Elements and Performance Criteria
- Assess the need for fumigation.
- Ascertain the threshold level of infestation against quality requirements and industry practice.
- Determine the need for fumigation as an option within an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and IRM strategy.
- Determine the appropriate fumigation method with regard to pest type, facility and storage/growing conditions.
- Undertake a cost-benefit analysis of fumigation.
- Determine type and method of fumigation
- Select method of fumigant application to suit type of pests, facility and grain/plant type in accordance with manufacturer's specifications, environmental, legislative, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements and industry practice.
- Determine type of fumigant and application rate in accordance with manufacturer's specifications, standards and environmental, legislative, OHS and industry practice.
- Assess appropriateness of facility and conditions for selected fumigation method.
- Identify and report any factors affecting the safe application of fumigants.
- Determine facility capacity to ensure fumigation conditions are in accordance with manufacturer's specifications and environmental, legislative, OHS and industry practice.
- Prepare storage facility for fumigation
- Assess hazards and control risks in relation to the use of fumigants in accordance with legislative, environmental, OHS requirements and industry practice.
- Establish security measures to control access during fumigation and prescribed re-entry periods in accordance with label directions.
- Erect signage and barriers to control risk of inadvertent entry to facility.
- Apply sealing methods as appropriate to contain fumigant in accordance with label and industry practice.
- Check seal, calculate volume of storage facility, and take appropriate measurement to ensure the required concentration of fumigant is retained in accordance with label directions.
- Set up emergency and confined spaces systems in accordance with legislative and OHS and requirements.
- Prepare application equipment and fumigant(s)
- Select and use appropriate personal protective equipment in accordance with label and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) requirements.
- Select application equipment appropriate for the fumigation in accordance with label directions and industry practice.
- Check operational effectiveness of equipment in accordance with manufacturer's specifications and industry practice.
- Calibrate fumigation equipment to application rate in accordance with label directions.
- Prepare fumigant in accordance with label legislative and OHS requirements and industry practice.
- Conduct fumigation
- Monitor fumigation
- Monitor fumigation site during exposure time and ventilation to prevent unauthorised access in accordance with legislative and OHS requirements and industry practice.
- Maintain integrity of seals throughout the active fumigation period in accordance with label, legislative and OHS requirements and industry practice.
- Ventilate storage facility
- Establish ventilation and re-entry times and control risks to public health and safety in accordance with label, legislative, OHS requirements and industry practice.
- Ventilate facility to remove fumigant in a safe and controlled manner in accordance with label, legislative, OHS and industry practice.
- Test for evidence of residual gas using appropriate equipment.
- Notify appropriate person(s) of any further risk control measures required in accordance with label, legislative, OHS and industry practice.
- Restore storage facility
- Collect and remove all equipment, fumigants and waste in accordance with label, legislative, OHS and industry practice.
- Remove signage and barriers when facility is available for re-use in accordance with legislative and industry practice.
- Restore storage facility in accordance with legislative and industry practice.
- Clean, safety-check and store equipment and fumigants
- Clean, decontaminate, check and store equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in accordance with manufacturer's specifications, OHS and industry practice.
- Transport and store fumigants in accordance with label, OHS and industry practice.
- Dispose of all waste in accordance with label, legislative, OHS environmental and industry practice.
- Record fumigation details