Pest control & weed control equipment safety. Presented to National Pest Management Association, Jan 2012.

1. Pest Control Equipment
Safety Training
Protect Yourself & Your Future
Our Equipment. Your Success.
Andrew Greess
NPMA SW Conference
Albuquerque
January 2012

2. Today’s Safety Objectives:
- Identify Risks
- Identify Solutions
- Improve Awareness
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

3. Protect Yourself & Your Future
Ground Rules:
- Share Experiences
-Ask Questions
-Don’t Assume “Common” Sense
-Employee or Employer Responsibility
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

4. We Will Not Be Covering:
- Driving Habits
- Vehicle Maintenance
- Stupidity
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

5. Today’s Safety Risks Discussion:
Vehicle: Equipment Security & Load Stability
Acute Injuries: Cuts, Scraps, Burns, Slips
Chemical: Exposure & Spills
Back Strain
Job Site
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

6. Vehicle – Equipment Security
-Protect: Driver
Others on the Road
Equipment
-Just because it’s in the vehicle,
don’t assume its secure
-Get in the habit of looking & checking your equipment
-Examples:
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

7. Vehicle – Equipment Security
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

8. Vehicle – Equipment Security
- Check: B&Gs
Backpacks
Toolboxes
Tank straps
Skid sprayers
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

9. A Quick Check Prevents Problems:
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

10. Vehicle – Equipment Security
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com
The Nightmare Scenario!

11. Vehicle – Equipment Security
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com
No Spills!

12. Vehicle – Load Stability
Don’t Overload Vehicles
Load Affects: Maneuvering, Control & Stopping
Water in Tank is Significant
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

13. Vehicle – Load Stability
-Water in Tank is Significant
 Partial vs. Full Load
 Smaller Vehicles
 Distracted Drivers
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

14. Vehicle – Load Stability
 Match Tank Size to Vehicle
 Use Tank Baffles
 Reinforce Good Driving Practices
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

15. Acute Injuries – Cuts, Burns, Abrasions
-Review Truck/Equipment for:
 Hot
 Sharp
 Moving
 Rough
 Rust
 Tight
 Overhang
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

16. Acute Injuries – Prevent Slips
-Review Truck/Equipment for:
 Easy Up/Down
 Good Access
 Room to Walk
 Anti-Slip Surfaces
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

17. Acute Injuries - Prevention
-Existing Equipment
 Encourage techs to report problems
 Supervisor Ride-A-Longs
 Fix Significant Risks Now
 Track Opportunities to Incorporate in Future Equipment
-New Equipment
 Continuous Improvement – Steal Ideas
 Plan it BEFORE you buy it!
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

18. Chemical Issues – Exposure
-Use Personal Protection Equipment ALL THE TIME
 Not Just When Applying Chemicals
-Prevent Chemical Buildup
 On Equipment
 In Vehicle
 Inspect & Clean
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

19. Chemical Issues – Spills
- Fix Small Leaks before they become Big Leaks
 Fluids where they are not supposed to be are ALWAYS a problem
 Equipment problems NEVER go away by themselves
 Problems ALWAYS get worse
- Train Technicians to anticipate & identify problems
- Good Equipment Design can prevent leaks
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

20. Chemical Spills – Use Good Valving
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

21. Chemical Spills – Hose Issues
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

22. Back Strain
-Eliminate unnecessary stretching, straining & lifting
-Provide easy access to commonly used equipment
-Provide equipment appropriate to the employee
-Don’t overfill manual sprayers
-Examples:
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

23. Back Strain
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

24. Job Site Safety
- Know the hazards before starting
-1st
Time? Inspect the Site
-No walking backwards!
-Watch for small trip hazards
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com
There are no signs!

25. Job Site Safety
examples:
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

26. Summary
(or thank goodness he’s almost done!)
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

27. Safety - Technician
-Inspect equipment at the start of your day
-Don’t rush/Don’t cut corners
-Borrow ideas from colleagues at meetings like this on
-Don’t live with leaks and problems - report promptly
-Know the job site
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

28. Safety - Equipment
-Work with your equipment supplier to design safety in up front
-Fix serious problems ASAP
-Check that your equipment is secured
-Continuously improve equipment selection and design
- Borrow ideas from colleagues at meetings like this one
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

29. Safety Policies & Procedures
- Create a “Safety” culture
- Encourage reporting of problems
- Have regular safety meetings to share ideas
- Ask Spray Technicians for their ideas on improving safety
- Proper equipment maintenance will reduce safety problems
- Retrain technicians on proper equipment operation
- Managers should perform equipment inspections & ride alongs (pull hose)
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com

30. More Info on Spray Equipment:
Our Equipment. Your Success.
www.QSpray.com
PMP Magazine Column
 www.SprayEquipmentBlog.com
 follow FB: Andrew Greess
 Email us: Info@qspray.com
 Call Us for sprayers/parts/advice 800.675.7485