February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month, and a time to review pesticide safety practices at your home or place of business, the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) says. WSSA and the American Phytopathological Society (APS), and the Entomological Society of America (ESA) are among the many organizations in the public and private sectors that promote pesticide safety awareness during February and throughout the year.
“There is no downtime in the safe handling and use of pesticides,” says Lee Van Wychen, Ph.D., executive director of science policy for the Weed Science Society of America. “It is important for each of us to focus on safety to protect ourselves, others, and the environment during pesticide transport, storage, application, and disposal.”
The National Pesticide Safety Education Month webpage contains a quiz to check your knowledge of basic pesticide safety principles, as well as a self-assessment to evaluate your own pesticide safety practices at home and at work. The site also includes educational resources produced by Land Grant University Pesticide Safety Education Programs.
“We all strive for a safe home environment, healthy crops, successful conservation efforts, protection of agricultural workers, and more – all of which require the safe handling and use of pesticides,” Van Wychen says.
Source: wssa.net
