1. Scope

These procedures have been developed by The Australian National University to prevent the unnecessary acquisition, storage and use of pesticides by the University and to control any pesticide acquisition, storage, use and disposal by the University to ensure that such activity is safe to all persons, non-deleterious to the environment, and effective in pest control. These procedures cover all occupational pesticide use in the University and the application of pesticide in association with engineering services. The procedures do not apply to the local domestic use of pesticide by individual members of staff.

The technical details [such as AS 2476, AS 2507, Commonwealth Department of Primary Industries & Energy's recommendations] and the legal requirements [such as the A.C.T. Pesticides Act 1989] expected to be known to authorised persons have not been repeated in this code.

It is a requirement that these procedures shall be followed by management and staff throughout the University.

2. Definitions

2.1 Pesticide.

A pesticide is a chemical (or mixture of chemicals) intended to be used for the selective control of pests.

Pesticide does not include medical and veterinary pharmaceuticals or chemicals used in research under the direction of a medical or veterinary officer or other appropriately qualified worker. Pesticide does include chemicals used by Buildings & Grounds Division for the control of pests in buildings, in air systems, and in water systems.

2.2 Pest.

A pest is an unwanted biological entity; including animal, plant and microbe.

2.3 Pesticide Operation, Pesticide Application, Fumigation.

A pesticide operation includes any or all of the processes of pesticide acquisition, storage, mixing, application (including supervision of an application undertaken by a private pest control firm), and disposal.

Pesticide application is the dispersal of a pesticide over a target area or volume.

Pesticide application is the process whereby a solid, liquid or solution pesticide (with no significant vapour pressure) is dispersed to settle in the target volume; but the term also includes the process of fumigation.

Fumigation is the process whereby a fumigant is released within a controlled target volume; it is one type of pesticide application.

A fumigant is a pesticide that has a significant vapour pressure at normal temperature and pressure.

2.4 Integrated Pest Management.

Integrated pest management refers to the process of pest control within a defined tolerance level by the use of biological, physical and organisational factors, in addition to chemicals.

The defined tolerance level is the level of pest infestation that has a significant deleterious effect on the primary objective (e.g. research project, economic viability, visual aesthetics). Biological factors would include the natural predators and parasites of the pest. Physical factors would include temperature, humidity, light and UV. Organisational factors would include isolation (glasshouses/pens/paddocks), insect screening of plants, restricted access of persons, pest-sensitive experiments in special facilities, and importantly, appropriate timing and quantity of any pesticide application to ensure effective pest control at their most damaging stage.

2.5 Authorised Person.

An authorised person is a person authorised to undertake explicit pesticide operations. The authorisation is given in writing by the University's Occupational Health and Safety Officer, and is subject to review at any time. If a recommendation is not acceptable to management, the matter shall be referred to the Secretary. Ultimately the Vice-Chancellor may be asked to make a decision.

This authorisation procedure is an administrative control mechanism aimed at ensuring that pesticide operations are only undertaken by persons with appropriate training and with knowledge of these procedures. The authorisation procedure in these procedures does not otherwise change the established employer-employee (or client-contractor) relationship between the University and its employees or contractors.

An authorised person for the purposes of these procedures shall be, a) a licensed pest control operator employed by a private pest control firm who is authorised, for any one occasion, to undertake an approved pesticide application in an Budget Unit of the University (see Appendix D), b) an employee of the University that by way of

• qualification and training, or
• training and experience

is authorised to undertake pesticide operations of a defined type in a Budget Unit of the University.

2.6 Budget Unit.

Budget Unit refers to a School, Faculty, Department, Cost Centre or Unit designated by the Vice-Chancellor as responsible for an activity of the University. The Budget Unit in occupancy of each building of the University is given in Appendix E.

3. Responsibility for Pesticide Operations

3.1 Responsibility of the Budget Unit.

The Budget Unit is responsible for all pesticide operations undertaken in their buildings or other occupancy spaces allocated to them by the University. The Budget Unit shall only undertake pesticide operations within their buildings or occupancy spaces.

It is the responsibility of the Budget Unit to ensure that such pesticide operations are only undertaken by authorised persons.

