Pesticide - Handling Facility

Agdex#:	607
Publication Date:	02/94
Order#:	94-037
Last Reviewed:	02/94
History:	Reprinted February 1994
Written by:	R.P. Stone - Engineer/OMAFRA; D. Gaunt - Agricultural Engineering

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Site Location
3. Structural Features
4. Other Features
5. Additional References
6. Related Links

Introduction

Pesticides are chemical and biological products which are used to kill and control pests on farm operations. They include herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, miticides and other products.

A significant amount of pesticides are used in the agricultural industry, thus it is essential that all pesticides be stored in a proper and safe manner on farms today. Under the Pesticides Act it is illegal to store pesticides under unsafe conditions. Therefore, you should consider the following requirements when planning a pesticide storage facility for your farm:

1. Construction of a separate building/room that will be used exclusively for the storage of pesticides.
   Pesticides are not to be stored in close proximity to food or water (drink) in order to avoid contamination. Therefore, a separate, free-standing building is the most desirable storage. If the pesticide storage facility is constructed within another building, the interior separation walls of the pesticide storage should have a fire resistance rating of not less than one hour.
   
   
   Figure 1. A Prefabricated Pesticide Storage
   
   
   
   
   
2. The storage must be ventilated (and screened) to the outside atmosphere.
   Either a natural or mechanical ventilation system may be used to exhaust fumes from the storage.
   
3. Accessibility to the storage must be from outdoors only and the door must be locked to control access and prevent unauthorized entry.
4. A "Chemical Storage Warning" sign must be permanently affixed on or adjacent to the outside of each entrance leading into the storage area. These warning signs are available at the local offices of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
   
   Figure 2. A "Chemical Storage Warning" Sign
   
   
   
   
5. The storage is to have an impervious floor, e.g., sealed concrete, with no floor drains and with a curb around the entire floor perimeter of the storage facility to contain any spills.
   The curb height should be adequate to contain a spill from the largest container in the storage and not less than a height of 50 mm (2 in.) above the storage floor elevation.
6. An insulated and heated compartment is to be provided within the storage for any chemicals that require protection from freezing.
7. Insecticides, herbicides and fungicides should be stored separately from each other in the facility.
8. Protective clothing must be readily available and stored so that it does not become contaminated, e.g., in an adjacent room or in polyethylene bags.
9. Emergency telephone numbers must be displayed in a permanent place. Numbers should include hospital, ambulance, physician, poison control centre, spills action centre, fire department, police and the Ministry of the Environment.
10. All pesticides should be stored in their original labelled containers.
11. Absorbent material (such as sawdust, soil or rags) should be available in sufficient quantity to clean up any spills or leaks from containers.

Pesticide storages may be purchased as modular units. The requirements under the Pesticides Act can be incorporated into these units. These modular units are available in various sizes, up to approximately 9.3 m² (100 ft²) in floor area.

Farmers, wishing to construct their own pesticide storages, can make use of the detailed plans below as a basis to work from. This 2,440 mm x 3,650 mm (8' x 12') wood frame, steel-clad storage can be constructed on-site by the farmer. The storage requirements included under the Pesticides Act have been incorporated into the design.

The plan calls for a non-insulated structure. Ventilation is accomplished by natural means through the sidewall and gable soffits. "Five Minute Wait" signs are to be posted on the entrance to the pesticide storage. This will allow for the entrance door to be left open five minutes before entering so that adequate ventilation within the room will occur. An insulated cabinet, where the temperature is held above freezing with a low wattage electric bulb, provides winter storage for chemicals susceptible to freezing.

An anteroom with a separate outside entrance provides a non-contaminated area for storage of safety equipment and clothing. This area is completely sealed off from the storage section and ventilates separately through the soffits.

| Top of Page |

Site Location

1. Locate the building on a well drained area where flooding will not occur.
2. The facility should be graded around the perimeter so that roof drainage flows freely away from the building.
3. The building is to be located at a minimum separation distance of 45 m (150 ft.) from dwellings, wells, watercourses, etc., and such that water contamination is unlikely, e.g., slope of surrounding land.
4. A mixing area should be located adjacent to the storage and designed to contain any spilled material so as to prevent contamination of surface and/or groundwater supplies.
   The drawings and descriptive features for the pesticide - handling facility are outlined below.
   

