A footprint to sustainable pest and disease management
Develop and Manage a
Chemical Use Strategy –
AHCCHM501A
Workforce Innovations Program Project 275
Materials produced by Regional Skills Training Pty Ltd
Funding provided by the DIISRTE Workforce Innovations Program
AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
WEB
Activity I Fact I Website
Contents
01
About yourself
3
02
Trouble with website links
3
03
How are these materials used
3
04
What are these learning materials about
4
05
Employability Skills
5
06
Unit descriptor and how the unit applies to your workplace
5
07
Identify and evaluate need for chemical use
6
08
Develop a chemical use risk management strategy
12
09
Develop and implement procedures for chemical management and use
20
10
Identify training and supervision needs and solutions for chemical use in the workplace
26
11
Monitor and evaluate the implementation of a chemical use strategy
28
12
Summary of key innovations/opportunities identified as a result of adopting these skills
35
13
Bibliography and source material
36
14
Being confident about your skill levels
39
15
Assessment
42
Copyright Notice
Bridging the Gap between Chemical and Organic Food and Fibre Production.
These interactive workbooks were produced by Regional Skills Training and funded by Department of Industry,
Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, Workforce Innovations Program and are intended for free
use to any student, RTO or school. Note that any work is copyright and should not be reproduced or copied for
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
1
About yourself
Please fill in your details below and save this PDF to your files.
Name
Phone
Email
2
Trouble with
website links
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site will say it is not available. Please revisit the
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materials as web sites are sometimes “off line” for
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If you are consistently unable to access a site
you are free to answer any associated work book
activity or assessment question by searching
for and finding an alternative site that you feel is
applicable. PLEASE INCLUDE THE LINK IN YOUR
ANSWERS so we know where to look to check
your information.
3
How are these
materials used
This workbook has a strong focus on the
self‑directed application of knowledge.
Completing this workbook and all formative
assessments will thoroughly prepare you for your
summative assessment. On successful completion
of appropriate summative assessments provided
by your Registered Training Organisation (RTO),
you will achieve competency in this unit.
Please complete the feedback form at the back of
the unit and advise us of any links that do not work.
Please complete the feedback
form at the back of the
unit and advise us of any links
that do not work
3
AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
This workbook is for
those who manage the
use and application
of chemicals in
commercial settings.
4
What are
these learning
materials about
This unit applies to those who manage the use
and application of chemicals in commercial
settings. The scope of this workbook includes the
following activities:
• Implement procedures to assess the risk
of chemical transport, storage, handling,
application and disposal.
• Develop an induction program that covers
the enterprise WHS system and roles and
responsibilities of all workers within that system.
• Base application techniques on spray drift
management principles, accurate placement of
chemical and the correct use of PPE.
• Make application to authorities in the case of off
label use.
• Meet all withholding periods and requirements
to limit access to sprayed areas.
• Meet chemical storage systems industry and
legislative requirements.
• Document chemical emergency procedures
and all requirements for chemical signage.
• Review chemical procedures based on
enterprise records.
This workbook has a strong focus on the
self‑directed application of knowledge with
substantial depth in the areas of:
• Hazards to human health, agricultural produce,
and all aspects of the environment and nontarget species of flora and fauna associated
with the transport, storage, handling,
application and disposal of chemicals.
• Factors that contribute to spray drift, measures
to assess the potential for spray drift and
prevent or control its occurrence, and the
elements of a spray drift management strategy.
• Routes of entry of chemicals into the body
and the implications of this on chemical use
management strategies.
• Safety procedures including the maintenance,
use, fit and decontamination of personal
protective clothing and equipment.
• Influence of meteorological factors
(temperature, humidity, rain) on quality
of chemical application, drift potential,
effectiveness and efficacy of use.
• Precautions and risk control measures that
may be used to minimise risks and hazards
associated with the use of chemicals.
• Principles of IPM/IRM/IAM and their benefits in
terms of chemical use risk management.
• Emergency procedures for safety incidents
involving chemicals.
• Requirements and options for the keeping
of records on chemical use and equipment
maintenance and repair.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
5
6
The statements below list the typical employability
skills that would be applied in a situation related
to developing and managing a chemical use
strategy in a commercial setting. In completing
your daily work tasks and activities and summative
assessments related to this unit of competence,
you must be able to demonstrate that you are
applying the “employability skills” listed below to
this competency.
This unit of competency covers the
following processes:
Employability
Skills
This work book provides an opportunity to develop
and apply employability skills that are learnt
throughout work and life to your job.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Communication skills
Identify and accurately report problems
Organisational skills
Teamwork skills
Technological skills
Use mathematical ideas and techniques.
UNIT DESCRIPTOR
AND HOW THE
UNIT APPLIES TO YOUR
WORKPLACE
• Identify and evaluate need for chemical use.
• Develop a chemical use risk
management strategy.
• Develop and implement procedures for
chemical management and use.
• Identify training and supervision needs and
solutions for chemical use in the workplace.
• Monitor and evaluate the implementation of a
chemical use strategy.
Chemicals may include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Insecticides
Fungicides
Herbicides
Bactericides
Algaecides
Biologicals
Nematacides
Rodenticides
Fumigants
Antimicrobial agents
Anthelmintics
Hormone growth promotants, and
The range of veterinary chemicals used to treat
animals for disease.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
7
Identify and
Evaluate Need
for Chemical Use
Despite our best efforts not to use chemicals,
there will be occasions where the prudent use of
chemicals is required. In such circumstances, it
is essential to use the ‘right chemicals, in the right
amounts, at the right time and in the right way’. This
will help to minimise the risks of chemical usage to
people, the environment and the financial bottom
line. This workbook is designed to assist you to
think very carefully about the appropriate and safe
use of chemicals within your workplace.
Before you even consider the use of chemicals
within your enterprise, you must understand the:
• Internal requirements of your workplace/
enterprise (e.g. chemical use policies, pest and
disease control strategies).
• External requirements (e.g. legislative
and regulatory requirements, community
requirements) to which you must comply.
This level of understanding will assist you to identify
the chemicals that you can use if your chemical
use criteria have been satisfied. You can then make
informed decisions about which of these chemicals
is most appropriate for any given situation. In some
circumstances, this process will be relatively easy.
In others the internal and external requirements
may conflict and make the decision making
process far more complex.
7.1 Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and
Integrated Resistance Management (IRM)
strategies are interpreted and the organisational
chemical requirements are identified
and documented
Requirements for chemical use are documented.
To understand the internal requirements of any
chemical control strategy, you need to identify and
analyse all relevant workplace strategies. These
may include, but not be limited to:
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and
Integrated Resistance Management
(IRM) strategies
• Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S) policies
• Quality Assurance programs
• Sustainability policies
• Chemical use policies.
The basic premise of IPM and IRM is that a single
chemical solution to pest and disease control is no
longer an appropriate management response.
The days of broad spectrum chemical applications
on fixed dates (e.g. spray on the first day of every
quarter) are not viable. Modern pest and disease
management requires an in depth understanding
of the nature and lifecycle of pests and diseases,
the implementation and monitoring of many
complementary strategies targeted at the pest/
disease weaknesses.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
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 Source: NSW
Government – Environment
and Heritage; “Integrated
Pest Management”;
NSW; 2012.
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pesticides/
integratedpestmgmt.htm.
IPM is an environmentally sensitive way of
managing pests. It uses a combination of practices
and control methods to prevent problems from
occurring rather than dealing with them after they
have happened. IPM practices include forward
planning, regular monitoring and timely decisionmaking. IPM control methods include:
• Biological control, using predators, parasites or
microbial pathogens to suppress pests.
