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Personal Protective Equipment Video Cover Shot

Absorbent: The movement of a chemical into plants, animals (including humans), microorganisms, or soil.

Absorption: The movement of a chemical into plants, animals (including humans), microorganisms, or soil.

Agitation: The process of stirring or mixing in a sprayer.

Agricultural Employer: Any person who hires or contracts for the services of workers, for any type of compensation, to perform activities related to the production of agricultural plants, or any person who is an owner of or is responsible for the management or condition of an agricultural establishment that uses workers.

Air Blast Applications: Pesticide application that uses a large volume of air moving at high speed to break up and disperse spray droplets from the nozzles.

Air Purifying Respirators: Remove contaminants from the air you breathe.

Atmosphere Supplying Respirators: Provide clean air from an uncontaminated source.

Certified Applicator: A person who is certified to use or supervise the use of any restricted-use pesticide covered by his certification.

Commercial Applicator: A certified applicator who uses or supervises the use of pesticides for purposes other than those covered under a private applicator certification.

Concentration: The amount of active ingredient in a given volume or weight of formulated product.

Coveralls: Loose fitting, piece garments that cover the entire body, except head, hands and feet.

Dermal: Pertaining to the skin.

Dilution/Diluent: Any inert liquid, solid, or gaseous material that is combined with a pesticide active ingredient during the manufacturing process. Also, the water, petroleum product, or other product, or other liquid in which the formulated product is mixed before application. Also referred to as Carrier.

Directions for Use: The instructions found on pesticide labels indicating the proper use of pesticide product.

Drift: The movement of pesticide dust, spray, or vapor away from the application site.

Dusts (Applications): A finely ground, dry pesticide formulation containing a small amount of active ingredient and a large amount of inert carrier or diluent such as clay or talc.

Early Entry Worker: An employee who enters a pesticide treated area on an agricultural establishment after a pesticide application is complete, but before any restricted-entry interval for the pesticide has expired.

Enclosed cab: Tractor cabs, cockpits, and truck/ vehicle cabs that surround the occupant(s) and may help to prevent exposure to pesticides as long as all doors, hatches or windows are kept closed during the pesticide application.

Exposure: Contact with pesticides or pesticide residue, by people, other organisms, or the environment.

Field Worker: An employee of a farming operation who engages in agricultural production tasks.

FIFRA: Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, passed in 1947 to regulate the marketing of Pesticides.

Fit test: Ensures the right size and type of respirator.

Fog (Applications): The application of a pesticide as a fine mist or fog.

Formulation: The Pesticide Product as purchased, containing a mixture of one or more active ingredients, carries (inert ingredients), and other additives diluted for safety and ease of application.

Handler: Any person who mixes, loads, transfers, or applies pesticides, or who cleans or repairs contaminated equipment, works as a flagger, or handles unsealed pesticide containers.

Hazard: The likelihood that injury or death will occur from a given level and duration of exposure to a toxic chemical.

Hazardous Waste: Waste that poses substantial or potential threat to health and the environment.

Headgear: Hats, masks, goggles that help protect you from exposure to chemicals.

Label: All printed material attached to or part of a pesticide container. The label is a legal document.

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.

Negative Pressure Seal Check: Cover the surface or hole that air is inhaled or sucked in from. When sealed it should collapse towards your face.

NIOSH: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness.

Particulate filters: Remove dusts, aerosols and sprays.

Personal Protective Equipment, PPE: Devices and garments that protect handlers from exposure to pesticides. These include coveralls, eye protection, gloves and boots, respirators, aprons, and hats.

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.

Positive Pressure Seal Check: Cover exhalation port with palm and lightly exhale into mask. You will feel air escaping through gaps in seal.

Precautionary Statements: The section on pesticide labels where human and environmental hazards are listed. Personal Protective equipment requirements are listed here, as well as first aid instructions and information for physicians.

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.

Regulatory Agencies: A public authority or government agency responsible in their area in a regulatory or supervisory capacity.

Residue: Traces of pesticide that remain on treated surfaces after a period of time.

Respiratory Equipment: A device that filters out pesticide dusts, mists, and vapors to protect the wearer from respiratory exposure during mixing and loading, application, or while entering treated areas before the restricted-entry interval expires.

Restricted-Entry Interval (REI): The amount of time that must elapse between treatment of the crop and the time when a person can reenter and handle the crop without wearing protective clothing and equipment or receiving early-entry training. Also referred to as reentry interval.

Restricted Use Pesticides, RUP: A highly hazardous Pesticide that can only be purchased, possessed or used by a person who is a certified applicator or under the supervision of a certified applicator.

Reusable: An item that can be used more than once.

Route of exposure: The way a pesticide gets onto or into the body. The fours routes of exposure are dermal (skin), ocular (eyes), respiratory (lungs), and oral (mouth).

Solvent: A liquid such as water, oil, or alcohol that will dissolve another substance (solid, liquid, or gas) to form a solution.

States Lead Agencies: The agency within a state or territory designated by the EPA as having the authority for carrying out the provisions of FIFRA.

Tolerant: (Chemical Resistant): A characteristic of organisms (including pests) that are able to withstand a certain degree of stress such as weather, pesticides, or attack by a pest.

Toxicity: The potential the pesticide has for causing harm.

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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