C3 Staff receive training on responsible pesticide handling
On Tuesday, 30 July 2024, C3 workers (Tsietsi Madito, Edwin Nthoba, Gabriel Mokoena, and Elias Yokwane) from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences (SCCS) underwent training on responsible pesticide handling and use. The training was provided by one of Crop Life South Africa’s ‘Train the Trainer’, Zweli Mgayo. Crop Life SA is the trade association body for agrochemical companies in South Africa serving manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of sustainable crop protection, public health and plant biotechnology solutions.
The training covered guidelines on how to read pesticide labels, safe storage of pesticides on farms, correct fitting of personal protective equipment for pesticide application and safe disposal of pesticide packaging after use. The training provided workers with tangible application examples to assist them in carrying out their duties on the UFS experimental farms and glasshouses located near the Agriculture Building. The workers saw the importance of taking responsibility for their chemical stores to ensure their safety and the safety of students.
At the end of the training session, the workers were provided with certificates of completion (pictured on the left). The SCCS department hopes to continue to empower workers with knowledge and skills relevant to their roles!