• Cultural and physical control, using methods
such as barriers and traps; adjusting planting
location or timing; or crop rotation and
cultivation techniques which expose pests to
predation or destroy their food, shelter and
breeding habitats.
• Chemical control, selecting the least toxic
pesticides and using them only when needed
as opposed to regular preventative spraying.
• Plant choice, choosing plant varieties that are
resistant to diseases in an area, and matching
species to the site.
• Genetic control, releasing sterilised male
insects to decrease the incidence of successful
mating of pest species.
• Pheromone control, using pheromones to
monitor insect populations in a crop or orchard.
IPM is normally implemented as a four-tiered
approach:
1. Set action thresholds: Before taking any pest
management action, set an action threshold,
which is a point at which pest populations
or environmental conditions indicate pest
management action must be taken. Sighting
a single pest does not always mean control is
needed. The level at which pests will become
an economic or environmental threat is critical
for guiding future pest management decisions.
2. Monitor and identify pests: Not all insects,
weeds and other living organisms require
control. Many organisms are harmless, and
some are beneficial. Monitor for pests and
identify them accurately so appropriate
control decisions can be made in conjunction
with action thresholds. This monitoring and
identification removes the possibility that
pesticides will be used when they are not really
needed or that the wrong kind of pesticide will
be used.
3. Prevent pests from becoming a threat: IPM
programs prevent pests from becoming a
threat. In an agricultural crop, this may mean
using methods such as rotating between
different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties
or planting pest-free rootstock. These control
methods can be very effective and costefficient, and present little to no risk to people
or the environment.
4. Control: Once monitoring, identification
and action thresholds indicate that pest
management is required, and preventative
methods are no longer effective or available,
find the most effective control method that
presents the least risk to the environment and
human health. Such methods include:
–– Highly targeted chemicals such as
pheromones that disrupt pest mating
–– Mechanical controls such as trapping
or weeding.
If further monitoring, identification and action
thresholds indicate that less risky controls are not
working, employ additional pest management
methods such as targeted spraying of pesticides.
The general spraying of non-specific pesticides is
a last resort.
Please note that throughout the workbook you will
complete a variety of activities. Please complete
all activities in the context of your workplace.
Activities are divided into a sequence that will
allow you to develop a chemical use strategy that
is useful to your workplace. Be sure to include
reference sources in your activity responses,
where applicable, so that your lecturer can check
your sources as required. Extracts throughout
this workbook, sources listed in the bibliography,
plus your own research will assist you to
complete activities.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Activity 1
Conduct your own research and answer the following questions within the context of your workplace.
Question
Response
Briefly outline the circumstances that require you
to develop a chemical use strategy.
In the following rows, please identify what pests and diseases are being targeted for chemical
management and the list of chemicals that you are considering using:
Pest/Disease for Chemical Management
Potential Chemicals to Treat Pest/Disease
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
7.2 External requirements for chemical use are
identified and relevant information obtained,
interpreted and documented
External requirements for chemical use are identified
and relevant information obtained and interpreted.
Requirements for chemical use are documented.
When developing a chemical use strategy for your
workplace, you must also identify and interpret
relevant external requirements. These requirements
may be legislative or regulatory, or belong to other
external stakeholders that are of importance to your
workplace, such as:
• Industry based organisations and associated
codes of conduct or best practice guidelines
• Community needs and expectations for a safe
environment in which to live
• Customer requirements for food that is ‘clean,
green and chemical free’
• Supplier, distributor requirements for the safe
transport and storage of chemicals.
The following extracts have been provided to
start you thinking about external requirements
that your strategy must consider and comply with.
These are not intended to provide a complete or
comprehensive list of such requirements. You will
need to conduct your own research (including
consultation with key stakeholders) to identify
those that are applicable to your unique set of
circumstances. It is also important to note that
external requirements are dynamic. That is, they
change with time.
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 APVMA; “Spray Drift”;
Australia; 2012.
www.apvma.gov.au/use_safely/spray_drift/index.
php
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 Department of Primary
Industries Victoria;
“Chemical Use Legislation”;
Australia; 2012.
 NSW Government,
Department of Environment
and Heritage; “Chemical
Management”; Australia;
2012.
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www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pesticides/
chemicalmgt.htm
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National programs
Industry is taking important steps towards
demonstrating extended producer responsibility
for agricultural and veterinary chemicals and
their containers with the drumMUSTER and
ChemClear initiatives:
• drumMUSTER is part of a national industry
scheme to reduce the number of agricultural
chemical containers entering the market by
encouraging manufacturers to use alternative
packaging containers, technology and/or
formulations.
• ChemClear is an ongoing program to collect
and destroy all unwanted agricultural and
veterinary chemical wastes. This initiative builds
on the success of the government-funded
program ChemCollect, the one-off free service
focused on collecting and destroying historical
farm chemical wastes.
National agreements have been developed for
movement of controlled chemical wastes around
Australia to ensure there are minimal impacts on
human health and the environment. The Office of
Environment and Heritage monitors and regulates
the release of toxic chemicals in the air.
The National Chemicals Environmental
Management (NChEM) framework provides a
more streamlined, transparent and nationally
consistent management approach to chemicals
and the environment.
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/farmingmanagement/chemical-use/agricultural-chemicaluse/rules-and-regulations
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Activity 2
Whilst identifying all of the external requirements that must be considered within your strategy may seem like a
daunting task, it is essential that you have sufficiently researched and documented such requirements. What you
will notice is that a lot of the requirements are based on a common sense approach and the need to prioritise
the health and safety of workers and minimise the risk of contamination to people and the environment. These
requirements and laws must be factored into any decision that you make to purchase, store, handle and apply
chemicals. Conduct your own research and identify the external requirements that your chemical use strategy
must consider and comply with. It is far better to understand these at the start of the planning process and factor
them into your strategy.
External Stakeholder/Legislation/Regulation/Policy
External Requirement That Must Be Complied With
7.3 Chemicals available to meet requirements
are identified and information concerning their
application is reviewed
Take some time to review the list of chemicals that
you identified in activity 1. Do those chemicals also
meet the requirements of activity 2?
Now that you have reviewed the relevant internal
and external requirements which your chemical
use strategy must comply with, you should be
able to identify a ‘short list’ of chemicals that meet
these requirements.
If so, include them in the following activity
and conduct your own research to identify the
information that is relevant to the application of
these chemicals. If not, then you will need to
conduct further research to identify chemicals that
do meet all of your documented requirements.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Activity 3
Pest and
Disease
Issue
Chemicals that Meet
Internal/External
Requirements
Application Information / Factors to
Consider to Minimise Risk
Reference Source
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
8
Develop a
Chemical Use
Risk Management
Strategy
Hazards in the transportation, storage and handling
of chemicals are identified and assessed.
Risk factors associated with the use of chemicals
are identified and documented.
Risk control measures are identified and developed
in accordance with regulatory requirements.
When considering the use of chemicals within your
workplace you need to understand that risks exist
and it can be hard to predict when they will occur.
Risk management is an essential and mandatory
component of your chemical use strategy and
planning for risks before they occur is often the
easiest way to do this.
Risk management is a systematic process of
making a realistic evaluation of the true level of
risks to your workplace, people (e.g. staff, visitors,
the broader community, customers, suppliers), the
environment and the financial bottom line.
Before risks can be properly managed they need to
be identified. You can begin with the identification
of potential hazards. A hazard is any situation that
can cause harm to a person, the environment or
damage property. To identify hazards, you need to
consider all aspects of the chemical use process:
• Purchase and transportation
• Storage (pre and post chemical use)
• Handling and application.
For each process consider these questions:
• What can go wrong?
