Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides

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Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural
Pesticides

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8

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Worker Protection Standard

• SCOPE PURPOSE
• To reduce the risks of illness or injury
  resulting from workers and handlers
  occupational exposures to pesticides
• Requires workplace practices designed to reduce
  or eliminate exposure to pesticides and
  establishes procedures for responding to
  emergencies

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Overview

• Importance of WPS
• WPS Elements for workers and handlers
• WPS Elements for workers
• WPS Elements for handlers
• WPS in WY

This presentation is solely intended for
guidance. The information in this guidance does
not constitute a rulemaking by the Agency, and
may not be relied on to create a substantive or
procedural right or benefit enforceable at law by
any person. Refer to the WPS regulations at 40
C.F.R. Part 170.
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Why is this important?

• To be in compliance with Federal Regulations
• To gain employer benefits
• Protecting your workforce may result in
• Increased productivity and efficiency
• Reduced absenteeism and turnover rates
• Reduced overhead
• Greater profits
• Increased employee loyalty
• Positive public perception
• Sense of pride and confidence

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Employee Benefits

• Reduced risk of poisonings
• Reduced risk of injuries
• Maintain health steady income

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WPS applies when

• any pesticide product is used on an agricultural
  establishment in the production of agricultural
  plants
• Agricultural establishment farm, forest,
  nursery, greenhouse
• Agricultural plants food, feed and fiber
  plants, trees, turfgrass, flowers, shrubs,
  ornamentals, and seedlings

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WPS Applies if

• You apply or employ others to apply pesticides
  for production of agricultural plants on a farm,
  forest nursery, or greenhouse
• That you own or manage
• Where you hire a contractor for services,
  including labor contractors
• You operate a business in which you or people you
  employ perform tasks as a crop advisor on any
  farm, forest, nursery, or greenhouse

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Responsibility for WPS Compliance

• Employer bears primary responsibility
• Labor contractors may also be jointly responsible

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READ THE LABEL!

• WPS resides in the label
• Exempt pesticide uses
• Use on livestock
• Mosquito abatement
• Control of vertebrate pests
• Others

Agricultural Use Requirements box
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Duties for ALL employers
(of Workers and Handlers)

• Information at a Central Location
• Pesticide Safety Training
• Decontamination Site
• Information Exchange
• Emergency Assistance

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1. Information at a Central Location

• Display where workers/handlers can readily see,
  read, and access it
• Display where workers/handlers are likely to
  congregate or pass by
• Inform workers/handlers of
• location

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Example of Central Locations
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Example of Central Locations
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1. Information at Central Location

• Pesticide safety poster
• Specific information about applications
• Location and description of treated area
• Product name, EPA , active ingredients
• Time and date pesticide is to be applied
• Restricted-entry interval
• Emergency information
• Name, address, telephone number of nearest
  emergency medical care facility

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1. Information at Central Location

• What if treated soil/plants are moved during the
  REI or 30 days after the REI?
• Central posting information must remain
  reasonably accurate
• Update information
• Provide change of location information beforehand
• Refer to markings on the pots in the posting
• Other systematic matter

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2. Pesticide Safety Training

• Must provide basic pesticide safety information
  before entering a treated area
• Where pesticides are found
• How to prevent pesticides from entering the body
• Further training provided within 5 days
• Ensure complete training occurs before the 6th
  working day or before early-entry handler tasks
• Training must occur
• every 5 years

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2. Pesticide Safety Training

• Training may include written and/or audiovisual
  materials
• Use qualified instructor (certified applicator,
  designated trainer, handler for workers only)
  who presents training in a manner employees
  understand and responds to questions
• Use EPA-approved materials
• 11 points of worker training
• additional handler points

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3. Decontamination Site

• Locate within ¼ mile of workers handlers
• Cool, clean water for washing, eye flushing, and
  drinking
• Soap
• Single-use towels
• Clean change of
• clothes (handlers)

MO Dept. of Ag.
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2. Decontamination Site

• Decontamination Kit

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4. Information Exchange

• Before application, commercial handlers must
  inform ag establishment operator of
• Location and description of area to be treated
• Time and date of application
• Product name, EPA Reg. ., active ingredients,
  REI
• If oral and/or posted warning is required
• Other label safety requirements

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4. Information Exchange contd

• Ag establishment operator must inform commercial
  handler of
• Location and description of all areas where
  pesticides will be applied or where REI will be
  in effect while handler is on establishment
• Restrictions on entering those areas

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5. Emergency Assistance

• Provide emergency transportation
• Provide information to victim and medical
  personnel
• product name, EPA registration number, active
  ingredient(s)
• first aid medical information from label
• pesticide use information
• information about
• victims exposure

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Additional duties for Worker employers(see also
worker protection box on product label)

• Notice of applications
• - Oral and/or posted warnings (according
• to the label)
• POST all greenhouse applications at all entrances
• No sooner than 24 hours before application
• During the entire restricted-entry interval
• No more than 3 days beyond the restricted-entry
  interval

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Additional duties for Worker employers(see also
worker protection box on product label)

• 2. Entry restrictions after applications
• Follow Restricted Entry Interval on label
• Special application restrictions in greenhouses
• Early-entry workers and handlers wearing PPE can
  perform certain approved tasks
• Restrictions during applications
• Entry allowed only to trained and equipped
  handlers
• In nurseries, area immediately around treated
  area may also be restricted (25 100 ft.)

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Additional duties for Handler employers

• Give handlers specific instructions
• Instructions for the safe use of pesticide
• product and application equipment
• Label is accessible at all times
• Provide personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Clean, properly fit, inspect and repair as
  necessary

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Additional duties for Handler employers

• Monitor handlers in hazardous
• situations
• Every 2 hours with skull and cross bones on label
• Visual or voice contact with greenhouse
  fumigation

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Agricultural Establishment Owners and Immediate
Family

• Maintain use personal protective equipment
  (PPE)
• Observe restricted entry interval (REI)
• Participate in employer information exchange

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WPS in WY CO

• Common WPS violations
• 71 posting of application information
• 71 safety training
• 48 safety poster, emergency information
• 43 notice of applications
• 38 decontamination
• Violation rates for one EPA inspector

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Summary

• GOAL to protect employees on farms and in
  forests, nurseries, and greenhouses from exposure
  to agricultural pesticides
• HOW through a set of common-sense workplace
  practices to reduce or eliminate exposure
• RESULT healthy employees healthy workforce
  many potential benefits

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Questions?
Peg Perreault 303 312-6286 perreault.peg_at_epa.gov

Barbara Barron 303 312-6617 barron.barbara_at_epa.gov
Jaslyn Dobrahner 303 312-6252 dobrahner.jaslyn_at_ep
a.gov
US EPA 999 18th Street, Suite 300 Denver, CO
80202 1 800 227-8917