A Pesticide Control Safety Manual provides companies with safety policies and procedures for employees who handle, mix, load, apply, transport, store, or work around pesticides and pesticide application equipment. Employees performing pesticide-related work may be exposed to chemical, respiratory, equipment, vehicle, environmental, ergonomic, and other workplace hazards that require appropriate controls, training, and safe work practices.
Pesticide control operations can vary considerably depending on the products used, application methods, equipment, work locations, and services performed. Employees may apply pesticides using handheld sprayers, powered application equipment, spreaders, injection systems, or other specialized equipment. Work may be performed outdoors, at customer locations, on commercial properties, in agricultural or landscaped areas, or at other facilities where pesticide use is required.
A comprehensive safety manual helps companies establish consistent procedures for protecting employees while addressing the hazards associated with their specific pesticide control operations.
Safety Hazards in Pesticide Control Operations
Pesticides can present health hazards when employees are exposed through skin or eye contact, inhalation, accidental ingestion, spills, leaks, contaminated equipment, or improper handling practices. The potential for exposure depends on the pesticide, concentration, application method, duration of exposure, environmental conditions, and protective measures being used.
Employees may also encounter hazards that are not directly related to pesticide exposure. Depending on the work performed, these may include:
- Chemical mixing and transfer
- Powered and handheld application equipment
- Respiratory hazards
- Heat and cold exposure
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Manual lifting and material handling
- Vehicle operation
- Loading and unloading
- Electrical hazards
- Noise
- Working outdoors
- Working around customers or the public
- Equipment maintenance
- Spill and environmental hazards
- Emergency situations
The Pesticide Control Safety Manual can address these hazards as part of a coordinated safety program rather than focusing solely on pesticide application.
Pesticide Handling, Mixing and Application
Employees who handle pesticides should understand the hazards of the products they use and follow applicable pesticide labels, Safety Data Sheets, company procedures, and equipment instructions.
Mixing and loading activities require particular attention because employees may work with concentrated products and may have an increased potential for splashes, spills, inhalation, or skin contact. Appropriate PPE, suitable work areas, safe transfer practices, and access to washing or decontamination supplies can help reduce these risks.
Application procedures should address the equipment being used, environmental conditions, protection of employees and others in the area, prevention of unintended releases, and safe handling of partially used products and application equipment.
Employees should not use pesticides or application equipment unless they have received the training necessary for the work they are assigned to perform.
Personal Protective Equipment and Respiratory Protection
The personal protective equipment required for pesticide work depends on the product, application method, potential exposure, and instructions provided on the pesticide label.
PPE may include:
- Chemical-resistant gloves
- Protective clothing or coveralls
- Chemical-resistant footwear
- Safety glasses or goggles
- Face protection
- Head protection
- Respiratory protection when required
Employees should understand how to inspect, put on, remove, clean, store, and dispose of PPE as appropriate. Contaminated PPE and clothing should be handled in a manner that prevents additional employee exposure.
When respirators are required, the company should maintain an appropriate respiratory protection program addressing medical evaluations, fit testing, respirator selection, use, inspection, cleaning, storage, and employee training.
Pesticide Storage and Chemical Safety
Pesticides should be stored in designated areas and maintained in their original labeled containers whenever practicable. Storage practices should help prevent leaks, spills, incompatible storage, unauthorized access, environmental releases, and accidental exposure.
Employees should know how to identify damaged or leaking containers and what actions to take when unsafe conditions are discovered.
Chemical safety procedures may also address:
- Container labeling
- Safety Data Sheets
- Chemical inventories
- Secondary containers
- Storage compatibility
- Flammable or combustible products
- Ventilation
- Spill containment
- Waste management
- Empty container handling and disposal
Equipment and Vehicle Safety
Pesticide control work often requires vehicles and specialized application equipment. Equipment should be inspected before use and maintained in safe operating condition.
