Narrative:

This aircraft was overdue its long term insecticide spraying; therefore we were sprayed upon gate arrival in yssy. This is the 2ND time this has happened to me in 2 or 3 months. Because air carrier does not insure that the plane is long term sprayed in a timely manner; the passenger and crew are exposed to potentially harmful chemicals. The spray cans are not manufactured in the united states; and are labeled to contain active ingredients d-phenothrin 20:80 labeled 'for cabin spraying' and d-phenothrin 20:80 and permethrin 25:75 labeled for 'cargo holds' which was also sprayed in the cabin. This health risk exposure is unsatisfactory. Supplemental information from acn 812112: aircraft dispatched to yssy with out of date cert of residual disinfection. Cert expired on oct/08. Advised operations prior to dispatch/no help. Advised dispatch en route to yssy. Upon arrival in yssy APU failed to start after multiple attempts. After docking at gate; without external air or APU air; australian ag personnel boarded aircraft and sprayed passenger and crew with bug spray then closed door to aircraft and locked us in for approximately 15 mins. This event was avoidable and certainly unhealthy to passenger and crew members. I do not expect to change the policy of the australian government; however air carrier could do a much better job of tracking disinfection of aircraft to avoid exposure to insecticide of passenger and crew members.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB IN YSSY WITH PASSENGERS AND CREW ABOARD WAS SPRAYED WITH TWO INSECTICIDE SPRAYS; ONE FOR EACH THE CABIN AND THE CARGO HOLD THEN FORCED TO REMAIN FOR 15 MINUTES IN THE CLOSED CABIN.

Narrative: THIS ACFT WAS OVERDUE ITS LONG TERM INSECTICIDE SPRAYING; THEREFORE WE WERE SPRAYED UPON GATE ARR IN YSSY. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME IN 2 OR 3 MONTHS. BECAUSE ACR DOES NOT INSURE THAT THE PLANE IS LONG TERM SPRAYED IN A TIMELY MANNER; THE PAX AND CREW ARE EXPOSED TO POTENTIALLY HARMFUL CHEMICALS. THE SPRAY CANS ARE NOT MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES; AND ARE LABELED TO CONTAIN ACTIVE INGREDIENTS D-PHENOTHRIN 20:80 LABELED 'FOR CABIN SPRAYING' AND D-PHENOTHRIN 20:80 AND PERMETHRIN 25:75 LABELED FOR 'CARGO HOLDS' WHICH WAS ALSO SPRAYED IN THE CABIN. THIS HEALTH RISK EXPOSURE IS UNSATISFACTORY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 812112: ACFT DISPATCHED TO YSSY WITH OUT OF DATE CERT OF RESIDUAL DISINFECTION. CERT EXPIRED ON OCT/08. ADVISED OPS PRIOR TO DISPATCH/NO HELP. ADVISED DISPATCH ENRTE TO YSSY. UPON ARR IN YSSY APU FAILED TO START AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. AFTER DOCKING AT GATE; WITHOUT EXTERNAL AIR OR APU AIR; AUSTRALIAN AG PERSONNEL BOARDED ACFT AND SPRAYED PAX AND CREW WITH BUG SPRAY THEN CLOSED DOOR TO ACFT AND LOCKED US IN FOR APPROX 15 MINS. THIS EVENT WAS AVOIDABLE AND CERTAINLY UNHEALTHY TO PAX AND CREW MEMBERS. I DO NOT EXPECT TO CHANGE THE POLICY OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOV; HOWEVER ACR COULD DO A MUCH BETTER JOB OF TRACKING DISINFECTION OF ACFT TO AVOID EXPOSURE TO INSECTICIDE OF PAX AND CREW MEMBERS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.