Farm inputs - 6.3 Storage of potentially hazardous products

Hazardous substances such as fuel, pesticides or animal health products that are not stored properly can:

• Be accidentally used for an unintended purpose
• Cause contamination if they are spilled or leaked
• Become ineffective (lose potency)

 

The good agricultural practice above applies to all farms.

Examples of potentially hazardous products:

• Lubricants and fuel
• Pesticides and seed treated with pesticides
• Cleaning and sanitizing products
• Animal health products, for example medicated feed antibiotics and vaccines

What needs to be done

Store all potentially hazardous products in clearly labelled containers in a designated and secure location. Follow all laws, labels, packaging or material safety data Sheets (MSDS) instructions and separate them from non-chemical products.

How to do it

Storage:

Keep potentially hazardous products physically separated from places where food, seed or fertilizers are handled, packed or stored to prevent cross-contamination.

Store potentially hazardous products in a dry location to prevent moisture from causing:

• Containers to rust
• Labels to deteriorate
• Bags to split
• Contents to deteriorate

Plan and locate storage of products away from water sources and areas prone to flooding, so that run-off or drainage water from the storage area cannot contaminate ground or surface water. Develop a farm map to record each storage location.

Allow only authorized workers to have access to storage areas. Keep storage areas locked where necessary.

Product labels:

• Store pesticides and animal health products according to manufacturers’ label, package or MSDS instructions.
• Refrigerated storage is very important for some animal health products. Storage in improper temperature conditions can result in loss of effectiveness.
• Certain chemicals may need to be protected from freezing if they are stored over the winter. Check the label to determine if they need to be in a heated or insulated place.

Containers

Keep products in their original containers, and keep containers sealed tightly where possible.

Routinely check containers for signs of deterioration (for example: rust, leaks, loose caps) and replace the container or dispose of the product when damage is noticed.

When a container is leaking, transfer the product to a replacement container made of similar material. For example, do not transfer a product that was originally stored in a brown glass jar into a clear plastic container. Label the new container (see next sentence).

Make sure all containers have accurate, easily read labels. Replace worn or damaged labels.

When pre-labelling products, include:

• Trade name of the product
• Name and concentration of each active ingredient
• Pest Control Products Act registration number or the Drug Identification Number (DIN).

Dispose of any stored products that have reached their expiry date. Learn about Storage and disposal of farm wastes.

Spills, fires and emergencies

Consider preparing a site plan that shows where you store potentially hazardous products, as well as the location of all water sources, including wells. Share this information with emergency personnel when necessary. Post a list of emergency contact numbers near the chemical storage and include:

• Poison Control Centre (24 hours) 1-800-567-8911
• Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) 1-800-663-3456
• Your local Ministry of Environment office
• Local numbers for doctor, fire department, police
• Keep absorbent materials, such as kitty litter, near to stop the spill from spreading and clean up small spills.

Storage of pesticides

Store herbicides away from other pesticides such as insecticides and fungicides as the vapours they give off can contaminate other products.

• Do not store treated seed in the pesticide storage area as it could become contaminated with other pesticides.

The BC Integrated Pest Management Act and Regulation has additional requirements for pesticide storage. Warning signs must be posted on all doors to the pesticide storage area. These signs must have the words:

• WARNING 
• CHEMICAL STORAGE
• AUTHORIZED PERSONS ONLY

You can obtain signs from AgSafe BC by visiting the link or calling toll-free 1-877-533-1789. Signs from AgSafe BC that have the word “DANGER” instead of “WARNING” are acceptable for use.

The Integrated Pest Management Act and Regulation has these storage requirements for commercial, restricted, and permit-restricted pesticides:

• Keep separate from food for human and animal consumption
• Have ventilation to outside
• Be locked when unattended
• Is accessible only to persons authorized by the person storing the pesticide
• Warning signs are clearly posted on storage facility

Commercial pesticides are pesticides required under the federal Act to have a label indicating their general uses (for example: commercial, industrial, agricultural or other commercial activity.
Restricted pesticides are pesticides required under the federal Act to be labeled as “Restricted.”
Permit-restricted pesticides are pesticides set out in Schedule 1 of the Regulation

Storage of animal health products and medicated feed

To prevent inadvertent use of animal health products and medicated feeds and to guard against improper storage conditions or storage in undesignated areas, all medications are:

• Stored in a designated “medication” storage area such as the farm office, refrigerator or utility room
• Clearly labeled
• Stored in a clean, dry location according to their label requirements
• Kept in a secured location with a lock, if possible

Records to keep

Keep product labels, package inserts or MSDS for all potentially hazardous products that are stored. 

If you have an audit

Be prepared for the auditor to:

• Request a site map of the farm to demonstrate where designated storage for potentially hazardous products are located
• Observe how potentially hazardous products are stored (for example, securely, and according to label direction)

Laws and regulations

Integrated Pest Management Act, S. B. C. 2003, c. 58 and the Integrated Pest Management Regulation, Reg. 604/04 set out requirements for storage of pesticides in s. 33, s. 66 and s. 67 that must be followed to avoid pesticide contamination of environment and impairment of human health and safety. These requirements include provisions for warnings, ventilation, limited access and no storage of food intended for human or animal consumption.

Go back to 6.2 General storage

Proceed to 6.4 Storage and disposal of farm wastes