Public Urged to Use Pesticides Safely

Pesticide Control Authority Inspector, Hugh Ho Young has emphasized the need to ensure that pesticides are used in a safe and careful manner to avoid the harmful consequences.
He was speaking at a community meeting sponsored by the Authority at Tranquility in Portland on Thursday (January 10).
The meeting was one of several similar events sponsored by the agency in a number of communities in the parish, to sensitize residents about the dangers of pesticides and ensuring that they are used properly.
Mr. Ho Young implored the audience to always ensure that pesticides are stored in isolation from other household items. He stressed that containers with pesticides should always be purchased only if properly labeled, and that persons should not indulge in the practice of repackaging these substances, as very often no re-labelling is done and this could lead to mistaken use and harm.
Mr. Ho Young also urged persons not to buy more pesticide than they need at any one time in order to avoid having unused amounts placed in areas where they can be dangerous to humans.
While imploring farmers and other persons using pesticides and other dangerous chemicals to wear protective gear, he also encouraged users not to wash chemical containers in rivers, as that practice endangers the aquatic life in those areas.
Mr. Ho Young explained that pesticides should not be used in areas which are close to rivers, as this can result in the pollution of these waterways, thereby posing serious dangers to human life.