• What can I do to prevent it?
• What do I do if it happens?
A good plan is to develop a risk management
register to document each potential hazard, its
level of seriousness, what is required to fix it and
who will fix the problem.
The following extract demonstrates how this
methodology is applied within the context of
managing farm chemical residues.
 Bryar, J; HAZARD
ANALYSIS CRITICAL
CONTROL POINTS
(HACCP): A TOOL FOR
MANAGING FARM
CHEMICAL RESIDUES;
Department of Statistics
and Operations Research
(Centre for Management
Quality Research); RMIT
UNIVERSITY; Research
Report No. September,
2000.
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http://mams.rmit.edu.au/p4uu806qs2qn.pdf
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For each step in the process horticulturalists
must identify the hazards, assess the significance
of the hazards and determine what control
measures need to be applied to control the
significant hazards.
All inputs to a process including raw materials
like fertilisers, farm chemicals, water source
and packaging materials, equipment, storage
conditions, processing methods, produce,
premises and people that have a potential to
introduce a hazard into the produce need to
be considered.
It is also essential to distinguish between the
hazard and the cause of the hazard. Consider the
hazard of excess chemical residues on produce.
The cause of the hazard is more often than not
inappropriate chemical application (not following
label instructions or withholding period, poorly
maintained spray equipment, inappropriate
chemical spraying techniques and ineffective
calibration of equipment) rather than spray drift
from other properties. Control measures are likely to
include farm chemical user training for the operator,
calibration and preventive maintenance of spray
equipment as well as following label instructions
including WHP.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Unfortunately the assessment of the significance of a
potential hazard is subjective and relies heavily on the
knowledge and experience of the HACCP team – in this
case, the grower themselves. When a hazard has been
identified the horticulturalist needs to ask and answer
two questions:
• What is the severity of the hazard (the seriousness of
the hazard to consumer safety or produce quality)?
• What is the risk of the hazard (the likelihood of the
hazard occurring)?
In normal circumstances, farm chemical usage is seen
to be both severe in terms of seriousness to consumer
safety and has a high likelihood occurring. A control
measure must be put in place to prevent, eliminate or
reduce the hazard to an acceptable level. In this case a
number of control measures are normally put in place:
• Farm chemical user training for the operative.
• The use of registered chemicals for their intended
purpose, following label instructions and
withholding periods.
• Preventive maintenance and calibration of
spray equipment.
• Good farming practices (common sense and
industry best practice).
• Monitoring pest and disease levels in the crop.
The responsibility for controlling agricultural chemical
hazards must lie with the grower. Clearly, training in
responsible chemical use is important. Often this is the
first step in the prevention, elimination or reduction of the
level of risk to an acceptable level.
Once you have identified all hazards and the associated
risk, you can then determine the most appropriate
controls to mitigate the risk. The level of control you
implement will depend upon your risk assessment and
the priorities assigned to each risk.
The following extract provides an example of how
this is applied and the types of controls that you
should consider:
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 University of South
Australia; “OHSW&IM
PROCEDURE – Hazard
Management Procedure,
V1.1”; South Australia;
October 2011.
Risk control must be achieved by using a
predetermined hierarchy of controls. The primary
aim of risk control is to eliminate the risk and the
best way of achieving this is to remove the hazard.
If this is not possible the risk must be minimised by
using one or more of the other control options from
the hierarchy. The risk control measure selected
must be the highest possible option within the
hierarchy to minimise the risk to the lowest level as
reasonably practicable. Existing controls should be
re-evaluated to determine if the most appropriate
control measure is in place. The hierarchy of
controls includes:
Eliminate: Removing the hazard, e.g. taking a
hazardous piece of equipment out of service.
Substitute: Replacing a hazardous substance
or process with a less hazardous one, e.g.
substituting a hazardous substance with a nonhazardous substance.
Isolation: Restricting access to plant and
equipment or in the case of substances locking
them away under strict controls.
Engineering: Redesign a process or piece of
equipment to make it less hazardous. Isolating the
hazard from the person at risk, e.g. using a guard
or barrier.
Administrative: Adopting standard operating
procedures (SOPs) or safe work practices or
providing appropriate training, instruction or
information.
Personal Protective Equipment: The provision
and use of personal protective equipment could
include using gloves, glasses, earmuffs, aprons,
safety footwear, dust masks.
In many cases, it will be necessary to use more
than one control. Back-up controls, such as
personal protective equipment, should only be
used as a last resort. Controlling hazards is critical
to reduce the risk to an acceptable level.
The following webpage identifies how to proactively
manage the risk of chemical spray drift. It identifies
what needs to be considered and some of the
risk management controls that can be applied.
Take some time to watch the videos and read
through the reference material provided. Can you
see how you need to think quite broadly when
assessing risks?
www.unisa.edu.au/ohsw/procedures/docs/hazard.pdf
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
 Department of Primary
Industries Victoria; “Spray
Risk Management”;
Australia; 2012.
 Department of Primary
Industries NSW; “Farm Safety
Starter Guide”; Australia;
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2012; p7.
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www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/farmingmanagement/chemical-use/chemical-use-videos/
spray-risk-management
www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/
publications/Documents/farm_safety_starter_
guide_1349.pdf
Chemical use experts, Alan Roberts, DPI Program
Manager – Chemical Standards Field Services and
Craig Day from Spray Safe and Save provide an
overview of the main factors involved in spray risk
management and mitigation.
Spray drift
We look at the issue of chemical spray drift and
how it has increased in risk since the 1980s with the
changes in crops being grown across Victoria and
market access requirements.
Sources of information
Before using a chemical product, there are various
sources of information that can assist users to use
products correctly. Agricultural Chemical Control Areas
(ACCAs) also need to be considered prior to spraying.
Planning a spray program and droplet size
Planning is an important part of a spray program to
ensure chemicals are used safely, effectively and
responsibly. This should include assessing the site to be
sprayed, sensitive areas, sprayer calibration and droplet
size to minimise the risk of off-target drift or movement.
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 Dairy Australia; “Health and
Safety Risk Management”;
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Australia; 2012.
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www.thepeopleindairy.org.au/farm-policies-systems/
health-and-safety-risk-management.htm#Identify
This site provides excellent reference material in the
body of the text + a range of tools and templates that
can be downloaded. Check out the publications at
the end of the page; “other sources of information”.
 University of Sydney
– Australian Centre for
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Agricultural Health and
Safety; “Resources – Hazard
Checklists with Action Plans”.
Weather and inversion layers
www.aghealth.org.au/index.php?id=5030
Weather is an important consideration when planning to
spray agricultural chemicals and needs to be recorded
at the site to be sprayed. Learn about what weather
conditions are suitable for spraying and inversions,
which increase the risk of spray moving off-target.
So now it is time to pull all of this information together
and develop a risk management strategy. To reiterate,
the intent of such a strategy is to prevent injury and
damage to people, property and the environment.
Personal safety and record keeping
Keep an open mind and consider all aspects of the
chemical use process when identifying hazards and
assessing risks.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) should always
be worn when working with agricultural chemicals.
Find out what to wear and where to find information
on PPE. Compulsory record keeping requirements
are also explained.
Ensure that your controls are realistic and
comprehensive. You may need to implement
processes to ensure that controls are being used in
accordance with your risk management strategy.
The following websites also provide useful and
practical approaches to risk management.
When considering how to control risks based on
your priority assessment, remember that more than
one control is often necessary.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Activity 4
Identify potential but realistic hazards that may occur throughout the chemical use process (transport, storage,
handling) and the skills/experience of staff/contractors within your workplace.
