Cemetery workers raise concerns over pesticide use

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Cemetery workers raise concerns over pesticide use

TORONTO (Canadian OH&S News) -- Citing occupational health and safety concerns, a total of 237 cemetery workers in the Toronto area walked off the job in the early morning of July 24.

"One of the issues that they had raised as being the reason for going on strike was pesticide [and] herbicide use," says Rick Cowan, assistant vice-president for marketing and communications with Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

The strikers, comprising sixty staff members and 177 seasonal workers, belong to nine of the cemetery group's 10 unionized properties, namely Mount Pleasant, Toronto Necropolis, Prospect, Pine Hill, York, Meadow Vale, Beechwood, Elgin Mills and Thornton.

This is the first time the 182-year-old cemetery group — the Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries — has faced a labor dispute. As of COHSN press time, the dispute had been resolved.

Cowan says cemeteries, which are considered in the same grouping as golf courses and parks, are permitted by bylaws to use pesticides and herbicides. "We're restricted in concentration levels that we're allowed to use," says Cowan, noting that applications are administered by accredited professionals who adhere to pest management practices. Spraying in a spot-format is conducted early or late in the day when workers are not at the property, he adds.

The bylaw passed by the City of Toronto in April of 2004 banned the use of pesticides on all public and private property, except in specific situations. It permits the use of pesticides that contain certain lower-risk ingredients, such as soap, a mineral oil (also called dormant or horticultural oil), silicon dioxide (also called diatomaceous earth), and fatty acids. The bylaw recommends that pest control products that contain ingredients such as 2,4-D, mecoprop, dicamba, glyphosate, carbaryl and diazinon, should be avoided.

Monica Campbell, manager of the environmental protection office with Toronto Public Health, says that ill health effects as a result of pesticide exposure depends on variables, such as the frequency and dosage of exposure, and the type of protective equipment worn. "Overall, repeated, constant exposure to pesticide, if not low levels, is associated with health outcomes of concern," Campbell says. "If you're constantly exposed in your job, you would certainly have concerns."

Concerns raised over blanket spraying

She cautions against blanket spraying "because that's the way you get spray drift and inadvertent exposure." As well, "one has to be very, very careful about what one does with their clothing at the end of the workday," Campbell notes. Bringing home such affected clothing to wash could potentially expose family members to harmful chemicals.

Cowan reports that Mount Pleasant Cemetery is exploring organic alternatives to minimize the amount of pesticides and herbicides being used. That, he says, is a "balancing act", considering that customers "find it very unacceptable" and "can be very vocal" when they find dandelions and weeds growing on their plot.

Some of the work-related hazards associated with grounds keeping duties include: excavating, moving and setting up equipment, maintaining lawns, trimming trees and shrubs and attending to grave sites. These tasks could expose workers to chemicals such as pesticides, cleaning solutions and fertilizers, notes a safety guide for groundskeepers by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

Workers should also wear appropriate personal protective equipment such as steel-toed boots and sturdy work gloves. When mixing and applying chemical fertilizers and pesticides, safety goggles, impermeable coveralls, chemical-resistant gloves and respiratory protection should be worn, notes information from the State Compensation Insurance Fund in California.