3.2 Responsibility of Facilities and Services.

Facilities and Services is responsible for all pesticide operations undertaken in the grounds of the University not allocated to an Budget Unit.

It is the responsibility of the Buildings & Grounds Division to ensure that such pesticide operations are only undertaken by authorised persons.

3.3 Responsibility of the Authorised Person.

The authorised person shall undertake work in a manner that is safe for all persons. It is the responsibility of the authorised person to inform management of any hazards associated with pesticide operations in the Budget Unit.

It is the responsibility of the authorised person to refuse to undertake pesticide operations outside their expertise. If the task is outside their practical experience, it is the responsibility of the authorised person to seek guidance before undertaking the task.

4. Acquisition of Pesticides

4.1 Acquisition by Authorised Person.

Only University employees who are authorised persons may be given the authority to acquire pesticides for the University. In this context, the term "to acquire" shall be interpreted widely and include the actions of requisitioning, purchase, gift, and loan.

It is the responsibility of Budget Unit management to ensure that the acquisition of any pesticide by their Budget Unit is only undertaken on the written direction of an authorised person.

Appendix A gives the list of authorised persons under these procedures at the time of publication. The current list of University employees who are authorised persons under these procedures is held by the Occupational Health and Safety Unit.

4.2 Requirements for the Pesticide.

The following requirements shall be met for any pesticide that is acquired: a) the pesticide is registered for use in the A.C.T., b) the pesticide is supplied in the registered container and with the registered label, c) the pesticide (or a component) is not listed on Schedule 8 of the Commonwealth's "Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons", d) the pesticide (or a component) does not have an acute mammalian toxicity less than 5 mg/kg by ingestion or less than 10 mg/kg by dermal absorption. No pesticide shall be acquired or held without a MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET for that pesticide being obtained and kept for the use of authorised persons.

4.3 Register of Pesticide Acquisitions and Disposals.

A register shall be maintained by each Budget Unit acquiring pesticides showing: a) the pesticides held by the Budget Unit, b) the use to which each pesticide is to be applied, c) the maximum quantity of each pesticide that is to be held at any one time (six months supply is suggested as an appropriate guide to the maximum quantity held), d) the date and quantity at acquisition, e) the date of complete use or disposal. The form of this register is given in Appendix B.

5. Personnel Safety and Protective Equipment

Budget Units shall supply the necessary facilities and equipment to allow the authorised person to undertake their responsibilities with pesticides in a safe and healthy manner, and in particular, to comply with the requirements of AS 2507 with respect to personnel safety in regard to

a) protective equipment (which includes protective clothing),
b) personal hygiene,
c) emergency communication,
d) first aid.

Protective equipment shall be issued and personally fitted for each authorised person, who will be responsible for its cleaning and maintenance within the Budget Unit. The Budget Unit shall provide a laundry service for the protective clothing used in pesticide operations.

Protective equipment shall be stored in an enclosed cupboard or separate room in or adjacent to the pesticide facility.

6. Storage and Mixing of Pesticides

6.1 Facility for the Storage and Mixing of Pesticides.

Budget Units that undertake to store and mix pesticides shall provide, in their Budget Unit, a facility designed for such activity. General features of this facility shall include,

a) an enclosed room or isolated building not occupied for any other purpose than pesticide storage and mixing,
b) with concrete flooring, bunded to contain 100% of stored pesticide volume,
c) secure from entry by unauthorised persons,
d) with the entry door labelled externally with the Class 6.1(a) class label for poisonous substances, the Class 3.1/.2 subsidiary risk label for flammable liquids (if applicable), and a NO SMOKING label,
e) with dilution ventilation, lighting and safety shower in accordance with AS 2507,
f) with impervious storage racks or cupboards for pesticide storage,
g) with local exhaust ventilation (and preferably a fume cupboard) for use when diluting and mixing of pesticide concentrate,
h) with the following resources for use in a pesticide spill: waste bins marked "WASTE", solid absorbent (e.g. sand, lime, vermiculite, commercial absorbent) for absorbing a liquid spill, and heavy duty polythene bags for containing spilt dry material. Any flammable pesticides in the facility shall be stored in accordance with AS 1940.