| Top of Page |

Structural Features

1. Base - Remove top soil and prepare base with 150 mm (6") depth compacted granular fill (Granular A).
2. Floor - Floating concrete slab 125 mm (5") thick and curb 90 mm (3½") high formed in one placement. Use 20 mpa (3000 psi) concrete with 5% air entrainment. Curb height is continuous around perimeter of slab (includes doorways and common walls of anteroom).
3. Reinforcing Rods - 10 mm (½") diameter at 600 mm (24") O.C. both directions and bent up into concrete curb.
4. Anchor Bolts - 12 mm x 150 mm (½" x 6") at 1.200 mm (4'-0") O.C. to secure base plate.
5. Walls - Non-insulated stud wall construction (check Ontario Building Code). 28 gauge corrugated steel cladding applied vertically on the outside walls. No interior sheathing required except for the common walls between anteroom and storage area (see 12).
6. Roof - Check Ontario Building Code for local live loads and dead loads to assure structural adequacy of rafters/trusses at a given spacing.
   Roof Types
   - Simple rafter or roof truss with nailing girts and 28 gauge corrugated steel cladding.
   - Asphalt shingles nailed to 12 mm (½") D.F. exterior sheathing plywood.
   NOTE - Light coloured roofing preferred to reduce heat build up.
7. Doors - 7(a) 2-900 mm x 2,000 mm (36" x 80") and 7(b) 1-600 mm x 2,000 mm (24" x 80") outward opening exterior type galvanized steel doors, or wood doors with exterior metal cladding attached for improved resistance against vandalism, rodent/pest damage and weathering.
8. Lighting - Light fixtures (pig-tail) type with 60 watt bulb mounted onto bottom chord of roof truss or rafter. One bulb per room.
9. Ventilation - Sidewall soffit air intakes, both sides, 100 mm (4") clear width x building length. Gable end soffit intakes, both ends, 100 mm (4") clear width x rafter length. All air intakes should be bird proofed with a 90 mm (3 ½") hinged closure flap. In the closed position the closing flap dimension will allow a 12 mm (½") opening for winter ventilation.
10. Storage Racks - Should be constructed above the top of the curb (datum line) so that in the event of an accidental spill or leak, the container is not in direct contact with the floor.
11. Frost Protection - If chemicals are stored which are susceptible to freezing, an insulated cabinet 600 mm x 900 mm x 1,200 mm (2' x 3' x 4'), or sized to suit, should be constructed and heated with a low wattage electric bulb.
    

| Top of Page |

Other Features

12. Anteroom with hooks or shelves or lockers for the storage of respirators, disposable gloves, coveralls, goggles, first-aid supplies, personal gear, etc. Anteroom must be sealed off from the adjoining pesticide storage area (e.g. - for the common wall utilize a sill gasket between top of raised concrete curb and the stud wall plate). Internal walls to continue in height to the underside of the roof and should include a vapour barrier and internal sheathing. Caulk all seams to ensure air isolation from the pesticide storage room. Size of room to be 1,200 mm x 1,200 mm (4' x 4') or to suit. The anteroom will utilize the sidewall and gable end soffits for continuous ventilation.
13. Frost-free water hydrant to be located outside the building. A backflow valve/siphon preventer (self-draining type) to be installed on discharge end of hydrant.
14. An optional concrete ramp (broom finish) can be formed with a finished elevation equal to the top of the curb. This feature would facilitate loading/unloading of storage with a front-end loader.
15.  Fire extinguisher should be of the ABC type and should be located in close proximity to, but not in the pesticide storage building.

Figure 3. Cross-section 'A'-'A' of structural features.

Figure 4. Structural Features

| Top of Page |

Additional References

OMAFRA Factsheets
Management of Pesticides on the Farm, Agdex 607
Pesticide Container Rinsing, Agdex 607
Pesticide Contamination of Farm Water Supplies, Agdex 607
Storing Pesticides on the Farm, Agdex 607

OMAFRA Plan
Pesticide - Handling Facility, Order No. ONT. 8000

MOE Factsheet
Requirements for Transportation and Storage of Pesticides

Related Links

• OMAFRA Factsheet, Pesticide Contamination of Farm Water Supplies, Order No. 00-099
  

| Top of Page |