Due to the fact that a dangerous pest - locusts - has been detected in a localized area on the territory of the Slobozhanska settlement council of the Chuhuyiv district and its possible spread to crops and other territories, the Main Department of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection in the Kharkiv region reminds of the need to comply with the rules for working with pesticides.
The state policy of Ukraine in the field of activities related to pesticides is based on the following principles:
- safety for human health and the environment during the production, testing and use of pesticides, provided that the requirements established by state standards, sanitary norms, regulations and other regulatory documents are met;
- prioritizing human health and environmental protection over the economic impact of pesticide use.
This type of activity is regulated by a number of regulatory legal acts, in particular: the Law of Ukraine "On Pesticides and Agrochemicals", the Law of Ukraine "On Plant Protection", the State Sanitary Rules "Transportation, Storage and Use of Pesticides in the National Economy", approved by the Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated 03.08.1998 No. 1 (DSP 8.8.1.2.001-98), the State Sanitary Rules for the Aviation Use of Pesticides and Agrochemicals in the National Economy of Ukraine (DSP 382-960), approved by the Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated 18.12.1996 No. 382, which define the main measures aimed at protecting the life and health of the population.
In accordance with the above legislative acts, the following requirements apply to business entities and citizens who use pesticides and agrochemicals:
- the use of pesticides and agrochemicals that have not undergone special state registration on the territory of Ukraine is prohibited;
- During the work period, warning signs must be installed within a radius of 200 m from the boundaries of the areas being treated;
- when spraying with fans, the sanitary gap zone from settlements, livestock complexes, places of manual work on caring for crops, reservoirs and places of rest must be at least 500 m, when spraying with booms and sprinkling - 300 m;
- In advance, but not less than two days before the start of each chemical treatment, the farm administration must notify the population, owners of adjacent agricultural lands and facilities about the places, timing and methods of pesticide application (for example, by informing about this in the local press, on the radio, sending a message to local government bodies and organizing the placement of announcements in places of mass population presence);
- all work with pesticides should be carried out in the morning (before 10) and evening (18-22) hours with minimal air flows;
- It is forbidden to leave pesticides and mineral fertilizers in places of their application without protection;
- When applying pesticides by air, it is necessary to strictly maintain sanitary protection zones from the areas of aerial chemical treatments to other objects (settlements, livestock and poultry farms, water supply sources, etc.). Three days before the start of aerial treatments, the customer must take precautionary measures in accordance with the requirements of DSP 382-96;
- It is prohibited to carry out aerial pesticide treatments (of all toxicity groups) of agricultural, forest and other lands located closer than 5 km from the permanent location of honey apiaries; 2 km from fishery reservoirs, open water sources, grazing areas for domestic animals, objects of the nature reserve fund (reserves, national parks, botanical and zoological reserves, etc.); 1 km from settlements, livestock and poultry farms, as well as crops of agricultural crops consumed without heat treatment (spring onions, celery, dill, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, etc.), gardens, vineyards and places of agricultural work.