Then complete the following risk register for your strategy. If you already have a risk register that meets your
requirements, attach it to the end of this workbook and submit it to your lecturer for assessment. It is useful to
prioritise and color code risks so that you can easily identify extreme risks (i.e. colour code red) vs low risks (i.e.
colour code green).
Work Activity
(Break the Job
Down into Steps)
Potential Hazard
RISK
Probability
Consequence
Risk Assessment
Actions to Mitigate
Risk (Controls)
Person
Responsible
Frequency of
Review
Journal/Notes
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
8.1 A risk management strategy for chemical
use is developed in accordance with legislation
and Integrated Pest Management, Integrated
Resistance Management, and Integrated Animal
Health Management principles
Now that you have assessed potential hazards and
completed a risk management register, you must
also ensure that your risk management strategy
complies with:
• Relevant legislation and regulatory
requirements
• Relevant workplace principles (e.g. Integrated
Pest Management, Integrated Resistance
Management, and Integrated Animal Health
Management principles).
The following extract is specific to Victoria
but is included as an example. Research the
requirements for your state. Identify those
regulations that apply to your business within the
context of your geographical location (consider
national, state and local regulations). Hopefully,
you have already identified these in activity 2. Take
some time now to ensure that your research has
been comprehensive.
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 Department of Primary
Industries Victoria;
“Chemical Management”;
Australia; 2012.
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/aboutagriculture/legislation-regulation/legal-booklets/
chemical-management
• There are legislative restrictions regarding the
use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals
and the supply and use of certain higher
risk chemicals. Further, some registered
chemicals are prohibited from use in certain
circumstances, or may only be used by
persons holding specific licences.
• Off-label use refers to situations when a
chemical is used in a manner that is not
specified on the chemical product label. In
certain circumstances, the off-label use of a
chemical may be allowed in Victoria, whilst in
other circumstances this is illegal without a
specific permit allowing that use.
• People in the business of commercially
applying agricultural chemicals need to
have a chemical use licence. For example;
a Commercial Operators Licence (COL) for
ground-based chemical applications, or a Pilot
(Chemical Rating) Licence (PCRL) for when
agricultural chemicals are applied by air.
• People who use higher risk agricultural
chemical products need to hold an Agricultural
Chemical User Permit (ACUP) or be working
under a commercial or pilot licence.
• It is an offence under the Agricultural and
Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act 1992
to undertake agricultural spraying that results
in damage or contamination to plants or stock
outside the target area. Causing off-target spray
drift which affects the environment, human
health or worker safety may also be an offence
under other Acts.
• Notification laws apply when spraying
agricultural chemicals by air or mister within
200 metres of a school, hospital, agedcare service or children’s service such as a
kindergarten or child-care centre.
• Restrictions apply to certain types of
herbicides, their method of application and
the periods in which certain chemicals can be
applied in Agricultural Chemical Control Areas
(ACCAs).
• It is compulsory to make and keep specific
records of agricultural and veterinary
chemical use.
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EB
Visit the Department of Primary Industries (DPI)
Chemical Use website for more information.
Relevant laws, guidelines and Codes:
• Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control
of Use) Act 1992
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
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Activity 5
Consider and answer the following questions. If they are not applicable to your situation, respond ‘NA’. This
activity has been sourced from the following webpage, which provides additional information to assist with the
following questions: www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/about-agriculture/legislation-regulation/legal-booklets/
chemical-management
Once you have answered these questions, revisit your risk management register and update it if required.
Question
Response
Keeping Track of Chemicals
Describe the records that are kept for:
• All agricultural chemical products
• Prescription animal remedy medicines obtained
from a veterinary practitioner, and for all veterinary
chemicals with a withholding period (WHP)?
How do you store your chemicals?
Do you use horticultural by-products as stock feed?
Describe how you ensure chemical contamination is
not an issue?
Do you add veterinary medicines in stock feed or
water? How do you ensure cross contamination is not
an issue?
Describe your specific duties regarding the reduction
of risk for the storage of Dangerous Goods and
Hazardous Substances?
Describe how you dispose of empty chemical
containers through the drumMUSTER program?
List the chemicals currently used. Do you have
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and appropriate
regulatory records for all products you use or store?
Do you only buy, store and use chemicals on an as
needed basis? Describe your seasonal chemical
purchase and storage activities.
Describe how you dispose of chemicals as soon
as they become unwanted through the ChemClear
program or alternative state based program?
If you have stored a product for an extended period
of time, do you check to see if it is still allowed to be
used?
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Question
Response
How good are your practices?
Do you always read and follow the product label
or permit instructions in full before using any
chemical product?
Are you using the chemical in accordance with the
product label or relevant permit instructions?
Describe the process that must be followed to use a
chemical off-label in certain circumstances.
Describe the calibration process required before each
spray job.
Does the storage and application of chemicals pose
risks of pollution to water or the land? Describe
specific risks in your enterprise.
How do you ensure that you do not cause off-target
spray drift?
Is your property within an Agricultural Chemical
Control Area and are you observing its restrictions?
As a person in charge of premises where Dangerous
Goods are kept, do you take reasonable precautions
against damage to property and injury to the public?
Describe precautions.
People at your workplace
Do you have employees who use agricultural and
veterinary chemicals, have they completed farm
chemical use training? List names and certificates held.
If you have employees who use agricultural and
veterinary chemicals, do you carry out a risk
assessment for workplace health and safety
purposes? Describe the process.
8.2 Appropriate insurance policies covering
intended chemical use are researched and
documented according to enterprise guidelines
A neighboring property incurs a significant loss of
income as a result of spray drift damage from your
chemical use program?
Insurance is one of those things many people don’t
think about until it’s needed. When operating a
business that intends to use chemicals, insurance
policies can become even more important. A lack
of general knowledge about insurance can result in
many people being underinsured. Imagine if:
In either of these scenarios, would you have the funds
to adequately compensate these persons? Having
the appropriate insurance policies can mitigate the
risk to your business in such circumstances.
A staff member is seriously injured as a result of
handling chemicals at your workplace?
Consider the need for workers compensation
and public liability insurances within the context
of your workplace. Also remember that the
requirement for insurance can change over time.
If you are at all unsure about your insurance
requirements, speak to a professional advisor.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
When operating a business that intends to use chemicals,
insurance policies can become even more important.
Activity 6
Conduct your own research and identify the insurance policies that are required within your workplace.
These may be legislated or required to cover the liability risk.
Insurance Policy
Cover
What risks will this policy mitigate?
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
9
Develop and
Implement
Procedures for
Chemical Management
and Use
Procedures for management and use of chemicals
are developed in accordance with directions
and standards.
Required precautions and risk control measures
are documented.
Before the actual work of implementing your
chemical use strategy commences, you will need to
consider who will be performing the tasks and what
they need in order to perform these tasks efficiently,
effectively and safely:
• What information do they have and what will
they need?
• What training, skills and experience do they
have, and what will they need?
• What equipment (including personal protective
equipment) is required and how will this be
maintained, calibrated, stored and used – what
training will be required to use equipment safely
and effectively?
• What supervision and management controls will
you need to put in place?
• How will you monitor performance and address
issues if/when they arise?
Take some time to consider these questions and
the documentation that you will need to develop to
inform staff, contractors and other key stakeholders
(e.g. visitors) so that they clearly understand what
is required of them. As training will be discussed
in the next section of this workbook, we will focus
here on the documentation of procedures that can
be used as part of your induction/training programs
and on-the-job reference material.
If you belong to a quality assurance (QA)
program or industry code of practice, you may
be able to acquire a generic suite of SOPs that
you can use to get you started. However, you
need to realise that no existing system will fit all
circumstances. The skill is to refine the SOPs that
you are provided with, to specifically suit your
business requirements.
