Personal protective equipment, also called PPE, may be in short supply during the 2020 growing season. The most common personal protective equipment needed for mixing, loading, and applying pesticides safely include chemical resistant boots, aprons, goggles, gloves and respirators in addition to proper clothing (pants, long-sleeves, etc.). Now all of these are not in short supply, but particularly gloves and respirators may be in short supply. Ag is essential, so what can people in the Ag industry do to prepare?
First, review pesticide labels to identify those that require respiratory protection. Second, evaluate your existing inventory and the availability of PPE. Third, look for alternative products or practices if you can’t get the necessary PPE. A similar pesticide product may be available with different label requirements. Fourth, check that the alternative pesticide is registered for use in Nebraska by visiting nda.nebraska.gov/pesticide and use the Department of Agriculture’s searchable database for registered pesticides.
Keep in mind that pesticides may not be handled or applied without the label-required PPE. The EPA has not relaxed any PPE requirements. Homemade masks are not sufficient substitutes for label-required respirators/masks. Applying pesticides without required PPE may lead to an additional burden on emergency departments. If required PPE is not available, users may need to select alternative products or practices. For example, re-usable gloves can be washed and re-used if you do not have disposable gloves. You can always wear PPE that offers more protection than the label requires.
With the critical need for N95 respirators in health care, few, if any, are available in the marketplace as of April 2020. Many distributors are not even accepting new orders at this time, and back-orders have delivery-dates in June, July, or later. Ag is essential, so plan ahead. One option is to review your pesticide application plans and product labels. If any pesticides require the use of a respirator, look for an effective, legal alternative product.
Keep in mind that you can always wear PPE that offers more protection than the label requires. For respirators, that might be confusing. An N95 disposable filtering facemask is equal to a half-mask or full-face respirator that has N95 particulate filters. You could also use an N99 or N100 disposable filtering facemask or use facemask respirators with N99 or N100 particulate filters, as these provide more protection. Keep in mind that you must have a medical evaluation clearing you for the type of respirator and have a fit test for each type and model of respirator prior to use.
This information was adapted from public service announcements created by the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) with Nebraska Extension. For more information, go to pested.unl.edu. Know your crop, know you tech, know your bottom line.
Additional Resources
CropWatch Article: Potential Respirator Shortage Due to COVID-19