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS for all pesticides used in the facility shall be provided and be available for the use of the authorised persons.

Personal facilities such as lockers (for storing personal clothing and property), lunch room, hand basin, showers, etc. shall be sited away from the pesticide facility.

6.2 Access to the Pesticide Facility.

In routine circumstances, only authorised persons shall enter and work in the pesticide facility.

7. Control on Pesticide Applications

No pesticide application shall be considered without,

a) justification of the need,
b) definition of the target pest(s),
c) application of the principles of integrated pest management,
d) documentation (in the material safety data sheet) of the toxicity, selectivity, specificity, persistence and biomagnification of the pesticide(s) to be used,
e) consideration of the effect of the pesticide application on employees and on the environment.

A pesticide application in a habitable building shall be undertaken according to established work practices, which include,

a) notification of intent to undertake a pesticide application,
b) control of the target volume to ensure it is people-free during pesticide application,
c) prior plan for the pesticide application (e.g. isolation of inlet/outlet air of building, security from entry, clearance of animals/foodstuffs/cosmetics, application method details, etc),
d) confirmation of target volume safety before re-entry.

Pesticide applications undertaken by authorised persons employed by the University shall be recorded in a log book, the form of which is given in Appendix C.

Each pesticide application organised by a Budget Unit to be undertaken by a private pest control firm shall be individually approved by the University's Occupational Health and Safety Officer. Application for such approval shall be made on the form given in Appendix D.

8. Disposal of Pesticides and Pesticide Containers

All mixed pesticide that is unused after an application shall be retained and used as part of the next batch made up. It would be most effective for each pesticide to be used and retained in a dedicated applicator.

All empty pesticide containers must be triple rinsed and punctured. The rinse water shall be stored in the dedicated applicator for that pesticide and used to make up the next batch. The rinsed pesticide containers shall be disposed of taccording to the procedures of EnvironmentA.C.T.

9. Medical Monitoring

10. History

These Pesticide Safety hazard management procedures were drafted by a working party during October 1989 - March 1990, reviewed by representatives of management and unions, reviewed by a representative of the Environment Protection Section, ACT Administration, reviewed by a representative of Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association, reviewed and ratified by the Occupational Health and Safety Policy Committee, and approved by Warwick Williams, University Secretary on 10 January 1991.

These procedures should be read in conjunction with the University's Occupational Health and Safety Policy

APPENDIX A

Authorised Persons UNDER THESE PROCEDURES

Note: The above listing of authorised persons under these procedures was current at March 2002.

APPENDIX B

REGISTER OF Pesticide ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSALS

Pesticide Acquisition, Disposal and Net Holdings

A: list quantity and requisition number or other details

D: list quantity (including nil contents of disposed empty containers) and details of disposal

APPENDIX C

Pesticide USAGE LOG BOOK

APPENDIX D

APPROVAL FOR Pesticide Application BY A PRIVATE PEST CONTROL FIRM

Sections 1-2 to be filled in by Firm
Section 3 to be filled in by ANU Budget Unit Manager responsible for the job
Section 4 to be filled in by ANU OHS Officer

Section 1 - Details of Firm

Section 2 - Details of the Job for which Approval is Sought

(please include copy of current licences, if not previously submitted)

Section 3 - Administrative Procedures

Section 4 - Recommendation of OHS Officer

APPENDIX E

SCHEDULE OF BUILDINGS

(see Facilities and Services home page)

APPENDIX F

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A.C.T. Legislation

Pesticides Act 1989
Act No. 7 of 1989
Government of the Australian Capital Territory

Australian Standards

AS 2476: General Fumigation Procedures

AS 2507: The Storage and Handling of Pesticides

Guides for the Safe Use of Pesticides

Pesticides Section, Department of Primary Industry
A Manual of Safe Practice in the Handling and Use of Pesticides
AGPS, Canberra, 1980
International Labour Office
Safe Use of Pesticides
Occupational Health and Safety Series, No. 38
ILO, Geneva, 1977
N.S.W. Department of Agriculture
Care with Pesticides on the Farm and Orchard
N.S.W. Government Printer