Assessing the compliance of the pesticide labels used by farmers in Sahneh city with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of classification and labeling

Labels are the simplest and most accessible means of transmitting information on health, safety and environmental risks of pesticides for farmers. In this study, the degree of compliance of pesticide labels in the consumer market of Sahneh city with Globally Harmonized System (GHS) was investigated.

The labels of pesticides available in the consumer market were assessed according to seven important elements in GHS including: (1) name and identification code of pesticide, (2) word of warning, (3) danger phrase that shows the nature and severity of the danger, (4) precautionary phrases and first aid, (5) supplier identity, (6) Pictograms, and (7) SDS (safety data sheet) and the data was analyzed in Excel software. Ethical considerations were taken into account at all stages.

In total, 186 labelswere reviewed in which only 30%of them had the name and code of pesticide identification fully registered, 21% of the tags contained the word warning, 76% of the tags held dangerous phrases, and 91% of the tags involved precautionary expressions and first aid. The identity of the supplier was seen in 98.7% and only 2% of the labels carried the GHS pictogram. None of the pesticides had SDS sheets even in electronic form.

The current labeling method needs to be revised and modified to be effective in providing warnings to farmers. It is necessary to inform all companies of the same format and in accordance with the GHS system by the Pesticide Supervision Board and to implement it compulsorily with incentive policies