The health and hygiene of workers, their work ethic, the plants and their surroundings are very important aspects of establishing a plant program of any kind.
Chemical manipulation of plants may pose serious health risks to workers distributing them. Proper training and personal protective equipment (PPE) are therefore of the utmost importance.
Physical manipulation involves direct contact between worker and plant, as well as the implements used. To prevent contamination, all tools must be disinfected before use or when switching between plants.
PPE clothing should not be worn during breaks or in bathrooms and should be replaced if it gets dirty or damaged. This will prevent the spread of fungal spores.
Designated washing-up areas need to be marked and accessible to encourage cleanliness among workers, especially smokers as contaminated tobacco products can easily lead to the spread of the tobacco virus to tomato plants.
It is the manager of the program’s responsibility to be up to date on the current health and hygiene standards and to properly enforce them to ensure success.