MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS

Aside from the label on a product, which is a legal document, an essential source of risk and safety information on a pesticide product is the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). MSDS are available from the manufacturer of the product and must be supplied to you on request. There are also a number of useful online databases for MSDS.

Under occupational health and safety requirements, it is compulsory to have an MSDS available to staff who may be exposed to a hazardous substances in the workplace. The National Occupational Health and Safety Commission has a National Code of Practice for the Preparation of Material Safety Data Sheets (1994), which establishes the requirements for information to be included in MSDS.

Check list for information that must be included on MSDS according to the MSDS Code of Practice:

Many MSDS are out of date, incomplete or misleading. If you have not been provided with a comprehensive MSDS notify the manufacturer and the Occupational Health and Safety Commission.

Pesticide Labels

Pesticide labels are legal documents, strictly controlled by the National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals. Label directions must be followed. It is an offence to use a pesticide in a way, or for any other purpose, than specified on the label. Poisons legislation classifies pesticides and requires label signal words and directions.

CLASSIFICATION SCHEDULE	SIGNAL WORDS	INSTRUCTIONS
Schedule 7	DANGEROUS POISON	Keep out of reach of children Read safety directions before opening
Schedule 6	POISON	Not to be taken Keep out of reach of children Read directions before opening
Schedule 5	CAUTION	Keep out of reach of children
Unscheduled		Optional instructions: Keep out of reach of children Harmful if swallowed

Active Constituent (or Active Ingredient)

The active constituent is the biologically active component. All active constituents must be listed together with the concentration. Where the active constituent is a scheduled poison, the chemical name must be in CAPITALS. Additionally, where the active ingredient is a cholinesterase inhibitor it must also bear the words •an anticholinesterase compound•. Where certain solvents are present at prescribed levels this information must also be contained.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 National Environmental Health Forum, Pesticide Use in Schools and School Grounds (1997)
National Environmental Health Monographs, General Series No.1.

2 NSW Department of Education, Chemical Safety in Schools: the Safe Use and Storage of Workplace
Chemicals in Schools (1999).

3 Spitzer,E. (2000) Pesticide Use at New York Schools: Reducing the Risk, Environment Protection Bureau, Attorney General of New York State.

4 Rountry,D. (1999) Calculating the True Costs of Pest Control, Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program, Publication No. 99-433, Washington State Department of Ecology.

5 Schettler, T.,Stein, J., Reich, F.,Valenti, M., 2000, In Harm's Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development,
Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility.

6 Hazlehurst, C. & Immig, J. & Copeman, R. (1999) A National Health Monitoring Program for Agricultural
and Veterinary Chemicals: Proposal for Development and Implementation, National Registration Authority
for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals.

7 Radcliffe, Dr. J.C., (2002) Pesticide Use in Australia, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

8 United States Environmental Protection Agency (1993), Pest Control in the School Environment:
Adopting Integrated Pest Management.

9 United States Environmental Protection Agency (1999), Integrated Pest Management for Schools:
A How-to Manual.

10 Illinois Pest Control Assoc., Illinois Dept. of Public Health., Structural Pest Control Advisory Council., University of Illinois Extension (1999), Practical Guide to Management of Common Pests in Schools.

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John Gerozisis & Phillip Hadlington (2001) Urban Pest Management in Australia, 4th ed., UNSW Press

Jo Immig (2000) Toxic Playground: a Guide to Reducing the Chemical Load in Schools and Childcare
Centres, Total Environment Centre

Steve Parish & Pat Slater Amazing Facts About Australian Insects and Spiders, Steve Parish Publishing

Jackie French (1999) Soil Food, Arid Books

Donald Trotter (1999) Natural Gardening A-Z, Hay House

Peter Bennett (1999) Organic Gardening, New Holland

George Adams (1998) Birdscaping Your Garden, Lansdowne

Paul Rogers (1997) Safer Pest Control for Homes and Gardens, A Choice Book

Peter Cundall (1997) Seasonal Tasks for the Practical Australian Gardener, Penguin Books

Linda Woodrow (1996) The Permaculture Home Garden, Viking