Hoses, fittings, tanks, pumps, valves, nozzles, pressure systems, and other components should be checked for deterioration, damage, or leakage. Defective equipment should be removed from service or repaired before continued use when the condition could expose employees to injury or pesticide release.
Vehicles used to transport pesticides, equipment, and supplies should be operated safely and loaded to prevent shifting, container damage, or releases during transportation.
Spill Prevention and Emergency Response
Companies should establish procedures for pesticide spills, leaks, employee exposures, fires, and other foreseeable emergencies.
Employees should know how to report a spill, protect themselves and others, isolate the affected area when necessary, obtain appropriate spill-response materials, and request emergency assistance.
Only employees who are properly trained and equipped should perform pesticide spill cleanup when the conditions require specialized protective measures.
Emergency procedures should also address pesticide contact with the skin or eyes, inhalation exposure, contaminated clothing, accidental ingestion, and symptoms that may indicate pesticide exposure. Appropriate washing, eyewash, decontamination, first-aid, and emergency medical resources should be available based on the work being performed.
Heat and Outdoor Work
Pesticide applications are frequently performed outdoors, where employees may be exposed to high temperatures, direct sunlight, humidity, and physically demanding work. Protective clothing and PPE can increase heat stress by limiting the body’s ability to cool itself.
Companies should establish procedures for drinking water, rest, shade or other cooling measures, acclimatization, recognizing heat-related symptoms, emergency response, and monitoring employees when environmental conditions increase the potential for heat illness.
Outdoor operations may also require procedures for severe weather, insects and animals, uneven terrain, traffic, and other changing site conditions.
Working at Customer and Remote Locations
Employees performing pesticide control work may travel between multiple locations during a workday. Each site can present different hazards.
Employees should evaluate the work area before beginning an application and consider access, occupants, vehicles, pedestrians, pets, nearby workers, environmental conditions, electrical equipment, walking surfaces, restricted areas, and other conditions that could affect safe pesticide use.
Procedures should also address communication and emergency response when employees work alone or at remote locations.
Pesticide Safety Training
Employees should receive safety training appropriate to their responsibilities and potential exposures. Training may include:
- Pesticide hazards and exposure routes
- Product labels and Safety Data Sheets
- Safe handling, mixing, and application
- Required PPE
- Respiratory protection
- Application equipment
- Pesticide storage
- Transportation
- Spill prevention and response
- Decontamination
- Emergency procedures
- Heat illness prevention
- Vehicle safety
- Hazard communication
- Reporting unsafe conditions and exposures
Training should be provided before employees perform work for which training is required and updated when changes in products, equipment, procedures, hazards, or employee responsibilities make additional instruction necessary.
Customized Pesticide Control Safety Manuals
Pesticide operations differ significantly from one company to another. A company applying pesticides to landscaped commercial properties may require a different combination of programs than an agricultural operation, vegetation-management contractor, grounds-maintenance company, or business using pesticides as one part of a larger service.
Flanagan Consulting Corporation can customize a Pesticide Control Safety Manual according to the company’s actual operations, employees, equipment, chemicals, and workplace hazards.
Depending on the work performed, applicable programs may include:
- Accident Prevention
- Emergency Action
- Hazard Communication
- Pesticide Safety
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Respiratory Protection
- Chemical Handling and Storage
- Spill Prevention and Response
- Hazardous Waste Management
- Heat and Cold Stress
- First Aid
- Emergency Eyewash and Shower Safety
- Hand and Portable Power Tools
- Equipment Inspection
- Material Handling
- Fleet Vehicle Safety
- Vehicle Inspection
- Working Around the Public
- Working Alone
- Severe Weather
- Environmental Protection
Additional programs can be included when required by the company’s operations or customer requirements.
A Safety Manual Built Around Your Operations
A Pesticide Control Safety Manual should reflect the work employees actually perform. Generic procedures that do not address the company’s pesticides, equipment, application methods, work environments, and employee responsibilities may leave important hazards unaddressed.
