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Farm Chemical Safety Series
An Overview of the Worker Protection Standard

The 1992 Worker Protection Standard for agricultural pesticides was published August 21, 1992, and accelerated provisions became enforceable April 21, 1993. Other generic portions of the Standard become enforceable April 15, 1994. The Standard is intended to decrease the number of injuries from handling agricultural chemicals. Agricultural workers and employers will benefit from the decreased possibilities of chemical-related injuries.

Some of the provisions of the 1992 Standard require new labels for agricultural-use pesticides. New labels state specific safety information for that particular chemical, including necessary personal protective equipment, entry restrictions, and worker notification. The portions of the Standard enforceable after April 15, 1993, are the product-specific safety guidelines printed on the label.

Each employer is responsible for compliance with these new guidelines when he/she uses a chemical with the new label. Until April 15, 1994, only those provisions of the Standard printed on the label are enforceable. Whether you use a chemical with a new or old label, as always, the label is the law.

Accelerated Provisions

Personal Protective Equipment

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is necessary to protect workers and handlers from accidental exposure to pesticides. When properly used, PPE greatly reduces the wearer's chances of being injured by a chemical. Pesticide labels state exactly which pieces of protective equipment are necessary to provide the minimum protection needed while using that pesticide.

Personal protective equipment includes:

  • Chemical-resistant gloves, footwear, headgear, and suits;
  • A chemical cartridge respirator;
  • Coveralls; and
  • Goggles.
Do not wear leather gloves and boots, since leather will soak up chemicals and concentrate the chemicals on the skin. Coveralls may be required by some labels, while a chemical-resistant suit may be required for more toxic chemicals. Respirators must be NIOSH/MSHA-approved (others might not be of top quality).

For more information on personal protective equipment, see Extension Publication 1843, available from your county agent.

Restricted-Entry Intervals

A restricted-entry interval (REI) is the period of time after a pesticide application is completed when entry into the field is limited. The length of the REI is determined by the toxicity of the active ingredient and is printed on the new label. If the active ingredient is extremely toxic (Category I pesticide), the restricted-entry interval is 48 hours. If a pesticide is moderately toxic (Category II), the REI is 24 hours. The interval for a low toxicity chemical (Category III or IV), is 12 hours. These intervals are generic, and shorter intervals may be allowed in the future if the manufacturer's research shows that a shorter interval is safe.

No work is allowed in the field for 4 hours after any application or until the inhalation exposure level printed on the label has been reached. Afterward, under certain circumstances, work is allowed during the remainder of the REI. Workers who will have no contact with anything that has been treated with the pesticide may enter.

For example, a cultivator operation may begin 4 hours after the application is complete, provided the tractor driver does not come in contact with the treated materials/surfaces. However, if the driver must clean cultivator sweeps, the early entry restrictions for contact with treated surfaces must be followed. This and other tasks involving contact may be performed after the first 4 hours of the restricted-entry interval have passed, as long as:

  1. Each worker stays in contact in the area no more than 1 hour during any 24-hour period;
  2. Personal protective equipment specified on the label is worn;
  3. The worker is trained and is informed of the danger; and
  4. A decontamination site is available.
Work is allowed in an area under an REI in agricultural emergencies. An agricultural emergency is an occurrence over which the farmer has no control. This occurrence would most likely be severe weather and must be designated an agricultural emergency by the appropriate state or federal agency.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may grant exceptions to the early entry restrictions for certain farming practices. Specific requests for exceptions must be made to the EPA.

Crop Advisors

Crop advisors are subject to the provisions of the Worker Protection Standard. Specific regulations vary, depending on what duties the advisors perform and when they are in the field. Crop advisors are allowed to enter the field during an application, during the first 4 hours of a restricted-entry interval, and during the remainder of the REI as long as they are given the same protection as handlers. No time limits for early entry apply to crop advisors.

Advisors working in an area after the REI has expired, and are employees of the farm where they are working, must be given the same Standard protections as agricultural workers. Self-employed crop advisors do not need to follow Standard protection regulations after the REI has expired.

Label-Specific Notification

The new pesticide labels also contain statements on notifying employees about applications. Workers may be notified of applications orally or by posting a notice at the field. Some labels will require both types of notification. Oral warnings should consist of:
  1. Location and description of the area;
  2. The time during which entry is restricted; and
  3. Instructions not to enter the area until the REI has passed.
Field posting is required for all Toxicity Category I pesticides and some other pesticide applications. The signs must at least state that the area has been treated with pesticides and persons should keep out. The signs are to be placed at all normal worker-entry points to the field and must be in place no sooner than 24 hours before the application begins. They must remain in place for the duration of the REI and must be removed within 3 days of the expiration of the REI.

Until April 15, 1994, the posting sign may be of any design as long as it contains the necessary information. Beginning on April 15, 1994, the sign must follow an EPA-approved design. This sign must be at least 14 by 16 inches.

Generic Provisions

The generic provisions of the Worker Protection Standard were enforceable on April 15, 1994. These provisions include the safety guidelines not specifically mentioned on the pesticide labels, including pesticide safety training, decontamination sites, and posted notices of applications, access to medical help, and supervision of employees using PPE (including inspection, maintenance, and cleaning of PPE).

Safety Training

Pesticide safety training is to be given to all handlers and agricultural workers. The training is to be by a certified applicator, a trainer designated by the state, or one who has completed a train-the-trainer program approved by the state. This training will help employees prevent chemical injuries and show them what to do in case someone is accidentally exposed to a pesticide.

