker Protection Standard (WPS): A federal regulation that intends to reduce the risk of pesticide poisoning and injuries among agricultural workers and handlers. The WPS requires agricultural employers to provide protections to workers and handlers, including but not limited to: safety training, posting of application sites, and decontamination supplies.
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