A customized manual provides one organized resource for company safety policies, employee responsibilities, safe work procedures, training requirements, emergency procedures, and other programs applicable to pesticide control operations.
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Get a customized Pesticide Control Safety Manual designed for your operations, employees, equipment, and workplace hazards. We can include the safety programs and procedures that apply to your pesticide control operations.
Pest Control Safety Programs
The safety programs needed by a pest control company depend on the services performed and hazards employees may encounter. A typical manual may include programs covering:
- Pesticide Safety
- Hazard Communication
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Respiratory Protection
- Chemical Handling and Storage
- Spill Prevention and Response
- Emergency Procedures
- Heat Stress Prevention
- Ladder Safety
- Fall Prevention
- Electrical Safety
- Confined Space Safety, when applicable
- Driving and Fleet Safety
- Manual Lifting and Material Handling
- Hand and Power Tool Safety
- Bloodborne Pathogens
- First Aid
- Fire Prevention
- Job Safety Analysis
- Workplace Violence Prevention
- Working Alone
- Accident and Incident Investigation
Programs that do not apply to the company’s operations can be removed, while additional programs can be added for specialized pest-control services.
Pesticide Safety
Pesticide safety is one of the most important components of a Pest Control Safety Program. Employees must understand the hazards associated with the products they use and follow applicable pesticide labeling, regulatory requirements, company procedures, and application instructions.
Pest control employees should be trained to:
- Read and understand pesticide labels before use.
- Follow directions for mixing, loading, application, storage, and disposal.
- Observe label-required personal protective equipment.
- Understand signal words, precautionary statements, and first-aid information.
- Prevent exposure through inhalation, skin contact, eye contact, and ingestion.
- Prevent pesticides from contacting customers, occupants, coworkers, pets, food, or unintended surfaces.
- Use application equipment according to manufacturer instructions.
- Respond appropriately to spills, leaks, exposures, and other emergencies.
- Maintain pesticides in properly labeled containers.
The pesticide label establishes important requirements for safe use and must be followed whenever pesticides are handled or applied.
Pesticide Applicator Training and Certification
Employees who apply pesticides must receive the training, licensing, or certification required for the products used and the jurisdiction where the work is performed.
Restricted-use pesticides may only be used by certified applicators or under supervision as permitted by applicable pesticide regulations.
Training should address the employee’s assigned duties and may include:
- Pesticide labels and labeling
- Health hazards and routes of exposure
- Personal protective equipment
- Application methods
- Mixing and loading
- Equipment operation
- Environmental hazards
- Spill response
- First aid and emergency procedures
- Storage and transportation
- Disposal requirements
- Applicable federal, state, and local pesticide regulations
State pesticide applicator licensing and certification requirements may be more specific than federal requirements and should be incorporated into company procedures.
Pesticide Labels and Safety Data Sheets
Employees should review the pesticide label before handling or applying a product and whenever there is uncertainty about its proper use.
Depending on the product, the label may specify:
- Permitted application sites
- Application rates
- Mixing instructions
- Required PPE
- Respiratory protection
- Restricted-entry requirements
- Ventilation requirements
- Environmental precautions
- Storage requirements
- Disposal instructions
- First-aid measures
- Prohibited uses
Safety Data Sheets should also be available as applicable to the company’s chemical safety and employee hazard-information procedures.
Pesticides must never be used in a manner inconsistent with their labeling.
Personal Protective Equipment
Pest control technicians may require different PPE depending on the pesticide, application method, work environment, and other hazards present.
PPE may include:
- Chemical-resistant gloves
- Protective clothing or coveralls
- Safety glasses or goggles
- Face shields
- Chemical-resistant footwear
- Respiratory protection
- Head protection
- High-visibility apparel when working near traffic or vehicles
Employees must use at least the PPE required by the pesticide label and any additional protection required by company procedures or other applicable workplace-safety requirements.
