Mend Your Diet

Is Landscaping work dangerous to your health guys?

I read the job description about 3 days ago and... I've been thinking a LOT. On the description, it stated that you would be required to spray + mix herbicides, fertilizers and insecticides. Either by hand or mechanical sprayers/spreaders. Ummm... ^ aren't these things very bad to your health? Would working in this kind of job for half a year to say; about a whole year effect your health in any negative ways? If so ^ , what would be the short and long term effects? Thanks.

Public Comments

1. I never thought about it before, but it seems to me an organic landscaping business would make big bucks. . . .hmmmmm :)
2. In order to work with these chemicals, you need to be licensed to handle them. Every state has strict ordinances and laws and licensure to make sure there are no accidents. You can't just dump any extra pesticide you over mixed into the ground. These are Hazardous Materials and have to be handled as such. In order to be licensed as a veterinary technician, I had to take the pesticide test, because in handling large animals, there are pesticides used for their care. The same is true for the green industry. Pesticides are dangerous and environmentally toxic if not handled properly. If this company is not requiring you to get licensed to handle these chemicals, they are operating illegally.
3. I love landscaping and gardening, but I would not work for a landscaper (or even a greenhouse or plant nursery) because of the chemicals involved. Many pesticides and insecticides are carcinogenic, meaning they have the potential to cause cancer. Some studies even show that parents' exposure to pesticides can cause certain types of cancer in their children. Simply search for "pesticides and cancer" or "insecticides and cancer" if you're curious.