Useful sources of information are provided below:
 Department of
Agriculture Western
Australia; Code of Practice
For the Use of Agricultural
and Veterinary Chemicals
in Western Australia”;
W
Australia; 2007.
E
www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_assets/
content/pw/chem/cop_bulletin.pdf
B
 Queensland Government
Department of Emergency
Services; “Safe Storage
and Handling of Dangerous
Goods: Guidelines for
Industry”; Australia; 2002.
www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/resources/pdfs/
chem/safe-storage-guidelines-print.pdf
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EB
One way to approach this task is to develop
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). SOPs
explain how to do a particular task/process and
will include all of the ‘rules’ that you want to apply,
including any required precautions for risk control.
The more ‘rules’ are integrated into every day
practice, the more likely they are to become the
‘norm’ rather than the ‘exception’.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
There are legislative
restrictions regarding the
use of agricultural and
veterinary chemicals and
the supply and use of certain
higher risk chemicals.
Activity 7
You are required to write 2 complete SOP’s for different areas of your business that are applicable to your
chemical use strategy. For example:
• Chemical use in crops
• Chemical use in livestock production
• Safe chemical application
You can use templates that you have downloaded or those that have been provided by your QA program but
they must be contextualised to your strategy and your workplace. Attach each completed SOP to this interactive
document and submit to your lecturer for assessment.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
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9.1 Information on procedures and precautions
in the management and use of chemicals is
distributed to relevant staff
www.thepeopleindairy.org.au/farm-policiessystems/health-and-safety-risk-management.
htm#Identify
Your chemical use strategy and SOPs are useless
if you cannot communicate what it is you are trying
to achieve with key stakeholders, including staff,
subcontractors, management and visitors.
The following is an example of what this farm manager
did to ensure that he was constantly reminded of the
importance of safety in the workplace.
The success of your chemical use strategy will, to a
large extent, be dependent on:
• The ‘buy in’ that you achieve from your staff (and
other key stakeholders)
• The timely and efficient implementation of SOPs
• Monitoring for success or otherwise
• Revisiting your plan and modifying it as
circumstances change.
If you involved staff and management during the
development of your chemical use strategy, you
have hopefully already achieved the ‘buy in’ required
to get the process started. If not, it is important
that you communicate information on procedures
and precautions in the management and use of
chemicals, to relevant staff.
It is worth spending some time discussing WH&S
consultation requirements at this point. There is a
legislative requirement for you to actively consult
with workers about health and safety matters that
could directly affect them. You must also consult any
independent contractors (and their employees).
Some ways to get and keep people involved include:
 Dairy Australia;
“Health and Safety Risk
Management”; Australia;
2012.
W
www.thepeopleindairy.org.au/farm-policiessystems/health-and-safety-risk-management.
htm#Identify
EB
Darren is a farm manager on a 500-cow dairy
farm in south west Victoria and one of his many
responsibilities is to ensure the safety of everyone on
the farm. Because safety is really important to him and
everyone else on the farm, Darren thought it would be
a good idea to put a sign up over his desk to remind
him how to make the farm safer by identifying and
removing any hazards. The sign helped Darren to
think about safety even when he was busy with other
tasks. This is the sign that Darren used.
‘SAFER’ PRINCIPLES
• Work directly with the people who do the jobs in
each part of the farm to identify hazards, assess
risks and come up with solutions.
• Set regular times to discuss health and safety,
such as at weekly job planning meetings, and
ensure time is allocated specifically to health and
safety matters.
• Ensure you are a good role model and insist that
the farm safety protocols you have established
are followed.
See -
Have a look at the information provided to the Dairy
industry related to health and safety management
Many of the hazards on dairy farms can be reduced
by regular housekeeping, e.g. returning chemicals to
the store, laying hoses against the wall or rolling them
up and keeping tractor cabs clean and uncluttered.
 Source: Dairy Australia;
“Health and Safety Risk
Management”; Australia;
2012.
identify the hazards to health and safety
on the farm
Assess – decide the risk associated with the hazard
Fix – take appropriate action to control the risk
Evaluate – check your controls are effective
Record – record actions you take or plan
Good housekeeping reduces hazards – TIP
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Activity 8
Safety protocols are documents outlining the safety standards expected within your workplace. They are not
a procedure or action but a description of the business guidelines for each of the major safety areas in the
workplace.
Dairy Australia provides a safety protocol generator on their website at the following address.
Feel free to use this tool to assist with this activity: www.thepeopleindairy.org.au/recruitment/generator.htm.
Write a chemical safety protocol that could be put on public display around your workplace.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
9.2 Procedures for communicating and
negotiating with the community are developed
The use of chemicals in your workplace may
impact the broader community. This can be a
highly emotive issue and you should consider
the need to inform the community of such actions
and implement a procedure to negotiate solutions
that provide better outcomes for all parties. If
this is done successfully, the number of potential
complaints should be substantially reduced.
When communicating your strategy to the broader
community and convincing people that using
chemicals to treat a particular problem is the right
approach, you need to consider how your target
audience might react.
Will they embrace it openly or resist it? The use of
chemicals is often met with resistance because
the community wants a safe, chemical free
environment. Plan for this and work out strategies
that will convince your stakeholders that it is a good
idea. Work out before-hand ‘what it means for them
and what benefits they might get out of it’.
If they also want the same outcome as you
(i.e. to reduce pest and disease) and you can
demonstrate that the prudent use of chemicals is
the most effective option, and it will be conducted
in such a way as to mitigate any risks to people
and the environment, then you are on the right
track. If you can work out the benefits for your key
stakeholders you can present a win/win situation
where the necessary and considered use of
chemicals is in the interest of both parties. This
makes acceptance of the program much easier.
The following extract provides an example of the
potential conflicts between vineyard operations and
the community, and how to reduce these conflicts.
 Department of
Environmental Protection
and the Water and Rivers
Commission Western
Australia; “Environmental
Management Guidelines for
Vineyards”; Australia; 2002;
pp11-12.
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www.water.wa.gov.au/PublicationStore/
first/13064.pdf
EB
Noise, pesticide spray drift, dust and odour can
cause conflict between vineyard operators and
residents or tourists living close to vineyards. The
challenge is to acknowledge these issues and
evolve management and planning practices to
resolve and avoid conflict.
The conflicts of existing incompatible land uses can
be reduced or made more acceptable by:
• Effective consultation and planning before
beginning the development.
• Establishing effective topographic or
vegetation barriers.
• Modifying normal farm practices by adopting
effective new technology such as hooded spray
equipment, avoiding night time activities that
generate intrusive noise and the use of netting
instead of noisy bird scaring devices.
• Undertaking an independent study, if there is
uncertainty, to demonstrate the likely area of
influence of a specific farm practice. This may
suggest the need to modify the proposed farm
practice or introduce a separation distance
or buffers between the potentially conflicting
land uses.
• Consulting neighbors before night time
harvesting or spraying.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Activity 9
Question
Response
Consider a scenario where your chemical use
strategy will impact the broader community.
Outline this scenario and the expected community
reaction that you will have to manage.
What processes will you put in place to inform and
negotiate with the community?
What could you do to minimise the impact of your
chemical use strategy on the broader community?
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
10
Identify
Training
and Supervision Needs
and Solutions for
Chemical Use in the
Workplace
An appropriate strategy is developed for the
training, assessment and supervision of staff
involved in chemical use including correct use/fit of
personal protective equipment.
Suitable internal on-the-job training and monitoring
of performance in the implementation of the
chemical use strategy is organised and provided.
Appropriate external training and assessment in the
management and use of chemicals is organised.
