Following the stunning $289 million jury award to a California school groundskeeper last year, the link between glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) and cancer has been widely debated. If your grounds staff uses these products (such as Monsanto’s Roundup), you may be concerned about the implications for your school district.
A great deal of controversy on the safety of GBHs stems from scientific disagreement on the chemical’s hazards. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) found glyphosate to be a probable carcinogen. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that the substance poses no risk to humans from its current uses and that there is no evidence it causes cancer. In 2017, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment added glyphosate to the Proposition 65 list as a chemical known to the state to cause cancer. Monsanto, the largest manufacturer, cites extensive research over the past 40 years of the herbicide’s safety and faults the conclusions of the WHO cancer agency study.
“Integrated Pest Management emphasizes prevention, least-hazardous control methods and communication.”
The current GBH lawsuits have been focused against the manufacturers of the chemical pesticide, but employers should consider their own potential risks. California schools are subject to the Healthy Schools Act of 2018 and are responsible for meeting its requirements by implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM emphasizes prevention, establishing action levels, using least-hazardous control methods, and communication. The IPM approach helps reduce risks to students, staff and the community.
Staff members who are responsible for storing, preparing and applying pesticides, including GBHs, must be certified. Only a person holding a qualified applicator certificate (QAC) or a qualified applicator license (QAL) from the Department of Pesticide Regulation can apply restricted-use pesticides at schools.
Aside from the cancer risk disputes, GBHs do present health hazards if they are inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin. GBHs can cause eye, nose and throat irritation and digestive upset. Grounds staff who apply them and other groundskeepers who work where these substances are applied should be required to use personal protective equipment, follow all pesticide labeling, employ practices for preventing and containing spillage, and learn the appropriate steps for accidental exposure.
Adhering to established best practices for pesticide use along with proper training helps protect your district from liability and maintains a healthy environment for everyone.