**9. Precautionary measures during application of herbicides in the crop field**

Herbicides are chemical compounds used to control weed species but could also phytotoxic to crops and harmful to animals through entering direct or indirect in food chain. Therefore, herbicides should be carefully selected considering the toxicity, residual persistence in soil and water bodies as well as cropping systems. The herbicide residual persistence can be affected the succeeding crops in a crop rotations and also the runoff of rain water from crop fields to water bodies which may cause the lethal and hazardous to water organism and human beings [65]. However, non-target living organisms that come to direct contact with weedicides can be harmful or poisonous especially if they have carry the chemical of the toxic action [66]. Therefore, while working with herbicides poses an always chemical poisoning risk to exposed workers if precaution measures are not properly followed.

With the use of herbicides, there is a certain risk of intoxication to directly exposed environment, food product, workers, as well as applied crops, since it depends on numerous factors. Therefore, before application of any herbicide, its short and long term toxicity/risk factors should be considered. The risk of worker intoxication with pesticides and herbicides, depends on several factors as how they will be handled and used. It can be grouped under two major factors; the toxicity of the respective herbicide and how it was exposed under specific working condition [66]. Therefore, it is an important to must follow the safety and health management guidelines while working and using the herbicide at all steps as set out by the industrial hygiene [67]. The steps are the ability to antedate, identify, diagnose, evaluate, and minimize the risks in the workplace. Therefore, the Preventive safety measures of worker(s)/personnel such as psychological measures; administrative: legislation, standards, and procedures; and hygiene, cleaning, maintenance, and safety of the environment also important during selection and application of pesticides [68].
