Safety Information for Handlers of
Pesticide Soil Fumigants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that certified applicators provide
safety information to handlers ofsoilfumigants.  Providing this information to handlers
in a manner they can understand meets this obligation.
How do I know if I am a handler?
         What are the common active
         ingredients in soil fumigants?
You are a handler if you are in an
application block and/or buffer zone
and your work involves:
 Assisting with applications
 Cleaning up spills
 Handling or disposing of containers
 Using, cleaning, adjusting, or repairing
 equipment that may have residue
 Installing, operating, repairing, or removing
 irrigation equipment
 Shoveling soil
 Installing, perforating, removing, repairing, or
 monitoring tarps
 Monitoring air concentrations
 Doing any crop advisor and/or other Worker
 Protection Standard (WPS)  handler activities
What are soil fumigants?
Soil fumigants are pesticides that...

• are applied as a gas, or form a gas shortly after
  application,
• move through the soil to kill pests, and
• give off gas into the air around treated areas.
           Methyl bromide
           Chloropicrin
           Metam sodium (Vapam)
           Metam potassium (K-Pam)
           Dazomet (Basamid)
           1,3-Dichloropropene (Telone)
           lodomethane (Midas)
           Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) (Paladin)
         What are the signs and symptoms
         of exposure?

         You may have been exposed to a soil fumigant if
         you experience signs and symptoms such as:

         • Watering, burning, or irritation of the eyes, nose,
           or mucus membranes
         • Headache, nausea, or dizziness
         • Tremors, slurred speech, or loss of muscle
           coordination; and/or
         • A skin rash, burning and/or blistering
         Only trained handlers can assist
         with and apply soil fumigants.
              United States
              Environmental Protection
              Agency
Office of Pesticide Programs (7506P)
Washington, DC 20460
EPA-735-F-10-002
November 2010
www.epa.gov/pesticides

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What should I do if I have signs or
symptoms of exposure?


If you experience signs or symptoms of exposure:

• STOP working immediately;
• INFORM your supervisor or employer and let
 them know if you need medical attention,
• LEAVE the area, and
• MOVE upwind.

Return to work only when your employer or
supervisor tells you it is safe. Your supervisor
may have you wear a respirator and go back to
work. If you still experience symptoms while
wearing the respirator, STOP WORKING.

• You may go back to work only when the:

   > Symptoms go away,
   > Cartridge in the respirator has been changed,
     and
   > Measured air concentrations are below the
     trigger level.

How can I prevent exposure?


Before a pesticide application:

• Read the entire label, especially the first aid and
 emergency procedures.
• Ask where to find the Fumigant Management
 Plan. It will have information about safety
 precautions and what to do if there is an
 emergency at your site.
• Be familiar with first aid procedures.
• Know where to find a telephone and phone
 number for medical help.

During a pesticide application:

 •  Always wear the proper Personal Protective
   Equipment (PPE) as listed on the label.
Requirements and responsibilities
for handlers

Before working with soil fumigants, handlers
must:

1. Be trained on the use of fumigation
equipment

2. Know first aid and emergency procedures,
escape routes, and emergency contact
information.

3. Read and follow the directions on the label.
THE LABEL IS THE LAW.  It has information
for physicians and requirements for:

• safe handling
• symptoms of exposure
• first aid

4. Use the PPE listed on the label. If you use a
respirator, be fit-tested, trained on proper use,
and healthy enough to wear it.

5. Be trained as a handler according to the
requirements of the WPS. The information in
this brochure alone does not satisfy handler
training required by the WPS.

Contact your state  pesticide  regulatory
agency to  see if your state has
additional requirements.
 If you think that you or someone else may
 have gotten ill from exposure during or after
 the application of a fumigant, provide the
following information to the applicator in
 charge of the fumigation and/or to the doctor:

 • The name of the person who is ill
 • The applicator's name (if it isn't the
  applicator in charge)
 • Where and when the exposure occurred
 • What happened
 • Symptoms of illness
 • Name of the fumigant product, active
  ingredient, or EPA registration number

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