Now that you have developed your SOPs you can
assign responsibilities for carrying out procedures
to staff and contractors and provide the required
training relevant to these assigned procedures. It is
not possible to successfully implement a chemical
use strategy that involves procedural changes in
the workplace without providing training to staff.
In some cases the training may be legislated
(e.g. related to chemical accreditation, first aid
or licensing for machinery operation). In other
cases the training will be specifically related to
the required changes in the workplace to ensure
enterprise requirements are met.
The Dairying for Tomorrow website identifies
the following safety and training requirements
(acceptable and above acceptable) for chemical
usage. Consider how well you and your staff would
comply within the context of your workplace. What
training strategies will you need to implement to
meet acceptable or above acceptable practice?
 Dairying for Tomorrow;
“Interactive Dairy
Assessment Tool”;
W
Australia; 2012.
E
www.dairyingfortomorrow.com/dairysat/
dairying_popup.php?section=8
B
Acceptable Practice
Above Acceptable Practice
Supervisor only holds appropriate certification for
chemical usage.
All operators who handle chemicals hold appropriate
certification for chemical usage.
Employees are trained in risk identification and
risk prevention.
Employees are trained in risk identification and
risk prevention for both environmental risk and
WH&S risks.
Employees are trained in the importance of reading
and following product labels and know that any
information that is not found on the label can be found
on the chemicals Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
Employees are trained in the importance of reading
and following product labels and know that any
information that is not found on the label can be found
on the chemicals Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
Operators use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
as specified on the label, especially when decanting,
mixing and applying.
Operators use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
as specified on the label, especially when decanting,
mixing and applying.
All safety equipment and PPE is regularly tested and
maintained as per product specifications.
All safety equipment and PPE is regularly tested and
maintained as per product specifications.
Emergency response is developed for identified risks
and training is conducted.
Emergency response is developed for identified
hazards and training is conducted.
Practice response drills are conducted.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Activity 10
In previous activities, you have identified chemical use risk management controls and procedures that must be
implemented at your workplace. Consider the training that will be required to make the implementation of these
controls and procedures successful. Complete the table below.
Who is the
person/group
that requires
training?
What training
What role will
they participate do they need?
in when they
have completed
training?
How will this
training be
provided?
How will you
determine the
competency of
the person after
training?
How will
you monitor
performance
on an ongoing
basis? Identify
frequency of
performance
monitoring.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
11
Monitor and
Evaluate
the Implementation of a
Chemical Use Strategy
The implementation of the established chemical
use strategy is monitored in terms of regulatory
requirements and established criteria.
The effectiveness of the established chemical use
strategy is evaluated.
Now let’s assume that you have implemented your
chemical use strategy. What now? Can you take the
approach of ‘set and forget’?
To some extent, all strategies are in a constant state
of implementation. Practices need to be constantly
monitored and reviewed to ensure that the strategy is
meeting your objectives.
(it is always better to have someone other
than the chemical operator check the diary
entries, however this is not always possible in
small enterprises).
The following extract from the Department of
Agriculture Western Australia, identifies the records
that should be kept in accordance with best
practice guidelines.
 Department of
Agriculture Western
Australia; Code of Practice
For the Use of Agricultural
and Veterinary Chemicals
in Western Australia”;
W
Australia; 2007; p15,
E
B
Remember too, that new ideas and technologies
are constantly emerging that may be of benefit.
You need to stay on top on new developments and
determine if there is a better practice that can be
adopted.
www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_assets/
content/pw/chem/cop_bulletin.pdf
As we discussed earlier in this workbook, legislative
and regulatory requirements also change with time
and therefore, you need to ensure that you modify
your strategy to comply with such changes as they
occur.
Maintain up-to-date records of chemical usage and
spray operations on the property
This is a cycle of continuous improvement and is
achieved by regular monitoring which needs to be
based on a realistic but effective system suited to
your enterprise needs.
As an example, in the case of farm chemical usage,
monitoring procedures would need to specify:
• What is to be monitored? – Farm chemical
application.
• When or how often it is to be monitored? –
Monthly.
• How it is to be monitored? – Visual check of
spray diary. (This can be supplemented by
random inspection of application techniques,
checking prescribed application rates against
actual area covered and produce chemical
residue testing).
• Where it is to be monitored? – Chemical shed.
• Whom is to monitor it? – Supervisor/Manager
Responsibilities of the owner manager –
record keeping
The following records must be kept, under the
Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984:
• An inventory list/database of all chemicals
stored and used.
• An up-to-date copy of the MSDS for every
chemical stored and used.
• Risk assessments, workplace monitoring or
health surveillance results that are required
under legislation (Act 10).
The following information should be recorded on a
regular basis:
• Maps of sensitive areas and crops in the vicinity
of your property.
• Calibration records, including weather
observations.
• Any information required by your quality
assurance scheme to document your
chemical usage.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Minimising spraydrift – record keeping
Record details of each spraying operation, such
as chemicals used, the actual area sprayed,
weather conditions, including any changes that
have occurred
• Record and report immediately, any symptoms
of ill health during, or shortly after, each
spraying event.
• Record any incidents or accidents that
occurred during the spraying operation.
• Pass your records to your Manager or
Supervisor.
 MLA; “LPA QA Program –
Core Module Internal Audit
Report and Checklist”;
Australia; 2006; p11.
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www.mla.com.au/Meat-safety-and-traceability/
Livestock-Production-Assurance/LPA-QualityAssurance
Performance indicators and benchmarking are
also useful tools to analyse the overall performance
of a particular strategy. The following extract
provides an example of performance indicators in
relation to chemical inventory systems. Conducting
a formal audit and review of progress against
these performance indicators, using a checklist
approach, is a good management approach.
Take some time to review this document and
identify performance indicators that may be of use
to you.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
SM5 CHEMICAL INVENTORY
Date Element Audited:
OUTCOME
On farm systems ensure that an accurate inventory of all chemicals purchased and stored on the enterprise is
maintained at all times.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
SM5.1 Sufficient records are maintained to enable the traceability of the purchase, storage, handling and
disposal of chemicals.
Checklist Items
YES
NO
N/A
Audit Comment
SM5.1 Can the enterprise demonstrate that a record
keeping (farm chemical inventory) system is maintained,
that provides information on chemical purchases,
use and disposals and that the following records are
maintained for all chemicals?
•
•
•
•
•
•
date received
batch number
place of purchase
name of chemical
quantity
date of manufacture or expiry date if provided
SM5.2 Can the enterprise demonstrate that the accuracy
of the inventory is reviewed by conducting physical
stocktakes on annual basis for agricultural chemicals
and every six months for veterinary chemicals and
that any products with illegible labels, expired use-by
dates, and leaking or corroded containers are no longer
useable are identified and segregated for subsequent
disposal? Where available, producers should utilise
industry programs such as ChemClear and drumMuster
to dispose of unwanted chemicals and empty chemical
containers.
Records should include:
• the date of the stocktake
• the name of the person/s who carried out the
stocktake
SM5.3 Can the enterprise demonstrate that records of
chemical disposal are maintained in a Farm Chemicals
Inventory or equivalent system including details of:
• chemicals that have been disposed;
• the method of disposal; and
• name of the person/s who carried out or supervised
the disposal of chemicals
SM5.4 Can the enterprise demonstrate through other
procedures or practices that outcomes and performance
indicators for this element have been met?
