Minimize Pesticides in Chemical Storage

chemical storage shed
Maintain a clean, well-organized pesticide storage. Use a pesticide chemical inventory to keep track of what is currently being stored and their estimated volume.

Photo by: Sarah Fish

notes icon Take note

Return unopened containers to the supplier at the end of the season, and safely partially used containers for the next season.

 

Books on a shelf
Keep pesticide inventory small. Purchase only the amount you need for the season. Photo by Kit Galvin.

 

setup iconSetup & use

 

  • Buy products as needed and track their use.
  • Write the date received on the write-on label.
  • Put the labels on the containers.
  • Use the oldest pesticides first.
  • Dispose of old and phased-out products as hazardous waste.
  • Keep inventory up to date.
     

tips icon Tips

  • Coordinate among different company locations to use up products in open containers.
  • Consider buying the small container size needed for the season.
     

idea icon Idea...

The manager thought of the solution when he noticed pesticides accumulating in the storage area becoming old and less effective. Old pesticides must be disposed of as hazardous waste.
 

alert icon Alert

Make sure you can return unused containers of pesticides. Write the purchase date on removable stickers because distributors will not accept returns with the date directly on the containers.
 

supplies icon Supplies

  • Write-on labels
  • Sharpies
     
“I have been using this system for many years…we know better what we have in storage, we don’t keep in storage pesticides not to be used anymore, and costs decrease.”
Orchard Manager

 

 

Pesticide bottle with hand written label
Example of date received label for the pesticide container. Photo by Kit Galvin.

 

Resources

Washington State Department of Agriculture: Waste Pesticide Program (English)

Oregon OSHA Storage of Agricultural Pesticides Factsheet (English)

 

Worker Protection Standard Rules for Hazard Communication

Federal Code of Federal Regulations

Washington State

Oregon State

Last updated

We hope that you will be inspired you to incorporate solutions into your own training style, develop your own hands-on teaching tools, or discover new practical solutions. We hope that you are inspired to use these solutions in your workplace. Did you try one of the practical solutions or develop a new one? We would appreciate hearing about your ideas and experiences.

Thank you and safe pesticide handling,
PNASH

Contact your state agency for more information on WPS regulations. The content of this website is for informational purposes only. It may need modification to fit your needs or it may not be appropriate for your workplace. Safe use of these solutions is your responsibility. The University of Washington and the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety & Health Center is not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from the use of the information provided on this website.

PNASH Project 2016-2021 (CDC/NIOSH Cooperative Agreement # U54 OH007544)

Contact us

Project Email:
PractSol@uw.edu

Project staff:
Maria Tchong-French (habla español)
206 685-6728