Pesticide Poisoning Recognition, First Aid, and Emergency Response
Recognize the pattern
Poisoning can follow dermal, inhalation, oral, or eye exposure and may be local (rash, redness, burning eyes) or systemic. Early systemic signs are vague - headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, sweating, blurred vision, and salivation. Cholinesterase-inhibiting products (organophosphates and carbamates) can produce the classic cholinergic picture: excessive salivation, tearing, sweating, urination, diarrhea, pinpoint pupils, vomiting, bronchorrhea, muscle twitching, and in severe cases convulsions and respiratory failure. Pyrethroids can cause skin tingling or numbness (paresthesia) with less systemic risk. Remember that heat stress and pesticide poisoning look alike - both cause weakness, dizziness, and sweating; do not dismiss symptoms as heat alone.
First aid basics
- Inhalation: move the person to fresh air immediately; loosen tight clothing.
- Skin contact: remove contaminated clothing, wash with soap and water for at least 15 minutes; do not use solvents or scrub hard.
- Eye contact: flush with clean, low-pressure water for at least 15 minutes, holding lids open.
- Oral exposure: rinse the mouth; do not induce vomiting unless the label or poison control says to. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious or convulsing person.
Call 911 for serious symptoms; in the U.S., Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222. Always send the label and SDS with the person to the medical facility. Do not give medications or attempt treatment beyond the label's first aid section - atropine and other antidotes are medical decisions.
After the emergency
Report the incident to your employer and the state as required, preserve the container and any spray records, and review what failed. Always carry a means of communication in the field.
Rule of thumb: when in doubt, decontaminate first and call for help - the label's first aid section and the SDS Section 4 are your script.