• If pesticides were spilled, contain and absorb pesticide to minimize environmental contaminations. For details, refer to Pesticide Spill Procedures Section.
• Record as many facts as possible on the forms provided for each vehicle and which should be kept in the vehicle at all times.
• Photograph the accident scene and any areas subjected to pesticide contamination.
• If questioned by law enforcement officers or news media:
  

This chapter will function as a guide for the handling and control of chemical spills released into the environment as a result of a vehicle accident or emergency incident. Topics to be covered are: spill reporting requirements, spill containment, spill clean-up, and follow-up procedures.

A. At the Scene of an Emergency Incident.
The first step in dealing with an emergency incident which has resulted in a chemical spill is to determine if there has been any personal injury. If personal injuries have been sustained, immediately seek emergency medical assistance.

B. Spill Containment.
Company personnel at the scene of the incident, after aiding any injured parties, should determine the extent of damage and whether there has been a release of material. If a spill has occurred, it is critical that prompt and effective action be initiated to control and contain the spill and flow of material. If the spill is a result of a truck accident and a leak has developed, efforts should be taken to stop the leak.

Quick and effective containment of an accidental spill is critical in minimizing potential environmental impacts. Use a borrowed shovel to dig up sod or dirt to construct a dam at any spill site. If the spill material flows into a ditch or depression, block the flow at both ends to reduce further movement.

C. Notifying the Office.
Once all reasonable efforts have been taken to contain the spill, the office should immediately be notified. When calling the office, explain the nature of the emergency incident (i.e., vehicular accident, hose rupture, other), report personal injuries, time observed, location, and report spill, if any, including volume and duration. It is important to tell the office immediately if you need additional on-site assistance in spill containment, etc.

Office personnel who receive an emergency incident call should record the following information:
1. Name of caller and call-back number
2. Time observed
3. Location
4. Material released
5. Cause of release
6. Volume and duration
7. Present and anticipated movement of contaminants
8. Weather conditions
9. Personnel on scene
10. Action initiated
11. Person to contact on scene

Spill material which flows into any body of water or waterway must be immediately reported to the National Response Center at (800) 424-8802. The National Response Center is coordinated by the United States Coast Guard. When reporting to the National Response Center it is important to provide all of the information noted above. Also, regional, state and local regulatory and enforcement offices may be required to be notified. Failure to report a spill can result in civil and criminal penalties. If a spill is not reported, a fine of up to $10,000 may be levied and/or imprisonment for not more than one year. Willful negligence or willful misconduct within the knowledge of an employee or office can result in a penalty of $250,000. The EPA has taken a strong position in regard to spill reporting and has had a history of enforcing the regulations in this area and has issued large fines for violations.

D. Spill Site Clean-Up.
Upon notifying the office and providing all pertinent information, and returning to the scene of the emergency incident, efforts should now be taken to remove all spilled material and assess other related damage.

If the spilled material was not able to be completely contained, trace the flow of the material to its ultimate outlet. Again, it is important to determine exactly what type of material spilled and amount. The amount of material spilled can be calculated by adding the quantities sprayed that day (from invoices) and subtracting from the total fill. (See section on Reporting for a review of spill report requirements.)

Spill material at the scene should be recovered with pumps or buckets to the greatest extent possible. Regulatory agencies on the scene may order the surface area excavated and removed. In the case of ordered excavation, it will be necessary to contract with an outside concern as soon as possible C preferably the same day, to complete the ordered excavation. All excavated material then becomes waste and it is your responsibility to ensure proper disposal. If pesticides were involved in the spill, the excavated material must then be tested for hazardous waste characteristics. You must properly dispose of excavated or clean-up material within 60 days.

If the material spilled is removed and does not include the removal of soils, you should determine if it will be feasible to beneficially reuse the materials. If the material cannot be reused and it is to be discarded, the material must be tested for hazardous waste characteristics.

The spill site should be photographed. It will be helpful to take pictures at various angles and to include all contaminated areas. The landowner should be notified, explaining materials spilled and potential related problems. Personnel should remain on the scene as long as needed or until the area has been adequately restored.

If questioned by law enforcement officers, news media or regulatory agency representatives, be cooperative. Present known facts concerning the spill incident and be honest in your answers. Do not volunteer information or make guesses as to the extent of personal injury, property damage, or pesticide damage. If you believe a question is inappropriate or you are uncertain, inform the questioner that you will have an answer at a later date. If you are asked about the chemical constituents in the spill material, you may provide the chemical name. If questioned about quantities of materials spilled, explain that this information will be available when it is determined.