PPE should be inspected before use, properly maintained, cleaned or disposed of as appropriate, and stored away from pesticides and contaminated equipment.
Contaminated pesticide PPE should not be taken home when doing so could expose employees or family members to pesticide residues.
Respiratory Protection
Some pesticide applications, fumigation activities, dusts, aerosols, enclosed spaces, or other operations may create inhalation hazards.
When respiratory protection is required, the company should maintain a written Respiratory Protection Program addressing applicable requirements, including:
- Respirator selection
- Medical evaluations
- Fit testing
- Employee training
- Inspection and maintenance
- Cleaning and storage
- Cartridge or filter replacement
- Program evaluation
Employees should never substitute an unapproved respirator or dust mask for respiratory protection required by a pesticide label or the company’s respiratory protection procedures.
Mixing and Loading Pesticides
Mixing and loading may create a greater potential for exposure because employees may handle concentrated pesticide products.
Employees should:
- Perform mixing and loading in appropriate locations.
- Wear all required PPE.
- Measure products accurately.
- Prevent splashing and spills.
- Keep containers closed when not in use.
- Use dedicated measuring and transfer equipment when required.
- Maintain adequate ventilation.
- Prevent contamination of water sources.
- Avoid eating, drinking, smoking, or handling personal items while working with pesticides.
- Wash thoroughly after handling pesticides.
Employees should never use food or beverage containers to measure, mix, store, or transport pesticides.
Pesticide Application Safety
Before beginning an application, technicians should evaluate the treatment area and identify conditions that could affect safe application.
Considerations may include:
- Occupants and bystanders
- Children
- Pets and animals
- Food and food-contact surfaces
- Ventilation systems
- Aquariums
- Sensitive plants
- Water sources
- Electrical equipment
- Open flames and ignition sources
- Weather conditions
- Adjacent properties
- Application drift
- Required reentry restrictions
Applications should be stopped when conditions could cause unintended exposure or make safe application impossible.
Pesticide Storage
Pesticides should be stored in designated areas that protect employees, customers, the public, and the environment.
Storage practices should include:
- Keeping pesticides in their original labeled containers.
- Securing storage areas against unauthorized access.
- Separating incompatible products when necessary.
- Protecting containers from physical damage.
- Providing adequate ventilation where required.
- Containing leaks and spills.
- Protecting products from excessive heat or freezing when required.
- Keeping pesticides away from food, beverages, animal feed, and personal items.
- Maintaining appropriate spill-control materials.
Damaged or leaking containers should be addressed promptly according to the product label and company spill-response procedures.
Transporting Pesticides
Pest control technicians frequently transport pesticides in service vehicles.
Pesticides and application equipment should be secured to prevent movement, tipping, leakage, or damage during transportation.
Company procedures should address:
- Container security
- Vehicle ventilation
- Separation from passenger compartments when appropriate
- Spill supplies
- Emergency information
- Securing compressed cylinders when used
- Preventing unauthorized access
- Vehicle cleanliness
- Inspection for leaks or damaged containers
Employees should never leave pesticides unsecured where children, customers, or unauthorized persons could gain access.
Spill Prevention and Response
Pest control companies should maintain procedures for responding to pesticide and chemical spills.
Employees should know how to:
- Protect themselves from exposure.
- Stop or control a release when it can be done safely.
- Keep unauthorized persons away.
- Prevent pesticides from reaching drains, waterways, soil, or other sensitive areas.
- Use appropriate absorbent or containment materials.
- Notify supervision.
- Obtain emergency assistance when necessary.
- Report releases when required.
- Dispose of contaminated cleanup materials properly.
Employees should not attempt to clean up a spill when they lack the training, PPE, or equipment necessary to do so safely.
Decontamination and Personal Hygiene
Good hygiene is essential for reducing pesticide exposure.