Certified commercial or private applicators need not be trained. Other handlers and agricultural workers, however, must be trained every 5 years. Handlers must be trained before any handling task. Early entry workers must be trained before they perform any early entry work. Other workers must be trained before their sixth day of entry (16th day until October 20, 1997) into a field that has been treated within the last 30 days.

The handler and worker training criteria include:

Handler training criteria:
  1. Format and meaning of labeling.
  2. Hazards of exposure to pesticides.
  3. Routes of contamination.
  4. Signs and symptoms of pesticide poisoning.
  5. Emergency first aid for pesticide poisoning.
  6. How to obtain emergency care.
  7. Decontamination procedures.
  8. Need for and use of personal protective equipment.
  9. Prevention, recognition, and first aid treatment of heat-related illness.
  10. Safety requirements for handling, transporting, storing, and disposing of pesticides, including general procedures for spill cleanup.
  11. Environmental concerns such as drift, runoff, and wildlife hazards.
  12. Warnings about taking pesticides or containers home.
  13. Explanation of WPS requirements that handler employers must follow for the protection of handlers and others, including the prohibition against applying pesticides in a manner that will cause contact with workers or other persons, the requirement to use PPE, the provisions for training and decontamination, and the protection against retaliatory acts.
Worker training criteria:
  1. Where and in what form pesticides may be encountered.
  2. Hazards of exposure to pesticides.
  3. Routes of contamination.
  4. Signs and symptoms of pesticide poisoning.
  5. Emergency first aid for pesticide poisonings.
  6. How to obtain emergency care.
  7. Decontamination procedures.
  8. Hazards of chemigation and drift.
  9. Hazards from pesticide residues on clothing.
  10. Warnings about taking pesticides or containers home.
  11. Requirements designed to reduce the risks of pesticide decontamination, to list emergency phone numbers and procedures, and a reminder of federal rules for worker protection.

Safety Poster

To help reinforce the safety training, a permanent pesticide safety poster is to be placed at a central location on the farm. The poster will include tips on how to avoid pesticide contamination, a list of emergency phone numbers and procedures, and a reminder of federal rules for their protection. This poster should be kept in good condition in case the information on it is needed in an emergency.

Medical Assistance

You must provide medical assistance to any employees if there is reason to believe they have been injured by a pesticide. Transportation to an emergency room must be made available. You need to provide the medical personnel with the product name, EPA registration number, and the active ingredients of the chemical. The label also includes information on antidotes, first aid, statement of practical treatment, and other medical information. Give the medical staff a description of the way the pesticide was being used and the circumstances of the employee's exposure to the pesticide.

Decontamination Sites

You need to have decontamination for handlers and workers. For handlers, locate a site at each mixing and loading area and within a quarter of a mile of other handling activities. At the decontamination location, have enough potable water for routine washing, emergency eye flushing, and emergency washing of the entire body in case a chemical is spilled on someone. Keep at the site single-use towels and an extra pair of coveralls. Decontamination sites must also be provided for workers who are working in areas where a pesticide has been applied during the last 30 days.

The only specific quantity of water required by the Standard for decontamination sites is one pint for each worker present for emergency eyeflushing. No other quantity is mentioned; however, the water is to be clean, free of chemicals, and of a temperature that will not harm a user.

Handlers and early entry workers must have a place where they can remove personal protective equipment and clean up before going home.

Daily Maintenance of PPE

The personal protective equipment employees use must be kept in good, working condition. Inspect the equipment before each day of use and repair or replace any problem PPE. Handlers and early entry workers need a place to change and to store personal clothing and put on and remove any PPE being used.

At the end of the day, PPE must be cleaned according to the manufacturer's specifications by someone who is informed of the dangers of pesticide residues. Keep pesticide-contaminated clothing separate from other clothing; also launder separately. Dry the equipment once it is cleaned or put it in a well-ventilated place to dry. Store the cleaned equipment apart from other personal clothing and contaminated areas.

Central Notices

When a pesticide is applied at any location on the farm, post specific information on that application at a central location accessible to workers at all times.

Applications occurring for the past 30 days must be displayed. Information in the notice must include the location and description of the area; product name, EPA registration number, and active ingredient(s); time and date of the application; and the length of the restricted entry interval and the time when it expires. The notice should remain in place at least 30 days after the end of the REI.

Worker Protection Standard and Field Records Requirements

Date effective EPA-W.P.S. Central Information
April 15, 1994		 USDA-AMS Field Records
May 10, 1993
Duration records must be maintained 30 days after REI expires 2 years after application
Who has access Workers, handlers, and their representatives, medical personnel, and EPA and BPI inspectors Attending medical staff, NASS surveyors, BPI inspectors
Pesticides affected All agricultural, nursery, forestry, greenhouse pesticides Restricted-use pesticides only
Exceptions Pastureland, right-of-way, post-harvest, livestock, vertebrate pest control, attractants/repellents, structures, gardens, lawns, unregistered pesticides research, government-sponsored research None
Requirements Date and time of application, location, pesticide name, EPA registration number, REI duration, REI expiration time Date of application, location, crop/commodity, pesticide name, EPA registration number, size of area treated, rate of application, total amount of product applied, pest being controlled, applicator information

Before using any pesticide
STOP
Read the label

Partial support for this publication is provided by Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, Bureau of Plant Industry, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

By Herbert Willcutt, Extension Agricultural Engineer, and Trent Spencer, Program Assistant, Extension Agricultural Engineering.

Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.

Publication 1866
Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director

Copyright by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved.

This document may be copied and distributed for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service. 
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