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Activity 11
Complete the following table and identify the key performance indicators and monitoring activities that you will
implement to determine if your chemical use strategy is achieving its objectives
KPI
Monitoring
Activity
Method of
Checking/
Guideline Used
Who Checks
When do they
Check
Where is it
Recorded
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
11.1 Appropriate action is initiated where
there are identified problems or where
required procedures/precautions are not being
correctly followed
Corrective actions can be recorded on a Corrective
Action Record (CAR) or an incident register. The
Freshcare Code of Practice describes when a CAR
should be completed and what it should include:
One of the advantages of frequent monitoring
and good record keeping is that you can respond
quickly to issues that arise and prevent/minimise
further risk. If things do get out of control (e.g.
label instructions are breached, injuries occur,
procedures are not followed) then you and
your staff need to know exactly what to do to
regain control.
The Freshcare Code of Practice – Food Safety
and Quality: 3rd Edition July 2009
This is called a corrective or remedial action.
These actions should get the situation back
in control, and also deal with any chemical
contamination if necessary.
In the case of inappropriate farm chemical usage
(e.g. harvesting produce inside the withholding
period or applying the chemical at a rate that
exceeds label instructions) the corrective action
might include:
• Identifying any produce that has been affected
by excess chemical or has been harvested
inside the withholding period.
• Appropriate destruction of the product.
• Reviewing the farm chemical spray program
and ensuring that when sprays are utilised, the
withholding period and label instructions have
been followed.
• Record the corrective action.
In this instance, corrective action is focused on:
• Identifying the nonconforming produce to
prevent it being inadvertently used.
• Deciding what is to happen to the
nonconforming product.
• Adjusting the process to maintain control
• Recording the corrective action taken.
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The Freshcare Code of Practice – Food Safety and
Quality: 3rd Edition July 2009 identifies that:
1. A Corrective Action Record (CAR) should be
completed when:
–– The requirements of the Freshcare Code
of Practice Food Safety and Quality or
Freshcare Certification Rules are not
being met.
–– A complaint relevant to the Freshcare
Code of Practice Food Safety and
Quality or Freshcare Certification Rules
is received from a customer or from a
regulatory authority.
–– Produce is identified as being contaminated
or potentially contaminated.
2. A CAR includes:
–– Description of the problem.
–– Cause of the problem.
–– Short term fix (action taken to fix the
problem).
–– Long term fix (action taken to prevent the
problem recurring).
–– Date action completed and name and
signature of the person responsible.
–– Verification that action has been effective.
–– Name and signature of the person
reviewing that short term and long term
actions are completed and effective, and
date of the review.
Of course, chemical use strategies may result
in other issues besides contamination. The
important point to note is that all incidents and
non-conformances must be formally documented,
reviewed, actioned and followed through until the
cause of the problem is resolved.
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Activity 12
A CAR template has been provided below. Complete a hypothetical CAR that might occur as a result of implementing
your chemical use strategy. Identify the corrective actions that you will implement to resolve the issue.
CORRECTIVE ACTION REPORT (CAR)
Date:
Corrective Action Report No:
Area/Activity:
Details of the Incident or Non-Compliance:
(what happened?)
Incident or Non-Compliance Review:
(what was the cause?)
Short term corrective action:
(what will be done to rectify the situation in the
short term?)
Name: Date: Long term corrective action:
(what will be done to rectify the situation in the
long term?)
Signed:
Verification of corrective action and comments: (has the action above been taken?)
Name: Close out date: Signed:
Preventive action: (what action will be taken to prevent the same thing happening again?)
Verified by: Name Date: Signed:
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AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
One of the advantages of frequent monitoring is that you
can respond quickly to issues that arise.
Activity 13
As your final activity for this workbook you are required to:
• review all of the previous activities
• create a simple chemical use management template that suits your business
• populate the template with a chemical use strategy that is suitable for at least one enterprise
Submit your completed template with this workbook
34
AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
12
Summary
of
Key Innovations/
Opportunities
identified as a Result
of Adopting These
Skills
The adoption of new opportunities and key
innovations should always be considered from the
perspective of the triple bottom line. However each
producer will need to determine:
• What are the most important aspects of each
opportunity and innovation?
• How can a new innovation or opportunity
be sustainably applied to your business or
production system?
The summary below is provided as a list of
suggestions. It is by no means complete. It is also
unrealistic to assume any single business can
adopt every opportunity.
• Improved understanding and management of
the appropriate and safe use of chemicals as
part of a broader Integrated Pest Management
program.
• Compliance with legislative, regulatory and best
practice requirements.
• A clear and easy to follow formal decision
making process to guide staff when to use
chemicals and ensure that internal and external
requirements are met.
• Formal induction, training and performance
monitoring programs to ensure that all staff
conduct chemical use tasks safely.
• Ability to demonstrate compliance with work
cover and WH&S legislation.
• Reduced risk of incidents resulting from
chemical use as a result of a thorough and
comprehensive risk management strategy.
• Empowerment of staff who are involved in
the development of workplace policies and
procedures associated with chemical use.
• Documented procedures for the
implementation, monitoring and resolution of
incidents associated with chemical use within
the workplace.
• Improved confidence of staff, visitors and the
broader community that the organisation is
conducting its business safely and responsibly.
35
AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
13
Bibliography and Source Material
Organisation
Standard
Legislation
Contact Details
Web Site
Reason for Inclusion
APVMA –
Australian
Pesticides
and Veterinary
Medicine
Authority
Pesticides
and
Veterinary
Medicine
Legislation
www.apvma.gov.au
www.apvma.gov.au/about/index.php
Maximum chemical
residue limit standard,
export slaughter intervals,
withholding periods
and export intervals for
pesticide products. Risk
assessment of shortterm dietary exposure to
chemical residues.
Australian Pork
Codes of
Practice
www.australianpork.com.au/
pages/page13.asp
www.apvma.gov.au/use_safely/spray_
drift/index.php
www.australianpork.com.au/pages/
page76.asp
SOP templates and
examples.
www.apiq.com.au/images/stories/APIQ_
Manual_Implementation15.pdf
AQIS –
Australian
Quarantine
and Inspection
Service
Import and
Export
Inspection
and
Certification
www.daff.gov.au/aqis/about
www.daff.gov.au/aqis
Quarantine controls at
our borders to minimise
the risk of exotic pests
and diseases entering the
country.
Australian
Centre for
Agricultural
Health and
Safety –
University of
Sydney
OH&S
factsheets
www.aghealth.org.au/index.
php?id=7
www.aghealth.org.au/index.php
Farmer resources for OH&S
Biological
Farmers of
Australia
Australian
Certified
Organic
Standard;
www.bfa.com.au/ContactUs.
aspx
www.bfa.com.au
Relevant standards
included for pest, disease
and weed management.
www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12
Free on-line conflict
resolution kit which
provides potential
strategies to help resolve
or come to terms with a
conflict situation. It is an
excellent reference for
mediation techniques.
www.thepeopleindairy.org.au/farmpolicies-systems/health-and-safety-riskmanagement.htm#Identify
Health and safety risk
management
Version 1;
2010.
Conflict
Resolution
Network
Dairy Australia
www.thepeopleindairy.org.au/
contact.htm
www.thepeopleindairy.org.au/live-library.
htm
Department
of Agriculture
Fisheries and
Forestry – Qld
Regional
Legislation
Relevant to
Chemical Use
www.daff.qld.gov.au/31_88.htm
www.daff.qld.gov.au/27_4800.htm
farm management
systems, tools and
templates.
Agvet chemicals and
residues.
36
AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Organisation
Standard
Legislation
Contact Details
Web Site
Reason for Inclusion
Department of
Agriculture– WA
Agvet Use
– Code of
Practice
www.agric.wa.gov.au
www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/imported_
assets/content/pw/chem/cop_bulletin.pdf
Regional chemical
use legislation, codes
of practice, chemical
application resources.