Employees should:
- Wash hands before eating, drinking, smoking, using tobacco products, or using the restroom.
- Wash exposed skin promptly after pesticide contact.
- Remove contaminated clothing as soon as practical.
- Keep contaminated clothing separate from personal clothing.
- Clean reusable PPE according to applicable instructions.
- Avoid touching the face with contaminated gloves.
- Shower and change clothing after significant pesticide-handling activities when appropriate.
Employees should understand how pesticide residues can be transferred from contaminated hands, clothing, tools, vehicles, and equipment.
Application Equipment Safety
Sprayers, tanks, pumps, hoses, injection equipment, dusters, foggers, baiting equipment, and other pest-control equipment should be inspected and maintained.
Employees should check for:
- Leaking hoses
- Damaged fittings
- Worn seals
- Defective valves
- Damaged tanks
- Improper pressure
- Clogged nozzles
- Electrical defects
- Missing guards
- Loose components
Equipment should be depressurized and isolated before maintenance when stored energy could cause an injury or chemical release.
Heat Stress
Pest control technicians may work outdoors, inside attics, crawlspaces, roof areas, mechanical spaces, or other locations where temperatures can become extremely high.
Chemical-resistant clothing and other PPE may increase heat stress by reducing the body’s ability to cool itself.
The company should address:
- Drinking water
- Rest breaks
- Shade or cooling areas
- Acclimatization
- Work scheduling
- Heat-related illness symptoms
- Emergency response
- Additional heat burden created by PPE
Employees should report symptoms of heat illness immediately.
Attics, Crawlspaces and Restricted Areas
Pest control technicians frequently enter areas with limited access, poor ventilation, low clearance, exposed wiring, insulation, dust, animal waste, sharp objects, or extreme temperatures.
Before entering, employees should evaluate hazards such as:
- Restricted access and egress
- Heat
- Electrical wiring
- Weak or unfinished walking surfaces
- Nails and sharp objects
- Dust and insulation
- Rodent or animal waste
- Biological hazards
- Chemical residues
- Low oxygen or hazardous atmospheres
- Falling objects
An attic or crawlspace should not automatically be treated as a permit-required confined space; however, the area must be evaluated to determine whether confined-space hazards or other serious hazards are present.
Ladder Safety
Pest control employees may use ladders to access roofs, attics, eaves, signs, trees, storage areas, and elevated treatment locations.
Employees should:
- Inspect ladders before use.
- Select the correct ladder for the task.
- Maintain three points of contact while climbing.
- Place ladders on stable surfaces.
- Avoid overreaching.
- Keep ladders away from electrical hazards.
- Follow manufacturer load ratings.
- Remove damaged ladders from service.
- Avoid carrying materials in a manner that interferes with safe climbing.
Electrical Hazards
Pest control work may place employees near electrical panels, outlets, appliances, HVAC equipment, wiring, signs, lighting, and other energized systems.
Employees should avoid applying liquids where they could contact energized electrical components unless the product and application method are specifically appropriate for that use.
Damaged electrical equipment, exposed conductors, or unsafe wiring discovered at a customer location should be avoided and reported.
Wildlife, Insects and Biological Hazards
Pest control employees may encounter:
- Bees and wasps
- Spiders
- Rodents
- Snakes
- Birds
- Bats
- Fleas and ticks
- Animal waste
- Decomposing animals
- Contaminated nesting materials
Employees should be trained in appropriate protective measures for the pests and biological hazards associated with their work.
Special precautions may be needed for employees with known sensitivity to insect stings.
Driving and Fleet Safety
Driving is a significant part of many pest control jobs because technicians travel between customer locations throughout the workday.
A Pest Control Safety Manual should address:
- Driver qualification
- Seat belt use
- Distracted driving
- Mobile phone use
- Defensive driving
- Vehicle inspections
- Backing
- Parking
- Accident reporting
- Securing pesticides and equipment
- Vehicle maintenance
Employees should not allow schedules or customer appointments to encourage unsafe driving.
