Warning words make the difference when it comes to pesticide safety

The Macon Telegraph recently featured an article that dealt with the tricky issue of pesticide warning labels. As a matter of fact, the very word “warning” is part of the issue discussed in this piece, since some words that may sound synonymous actually convey different levels of importance.

The story has to do with the use of these chemicals in Georgia and the possibly lethal ramifications of one known as Fumitoxin, which can be a helpful tool in proofing food supplies against vermin if used correctly. But, as the Telegraph’s Karol Kelly writes, that requires certain processes to treat affected materials after the fact as well as preventative measures beforehand.

The most interesting part of Kelly’s description, and the one that shows how important custom printed labels are, has to do with the hierarchy of words and phrases used to describe the amount of caution that anyone around pesticide needs to take.

“Signal words are usually written in capital letters,” she writes.”The least toxic products carry the signal word CAUTION. Products with the signal word WARNING are more toxic. The most toxic pesticides have the word DANGER on their labels.”

The effort to develop pesticides that do less harm has been noticed in other markets as well. A press release from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services cautions against using pesticides incorrectly given the recent death of tens of thousands of bees in Oregon. As this release states, “the pesticide label is the law.”

By that same token, companies that produce and market these chemicals should be making labels that correspond to the law., and looking to acquire printing equipment that can make this an easier task.