Department of
Environment
and Heritage;
NSW
Government
Regional
Legislation
Relevant to
Chemical Use
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/
contact/
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pesticides/
chemicalmgt.htm
Legislation the Environment
Protection Authority (EPA)
uses to regulate chemicals
in New South Wales.
Department
of Primary
Industries –
NSW
Regional
Legislation
Relevant to
Chemical Use
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/aboutus/
about/contact
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/farm/
chemicals
Farm chemical and farm
safety resources.
Department
of Primary
Industries Qld
www.agric.wa.gov.au
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/farm/
safety
http://agbiz.business.qld.gov.
au/support/feedback-form.htm
http://agbiz.business.qld.gov.au/
Agbiz – agribusiness
decision support toolkit.
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/farmingmanagement/chemical-use
Regional chemical use
resources.
Department
of Primary
Industries – VIC
Regional
Legislation
Relevant to
Chemical Use
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/about-us/
contact-us
Department
of Primary
Industries,
Parks,
Water and
Environment –
TAS
Regional
Legislation
Relevant to
Chemical Use
www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/
FeedbackForm?OpenForm&Em
ail={dp$w:t^s:g|v:^_;Int%rn%t
C||rd$n^t|r
www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/
ThemeNodes/EGIL-52N435?open
Agvet chemical use in
Tasmania.
Freshcare
Freshcare
Food Safety
and Quality
Code of
Practice – 3rd
Edition.
www.freshcare.com.au/
contactUs
www.freshcare.com.au
Relevant standards
included for pest, disease
and weed management.
www.oecd.org/dataoecd/23/27/35281194.
pdf
Ten Steps to a ResultsBased Monitoring and
Evaluation System.
www.legislation.vic.gov.au
Jody Zall Kusek
Ray C. Rist
ISO –
International
Organisation for
Standardisation
ISO 9000
Quality Mgt/
ISO 31000
Risk Mgt./
ISO 14000
Env. Mgt./ ISO
22000 Food
Safety
E-mail: [email protected]
www.iso.org/iso/home.htm
ISO is a network of
the national standards
institutes of 157 countries
and develops and
publishes International
Standards in a wide
range of areas including
agriculture.
Kondinin Group
Factsheets
www.kondiningroup.com.au/
static.ASP?t=1&I=0
www.kondiningroup.com.au/static.
ASP?t=2&I=19
Series of noteworthy fact
sheets.
www.lhpa.org.au/contact
www.lhpa.org.au/pests
Advice, assistance and
reference materials
relevant to eradicating
declared pest species.
www.mla.com.au/General/
Contact
www.mla.com.au/Meat-safety-andtraceability/On-farm-assurance/On-farmrisk-management
On farm risk management.
Livestock
Health and
Pest Authorities
(LHPA)
MLA – Meat
Standards
Australia
Livestock
Production
Assurance
(LPA) on
Farm Quality
Assurance
Program
(incorporating
Cattlecare
and Flockcare
standard
www.mla.com.au/Meat-safety-andtraceability/On-farm-assurance/AgriSure
LPA/AgriSure QA manuals,
forms, templates and
checklists.
37
AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Organisation
Standard
Legislation
Contact Details
Web Site
Reason for Inclusion
NSW
Government
– Environment
and Heritage
Regulations
for Keeping
Records of
Pesticide Use
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/
feedback/
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pesticides/
risintro.htm
Pesticide use regulations
(NSW) and IPM overview.
Sustainable
Agriculture
Research and
Education
(SARE)
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pesticides/
integratedpestmgmt.htm
www.sare.org/Contact-Us
www.sare.org/
Excellent resource for
sustainable farming
practices. Free online
books available for
download. A few links have
been provided for some
of these books (Managing
Insects on Your Farm and
Steel in the Field).
38
AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
14
Being confident about your
skill levels
Before commencing on your summative assessment take a few minutes to review this workbook and ensure you
feel that you are confident about your skill levels related to this topic.
Use the table below to help check your skills. Before commencing your final assessments it is important to review
any sections in which you feel unsure.
*Remember* It is always OK to ask your assessor/lecturer questions.
The following table provides a list of skills and knowledge you should have after completing this workbook.
Review this table and:
1.
2.
3.
Put a tick in the column if you can do this now and a brief comment as to why you believe you have this skill.
Put a tick in the next column if you feel you need more practice and a brief comment as to why.
If you require further training, complete the third column listing what training is needed. Show this
list to your supervisor or assessor and ask for more time or training before completing the
summative assessments.
Ref
Skills/knowledge you should I can do
have
this now
1
Accurately read and interpret
labels on chemicals and
MSDS
2
Determine the level of hazard
and risk associated with
chemical use in terms of
human health, environment,
fauna, flora and produce
3
Apply risk management
techniques
4
Develop and evaluate
management plans and
organisational procedures
5
Communicate management
plans, strategies and
procedures to staff
6
Hazards to human health,
agricultural produce, and all
aspects of the environment
and non-target species of
flora and fauna associated
with the transport, storage,
handling, application and
disposal of chemicals
I need more practice and
must review the work before
completing final assessments
What additional training
do I need
39
AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Ref
Skills/knowledge you should I can do
have
this now
7
Factors that contribute to
spray drift, measures to
assess the potential for spray
drift and prevent or control its
occurrence, and the elements
of a spray drift management
strategy
8
Routes of entry of chemicals
into the body and the
implications of this on
chemical use management
strategies
9
Safety procedures including
the maintenance, use, fit and
decontamination of personal
protective clothing and
equipment
10
Influence of meteorological
factors (temperature, humidity,
rain) on quality of chemical
application, drift potential,
effectiveness and efficacy
of use
11
Precautions and risk control
measures that may be used
to minimise risks and hazards
associated with the use of
chemicals
12
Principles of IPM/IRM/
IAM and their benefits in
terms of chemical use risk
management
13
Emergency procedures for
safety incidents involving
chemicals
14
Requirements and options
for the keeping of records on
chemical use and equipment
maintenance and repair
15
Principles of residue effects
and their management
including persistence in soil
and water, accumulation in
agricultural produce, rate
of breakdown of residues
in produce and in the
environment, withholding
periods, and ways in which
residues can occur
I need more practice and
must review the work before
completing final assessments
What additional training
do I need
40
AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
Ref
Skills/knowledge you should I can do
have
this now
16
Movement of and persistence
and degradation of different
types of chemicals in various
areas of the environment such
as soil, air and water
17
Industry waste agreements,
for example drumMUSTER,
and Chem Collect
18
OHS legislative requirements
and Codes of Practice
19
Appropriate insurances
covering chemical use,
transportation and storage
20
Correct wearing/fit of personal
protective equipment
21
Use of chemicals as part
of a comprehensive Quality
Assurance (QA) system,
Industry QA programs and
performance standards
I need more practice and
must review the work before
completing final assessments
What additional training
do I need
41
AHCCHM501A – Develop and Manage a Chemical Use Strategy
15
Assessment
You have now reached the end of this workbook. All of the information and activities you have covered have
developed your skills to competently develop and manage a chemical use strategy in your workplace.
Your competency may be assessed through your successful completion of all formative activities throughout
this workbook. Alternatively, your RTO may require completion of a final summative assessment. You will need to
discuss this with your RTO.
FEEDBACK
This workbook has been developed to guide users to access current information related to gaining skills appropriate
to their workplace. Please complete the following table notifying us of any errors or suggested improvements.
Subject Name
Book Number
Page
What is the error
Suggested improvement
10
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Better websites / You Tube example
Is there a link to your suggested improvement
Additional comments
Click here to email your feedback form to RST
42