Collection: Safety Cabinets for Phytosanitary Products and Pesticides

The PAN (receipt of the European Directive 2009/128/CE) imposes very strict rules for the storage of phytosanitary products (agrochemicals). If you do not have a dedicated room, the safety cabinet must have the following structural characteristics:

• Locking mechanism:It must be a robust structure (in steel sheet) and equipped with a lock to prevent unauthorized access to people, children, or animals.
• Ventilation:It must have grilles for natural ventilation to prevent the accumulation of toxic vapors or harmful fumes inside, which could affect the operator when opening.
• Storage Containers:The shelves must be shaped like saucers (blind, not perforated) to retain any leaks. A zinc-plated or painted collection basin must be present at the bottom to contain accidental spills and prevent chemicals from filtering into the soil or water supplies.

No, the PAN regulations and good agricultural practices prohibit it.Phytosanitary products (pesticides, herbicides, insecticides) must be kept strictly separate from other products for plant nutrition or animal use. Promiscuous storage increases the risk of cross-contamination.cross-contamination.

• The practical risk:A fertilizer could absorb the vapors of a strong chemical herbicide due to proximity or spillage. If that fertilizer is then distributed on the crop, it risks destroying the entire harvest instead of nourishing it.
• The rule: Ordinary fertilizers and pesticides (not classified as toxic) can be stored on open shelves or in a separate closet. Within the pharmaceutical closet, only products with a regular patent certificate for purchase and use must go.only the products with a regular patent certificate for purchase and use.

Yes, it is a legal obligationprevailed by both the PAN and workplace safety regulations (D.Lgs. 81/08). Outside the closet or on the door of the room where it is located, they must be clearly visible:

1. Danger signs:Warning signs indicating the presence of toxic or hazardous substances (e.g. the skull symbol or the general chemical hazard pictogram).
2. Prohibition signs:Prohibition of access to non-authorized personnel, prohibition of smoking and use of open flames in the vicinity.
3. Emergency numbers:A sign must be displayed with the company's emergency numbers, the Fire Department's numbers, and, crucially, the phone number of the nearest Poison Control Center (PCC).
4. Safety Data Sheets (SDS): Outside or in the immediate vicinity of the cabinet, a current folder containing the safety cards of all stored products must be present, for a quick consultation in case of poisoning or spillage.

When a phytosanitary product spills, it immediately transforms into ahazardous special waste. It can never be washed away with water and disposed of in sewers or soil. The correct procedure involves:

• Drying absorption:The spilled liquid in the sink must be sprinkled with inert absorbent material (sepiolite, expanded clay, or specialized chemical absorbent cloths).
• Collection: Once the liquid has been absorbed, the exhausted material must be removed with a spatula and placed in a certified plastic bag or container (waste drum).
• Storage and CER Code: The container must be labeled and moved to the "Temporary Storage" of special waste at the agricultural company. The commonly used CER code is the 02 01 08 (agrochemical waste containing hazardous substances)*.
• Disposal: The waste must be retrieved and disposed of exclusively by authorized companies (registered on the Environmental Managers' Roll) within the times specified by law, releasing the regular waste identification form (FIR).