E. Suggested Pesticide Spill Report.
Any pesticide spill which is a threat to the environment, a hazard to human or animal life, or potentially endangers any of the above must be reported to the appropriate authorities and should be recorded on a Pesticide Spill Report Form. In the report the following information must be recorded:
1. Date of spill
2. Time of spill
3. Cause of spill
4. Location of spill and path of spilled pesticide(s)
5. Total quantity spilled
6. Exact quantities of components spilled
7. Other circumstances
8. Date recorded and signature

F. Spill Incident Follow-Up.
After the spill site has been cleared and spill material removed, it will be necessary to follow-up and note any developments. Return to the site of the incident and review the spill area and flow path. Note any changes or symptoms of damage. Take pictures of all areas to document follow-up visit. The incident site and path of pesticide flow must be observed at least 48 hours after the incident, and then once every three days thereafter for two weeks.

If surface excavation was required in the spill, it will be necessary to wait for test results for characteristics of hazardous waste. All spill waste clean-up material must be properly disposed of within 60 days of the incident.

PERSONAL INJURY ACCIDENTS

Employee

1. Pesticide Contamination.
The first step in any accidental contamination with pesticides is to take action to prevent the absorption of the chemical.

• Swallowing - If pesticides are accidentally swallowed, the usual first aid procedure is to induce vomiting by placing ones finger to the back of the throat or taking syrup of ipecac, which is packaged specifically for treatment of accidental ingestion. However, one should not attempt to induce vomiting with pesticide concentrates containing a significant percentage composition of Xylene (Betas an and Dursban). Medical attention should be sought immediately if concentrates are swallowed. Take a copy of the label to the medical facility.
• Eye Exposure - Wash the eyes immediately with large volumes of water. Wash for at least 15 minutes. In the branch use the eyewash fountain. The handheld eyewash bottle is for immediate action in the field. It will then be necessary to get to another source of water such as a hose spigot or sink to continue the flushing. It may be necessary to manually extract the eyelids because pain will cause the eyelids to close. If there is either pain or reddening of the eye after rinsing, get medical attention.
• Skin Exposure - Remove contaminated clothing as soon as possible. Promptly wash contaminated skin with soap and water at the site. Shower and change into clean clothing before resuming any other activity.

3. Traumatic Injuries.
Any injury that requires first aid emergency medical treatment should promptly be reported to the office. Injuries or other illness that compromise driving skills should be reported to the office so that arrangements can be made for an alternate driver to return the vehicle to the branch.

Non-Employee

Spraying of lawns, trees or shrubs should not be done in the presence of non-employees. Nevertheless, should a non-employee become directly exposed to spray or drift, they should be advised of procedures to minimize absorption of chemicals. These include washing exposed areas, change of clothing to remove contaminated clothing and instructions to segregate contaminated clothing from the family laundry for separate washing.

Be calm! There is not need to call a medic squad for an emergency run to the hospital. The exposed person should be given the common chemical names of the pesticides and the concentration. They may wish to consult with their physician or have a medical examination. It is a prudent practice, and they should be encouraged to do so.

If a copy of the label is requested, provide it but emphasize that the label pertains to the pesticide in the concentrated formulation. For example, Dursban in the tank mix (660 ppm) is diluted by a factor of 672 when compared with the formulated concentrate (44.4%).

Customer Complaints - Human Exposure

Customers that allege personal injury from pesticide exposure should be dealt with in a courteous understanding manner. Determine if they are unhappy with the service, seeking information or reassurance, or if they wish to make a claim against the Company. Obtain a description of the claimed injury, persons involved, date of claimed injury, name and phone number of physician providing medical care. You may inform the complainant (customer or neighbor) that we will require medical documentation of any claim of personal injury. Enter the appropriate information on the Report of Personal Injury Claim Form.

We have nothing to hide. Do not hesitate to provide the customer or the customer's physician the identity of the materials used at the time of an alleged injury. We will require skin patch tests to support claims of allergic contact dermatitis and will, in these circumstances, need to provide diluted samples. However, do not provide samples of chemicals.

Customer Complaints - Pet Exposure

The principles of dealing with customer complaints concerning pet exposure are similar to those for human exposure. Again, determine the nature of the complaints, the date the alleged illness or injury was first seen, the identity, age, sex and breed of animal involved and the name and telephone number of the veterinarian. It is often helpful to talk to the veterinarian to determine if his conclusions of cause and effect are a reasonable certainty involving your company or merely a possibility. The difference between the two are often lost in translation by pet owners.

Except for cholinesterase tests, laboratory analysis for pesticides in blood or tissues to confirm or refute diagnosis of pesticide related injuries are not sufficiently well developed to be generally useful. State diagnostic laboratories are, in many instances, a good referral laboratory. For claims related to fish or wildlife, state departments of natural resources are also often helpful.