PRECAUTIONS REQUIRED FOR SPRAYING AND MONITORING FIELDS

Released on July 26, 1995

Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Minister Andy Renaud today encouraged
farmers who are spraying for insect pests to take precautions to protect
their health and safety when working with insecticides.

"With the severity of insect infestations in some areas of the province,
producers are undertaking more intensive spraying activity than usual,"
Renaud said. "This means the potential for accidental poisoning is
higher than usual."

Renaud said that producers are urged to follow the instructions on all
chemical containers and to consult the Pesticide Safety Handbook produced
by Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food and Saskatchewan Labour.

Renaud also encourages farmers to continue to monitor their fields for
insect pests -- particularly diamondback moth larvae and bertha armyworm
larvae.

"It is imperative for farmers to keep a vigilant eye on their crops at
this time and to ensure that their crops are sprayed if and when
necessary," said Doug Billett, manager of production technology,
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food. "Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
extension agrologists are available for consultation and a list of
applicators is available at all Rural Service Centres."

Billett said that producers who are spraying are reminded that many of
the insecticides have specified field re-entry intervals.



"A re-entry interval is the interval after which a field sprayed with a
insecticide can be re-entered without wearing protective equipment and
clothing. If an insecticide label does not state an exact re-entry
interval there are two rules of thumb," Billett said.

"First, the very minimum re-entry interval is to wait until the
insecticide has dried. Second, it is imperative to have a minimum re-
entry interval of 24 hours for any pesticide with the word DANGER printed
on the label," Billett said. "I emphasize that these are minimum re-
entry intervals and I suggest it is best to err on the side of caution
and safety.

"If anyone must enter a field before the interval has passed, they should
wear protective equipment and clothing."

"Farmers who are accidentally exposed to insecticides should contact
Saskatchewan's poison control centres," Renaud said.

The Poison Control Centres in Saskatchewan are located at the Royal
University Hospital in Saskatoon and the Regina General Hospital in
Regina. If an accident occurs, producers can call these centres to
determine what action should be taken. The toll-free telephone numbers
for the poison control centres are 1-800-667-4545 (Regina) and 1-800-
363-7474 (Saskatoon).

-30-

For more information, contact:

Candace Vanin, P.Ag. Doug Billett, P.Ag.
Farm Safety Officer Manager, Production Technology
Occupational Health and Safety Division Sustainable Production Branch
Labour Agriculture and Food
Regina Regina
Phone: (306) 787-8399 Phone: (306) 787-8061
1-800-567-7233 (toll free)