EPA WORKER PROTECTION STANDARD Oklahoma State University Pesticide Applicator Education

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EPA WORKER PROTECTION STANDARDOklahoma State
UniversityPesticide Applicator Education
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WORKER PROTECTION STANDARD IS

• an EPA regulation that covers pesticides used in
  production of agricultural plants on
• farms
• forests
• greenhouses
• and nurseries

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Referenced on the label...

• Use this product only in accordance with its
  labeling and with the Worker Protection Standard,
  40 CFR, Part 170

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WPS requires...

• the employer on an agricultural establishment to
  provide his employees with
• information about pesticide exposure
• protections against exposure to pesticides
• ways to mitigate exposure to pesticides

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Employees defined as

• Agricultural worker
• do hand labor such as weeding, planting,
  cultivation, or harvesting
• do related tasks, such as moving or operating
  irrigation equipment
• Handler (applicator)
• mix, load, or apply

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• Handler (applicator)
• mix, load, or apply pesticides
• do other tasks involving direct contact with
  pesticides

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Family farm exemption

• owners of agricultural establishments and members
  of their immediate family are exempt from WPS
  requirements for training, decontamination and
  display at central area

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PROTECTION FOR WORKERS AND HANDLERS

• INFORMATION about pesticide applications

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At a central location

• Display specific information about all recent
  pesticide applications
• date and time of application
• product name
• EPA registration number
• location and description of area
• active ingredient
• restricted entry interval

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• Display EPA approved pesticide safety poster
• Emergency information
• Display address and telephone number of nearest
  medical facility

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(No Transcript)
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When information must be displayed

• Whenever any worker or handler employee is on the
  agricultural establishment and, in the past 30
  days, a pesticide has been applied or a
  restricted entry interval (REI) has been in
  effect.
• May be displayed continuously

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Pesticide safety training...

• EPA approved training for workers and handlers
• Before any handling task
• For workers , basic pesticide safety information
  before entering a treated area
• Complete training before the 6th day of entry

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• Trained by a certified applicator or trained WPS
  trainer
• Use EPA approved materials
• video
• training work books
• flip chart

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PROTECTION FOR WORKERS AND HANDLERS

• NOTIFICATION about pesticide application

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• Notify workers about treated areas so they can
  avoid inadvertent exposures
• Some labels require notifying BOTH orally and
  with signs posted at entrances to treated area

Notify workers of the application by warning
them orally and by posting warning signs at
entrances to treated areas.
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• Notification on farms, forests, and nurseries
• Notify EITHER orally or by the posting of warning
  signs at entrances to treated areas
• Notification in greenhouses
• Must post all treated areas, unless labeling
  requires both types and then you must also notify
  workers orally.

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EXCEPTIONS

• ORAL WARNINGS NEED NOT BE GIVEN TO
• Any worker who will not be on the farm, forest,
  nursery or greenhouse during a pesticide
  application or while a REI is in effect
• TREATED AREA POSTING IS NOT REQUIRED IF
• no workers will be in the greenhouse during the
  pesticide application or while the REI is in
  effect.

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Posted warning signs...

• On farms, forests and nurseries post the signs so
  they can be seen from all points where workers
  usually enter the treated area, including at
  least
• each access road
• each border with any labor camp adjacent to the
  treated area, and
• each established walking route that enters the
  treated area

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• In greenhouses, post signs so they can be seen
  from all points where workers usually enter the
  treated area, including
• doors, aisles, and other walking routes
• if no usual point of entry, post signs in the
  corners of treated area or in places where easily
  seen.

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• Use WPS-designed signs
• Post signs 24 hours or less before pesticide
  application
• Remove signs within 3 days after the end of the
  REI

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Notification information
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• DECONTAMINATION for protection

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Decontamination supplies - workers

• Water, soap, single use towels
• Recommend at least 1 gallon for each worker using
  the site
• Within 1/4 mile of the treated area
• Available 30 days after the end of the REI

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Decontamination supplies - handlers

• Water, soap, single use towels and change of
  clothes
• Recommend at least 3 gallons for each handler
• At mix area and within 1/4 mile of treated area

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• When label requires protective eyewear
• 1 pint eyewash - MUST BE IMMEDIATELLY ACCESSIBLE
• At site where handlers remove their PPE
• soap, clean towels, and enough water to wash
  thoroughly

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• EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

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• Provide emergency transportation if there is
  reason to believe that a worker or handler may
  have been poisoned or injured by a pesticide used
  on the establishment

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• Provide information on pesticide product to
  emergency personnel or employee upon request.

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PROTECTION FOR HANDLERS

• PROTECTION
• from pesticide exposure

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PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

• Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) the
  pesticide label requires for the task

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• Make sure PPE is worn for the entire handling
  task
• Make sure PPE is used correctly
• Inspect and repair PPE

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• Provide a clean place away from pesticides
• to store personal clothing not in use
• put on PPE at the start of any exposure period
• take off PPE at the end of exposure
  period

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• Inform people who clean or launder PPE
• that the PPE may be contaminated
• how to protect themselves when handling
  contaminated PPE
• how to clean PPE correctly

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• Make sure application equipment is inspected and
  repaired and that persons repairing, cleaning or
  adjusting equipment are protected or informed.

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• Before doing any handling task
• handlers must be given information from the
  pesticide labeling and have access to the
  labeling itself, and
• receive instruction on the safe operation of
  equipment

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Heat Illness

• Takes steps to prevent heat illness
• Provide appropriate PPE
• Encourage drinking of water
• Frequent rest breaks
• Make applications in cool of the day
• Recognize symptoms of heat stress

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Monitoring of handlers

• Pesticide with skull and crossbones
• At least once every 2 hrs by sight or voice
  contact
• Fumigants in a greenhouse
• Constant visual or voice contact with handler

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Weve been looking..
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This is what weve seen.

• Pesticide application information
• missing elements
• (EPA registration number, active ingredient, REI)
  
• not where it is readily seen and read by workers

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• Decontamination sites - mix/load and treated area
• eyewash not immediately accessible
• not enough water or not within 1/4 mile

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• Personal Protective equipment
• make sure you have enough
• store away from pesticide storage area
• wrong gloves - read the label!!
• Handler access to pesticide label

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I dont hire any migrant workers so WPS
doesnt apply!!
I dont use any restricted use pesticides, so
I dont need to keep records!
I give them PPE but they wont wear it, what
can I do?
Im just a family farm so I am exempt from
WPS!!
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Need More Help?
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WPS

• Charles Luper
• Oklahoma State University
• Pesticide Applicator Education
• Phone [phone]
• e-mail luper_at_okstate.edu