&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Enforcement
& Compliance Assurance
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 305-F-98-026a
September 1998
www.epa.gov
Ag Center
Helping Agriculture Comply with.
Environmental Requirements
FOCUS ON
Information Exchange Between
Commercial Handlers and
Growers - Part I
The Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a regulation issued by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and amended in 1995. It covers pesticides that are
used in the production of agricultural plants on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses. The
WPS requires you to take steps to reduce the risk of pesticide'related illness and injury if you (I)
use such pesticides, or (2) employ workers or pesticide handlers who are exposed to such
pesticides.
This fact sheet will help you understand how to comply with WPS requirements concerning the
information that commercial handlers and their customers must provide to each other about
pestidde'treated areas.
Information provided by
commercial handlers to growers
Commercial pesticide handlers (custom
applicators) must make sure that their
customer-the operator of the farm,
forest, nursery, or greenhouse-knows
certain information about the pesticide
before it is applied on the establishment.
If the pesticide is not applied as
scheduled, the customer must be
informed of the corrected time and date
of the application. Make the correction
before the application takes place or as
soon as practicable thereafter.
Commercial pesticide handlers must
inform their customers about:
• the specific location and description
of the area(s) on the agricultural
establishment that are to be treated
with a pesticide,
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Supply tlie
information before
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rummer performs
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establishment.
time and date the pesticide is
scheduled to be. applied,
product name, EPA registration
number, and active ingredient (s),
restricted-entry interval for the
pesticide,
whether the pesticide labeling
requires both treated-area posting
and oral notification, and
any other specific requirements on
the pesticide labeling concerning
protection of workers and other
persons during or after application.
Your customers-the operators of
agricultural establishments-must have
this information to protect their
employees as required by the WPS.
Information provided by growers to
commercial handlers
Operators of farms, forests, nurseries,
and greenhouses must make sure that,
whenever a commercial pesticide
handler will be doing pesticide handling
tasks (including tasks as a crop advisor)
on their establishment, the commercial
handler's employer knows specific
information concerning treated areas on
the agricultural establishment.
Operators of agricultural establishments
must provide the following information
to the commercial pesticide handlers
they hire:
• Specific location and description of
any areas on the agricultural
establishment:
- that may be treated with a
pesticide or be under a
restricted-entry interval while
the commercial handler will be
there, AND
- jthat the commercial handlers
may be in (or walk within 1/4
mile of).
• Restrictions on entering those areas.
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Operators of commercial pesticide
handling establishments must have this
information to protect their employees
as required by the WPS. They must
make sure that, whenever one of their
handlers will be doing pesticide handling
tasks (including tasks as a crop advisor)
on an agricultural establishment, he or
she is aware of the required information
concerning pesticide-treated areas on
the agricultural establishment.
For example, if custom applicators are
scheduled to use ground equipment to
apply a pesticide on a farm, they need to
be informed of any nearby areas on the
farm that they should stay out of
because the area has an REI in effect.
Or if commercial crop advisors are
Ag Center Fact Sheet Series
Agrichemicals/WPS - Information Exchange 1
Page 2
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Agr (chemicals
scheduled to scout in an area on a farm
that remains under an REI, they need to
be told what personal protective
equipment they should wear while in
that area.
The Ag Center
welcomes
comments on this
document and its
other services.
For more information
You can get more facts about
compliance by calling the Ag Center's
toll-free number. Materials can be sent
to you by fax or mail, or you can talk to
an Ag Center representative. For a list
of all publications available from the Ag
Center, request document number
10001, "Ag Center Publications."
National Agriculture Compliance
Assistance Center
901 N. 5* Street
Kansas City, KS 66 1 01
Toll-free:
Internet:
Fax:
1-888-663-2155
www.epa.gov/oeca/ag
913-551-7270
United States Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460
Ag Center Fact Sheet Series
Pages
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