Pesticides: What You Need to Know

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Pesticides What You Need to Know

• Some of the rules and how the game is played

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Staying out of trouble

• Worker Protection Standard
• Pesticide Licensing
• Pesticide Recordkeeping
• Follow the Pesticide Label!
• U.S. EPA
• Ga. Department of Agriculture
• Liability

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Worker Protection Standard

• Whats it about?
• Protection of agricultural workers
• Who is subject to WPS?
• Row crops, greenhouses, nursery, forestry
• with non-family employees
• NOT animal production or pastures

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WPS

• Information at central location
• safety poster
• medical information
• when/where/what was sprayed
• when is it safe to enter field
• Training valid for 5 years
• Workers
• basic training before work
• complete training before early-entry

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WPS

• Training
• Pesticide handlers
• complete training before work
• Certified Pesticide applicators(RUP)
• dont need WPS training
• Trainers
• handlers can train workers
• certififed applicators can train anyone

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WPS

• Decontamination
• within 1/4 mile of workers/handlers
• clean water
• maintain 7-30 days after REI expires (see label)
• Workers
• wash hands
• Handlers
• wash body
• clothes

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WPS

• Emergency assistance
• provide transport
• provide information to physician
• Information Exchange
• commercial applicator to grower
• when/where/what being treated
• grower to commercial applicator
• where is REI in effect

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General Use Pesticides vs.Restricted Use (RUP)

• General Use
• Used by any adult
• No training
• Low concentrations

• RUP
• More dangerous
• man/environment
• Training required
• Certification required
• private applicator
• training only
• commercial applicator
• test
• training

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License to buy/apply RUP

• Private license
• from county agent
• only to apply to your property or to property of
  employer
• video/label exercise
• Commercial license
• testing
• categories
• recertification every five years
• Pesticide Contractors license

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Recordkeeping

• RUP
• everyone must keep records of RUP
• keep for at least two years
• Commercial applicators
• Ga. Law
• keep records of all applications
• keep at least two years
• Worker Protection Standard
• keep for 30 days beyond REI expiration

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LIABILITY

• Regulation and your behavior determine your
  exposure to liability
• The label
• I dont have time to worry about every little
  regulation, or do I?

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If you are sued . . .

• Something is wrong with my pet, my tree, my child
  . . .
• Suppose that you (or your employee) used one
  teaspoon over the labeled rate
• How much have you increased health risk?
• Have you increased environmental risks?
• How much did you increase liability?

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How Would You Answer These Questions?

• Do you have any regard for human safety?
• Do you have any regard for the environment?
• Do you understand that the pesticide label
  establishes safe use patterns?
• Do you understand that the directions on the
  pesticide label constitute federal law?

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More Tough Questions

• Do you read the pesticide label?
• Are you intelligent enough to understand the
  pesticide label directions?
• You say that you read the label, that you
  understand the label, and you understand the
  label is the law. Yes or no?
• Did you deliberately break the law, or you simply
  too stupid to know the difference?

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READ THE LABEL!!!!!
READ THE LABEL!!!!!
READ THE LABEL!!!!!
READ THE LABEL!!!!!
READ THE LABEL!!!!!
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Things to Know about the Label

• The label is the law
• Label vs labeling
• Brand name vs active ingredients
• Sites vs pests
• Specificity vs generic language

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The label more things to know

• Personal Protective Equipment
• REI PHI
• Loopholes
• lower rate
• fewer applications
• any equipment not prohibited
• mixtures OK

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SIGNAL WORDS

• DANGER or DANGER-POISON
• death
• 50 mg/kg
• irreversible eye damage
• skin corrosion
• WARNING
• CAUTION

BE CAREFUL! BE CAREFUL!
BE CAREFUL! BE CAREFUL!
BE CAREFUL! BE CAREFUL!
BE CAREFUL! BE CAREFUL!
BE CAREFUL! BE CAREFUL!
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Paul GuillebeauIPM/Pesticide Coordinator

• Department of Entomology
• University of Georgia
• Athens GA