Manual Lifting and Material Handling
Technicians may handle pesticide containers, sprayers, tanks, ladders, traps, equipment, supplies, and other materials.
Employees should use proper lifting techniques and mechanical assistance when appropriate.
Heavy or awkward items should be evaluated before lifting, and team lifting should be used when necessary.
Working Alone and Customer Locations
Pest control technicians often work independently at unfamiliar customer locations.
Employees should have procedures for:
- Maintaining communication
- Reporting their work location
- Obtaining assistance
- Handling aggressive or threatening persons
- Dealing with unsafe properties
- Responding to uncontrolled animals
- Leaving a location when conditions become unsafe
Employees should never be required to remain at a customer location where they reasonably believe they are in immediate danger.
Job Safety Analysis
A Job Safety Analysis (JSA) can help pest control companies identify hazards before unusual, complex, or higher-risk work begins.
JSAs may be appropriate for:
- Pesticide mixing and loading
- Interior pesticide application
- Exterior pesticide application
- Attic treatments
- Crawlspace treatments
- Roof and elevated work
- Bee and wasp removal
- Rodent control
- Wildlife removal
- Fumigation
- Fogging
- Termite treatment
- Chemical spill response
- Work near electrical equipment
- Work in industrial facilities
The JSA should identify the work steps, associated hazards, and controls required to perform the job safely.
Emergency Procedures
Employees should know what to do following:
- Pesticide exposure
- Eye exposure
- Skin contamination
- Inhalation exposure
- Accidental ingestion
- Chemical spills
- Fires
- Vehicle accidents
- Insect stings
- Animal bites
- Heat illness
- Falls
- Other injuries or illnesses
Pesticide labels and relevant emergency information should be readily accessible when employees are using pesticide products.
Employees should seek emergency medical assistance when required and provide responders with information identifying the pesticide or chemical involved.
Pest Control Safety Training
Training should be based on each employee’s duties and exposure potential.
Training topics may include:
- Pesticide safety
- Product labels
- PPE
- Respiratory protection
- Hazard communication
- Chemical storage
- Mixing and loading
- Application equipment
- Spill response
- Heat stress
- Ladder safety
- Electrical hazards
- Driving
- Manual lifting
- Wildlife and biological hazards
- Emergency procedures
Training should be documented and updated when work practices, equipment, pesticide products, hazards, or regulatory requirements change.
Building a Pest Control Safety Manual
A Pest Control Safety Manual should be customized to the company’s actual operations rather than relying on a generic collection of safety policies.
A company performing residential pest control may require a different combination of programs than a contractor performing commercial fumigation, termite treatment, wildlife control, vegetation management, or pesticide application at industrial facilities.
The completed manual should identify applicable hazards and provide employees with clear procedures for performing their work safely.
When properly developed, the safety manual becomes part of the company’s overall safety-management system and helps organize employee training, hazard assessments, JSAs, inspections, incident investigations, emergency procedures, and regulatory compliance.
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Safety Resources
Related Programs
Pesticide Safety
Hazard Communication
Personal Protective Equipment
Respiratory Protection
Chemical Safety
Chemical Storage
Spill Prevention and Response
Heat Stress Prevention
Ladder & Stairway Safety
Fall Protection
Electrical Safety
Confined Space Safety
Working Alone
Workplace Violence Prevention
Driving Safety
Defensive Driving
Fleet Vehicle Safety
Manual Lifting & Material Handling
Hand & Power Tool Safety
Job Safety Analysis
First Aid
Bloodborne Pathogens
Fire Prevention
Emergency Action Plan
Accident & Incident Investigation
Safety Audits & Inspections
Lockout / Tagout
Walking-Working Surfaces
Slips, Trips & Falls
Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety
Groundskeeping Safety
Workplace Security
Workplace Visitors / Contractor Safety
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