&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Enforcement
& Compliance Assurance
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 305-F-98-030
September 1998
vwwv.epa.gov
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                                                             Ag Center
                                                                     Helping Agriculture Comply with
                                                                     Environmental Requirements
             FOCUS
          O  N
                      Monitoring  and  Special
                      Instructions  for Pesticide
                      Handlers
                     The Agricultural Worker Protection Standan
                     Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 an
                     used in the production of agricultural plants
                     WPS requires you to take steps to reduce the •
                     use such pesticides, or (2) employ workers or
                     pesticides.
                                   (WPS) is a regulation issued by the U.S.
                                  d amended in 1995. It covers pesticides that are
                                   farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses.  The
                                  isk of pesticide-related illness and injury if you (1)
                                  Pesticide handlers who are exposed to such
                     This fact sheet will help you understand how i
                     monitoring pesticide handlers and for informir ,g
                     are using.


                     Monitoring handlers
                     At least once every 2 hours, someone
                     must check on—by sight or by voice
                     communication—any handler who is
                     handling a pesticide that has a skull and
                     crossbones symbol on its label. (For
                     monitoring the handling of fumigants in
                     greenhouses, see immediately below.)
                                  o comply with the WPS requirements for
                                   handlers about the pesticides and equipment they
                                       Someone must maintain constant visual
                                       or voice contact with any handler who is
                                       applying or otherwise handling a
                                       fumigant in a greenhouse. This includes
                                       handlers who enter the greenhouse
                                       during fumigation to operate ventilation
                                       systems, adjust tarps or other coverings
                                       used in the fumigation, or check air
                                       concentration levels. The person
                                       monitoring the fumigant handler must:

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You must also provide
handlers access to the
pesticide labeling
information during
handling tasks.
    be trained as a pesticide handler,
    and
    have immediate access to the PPE
    that the fumigant labeling requires
    for applicators.


Labeling information
You must inform your handler-
employees, in a manner they can
understand, about all labeling
requirements related to safe use of the
pesticide, including at least:
    the signal word,
    human hazard statements and
    precautions,
    personal protective equipment
    requirements,
    first aid instructions,
    environmental precautions, and
    any additional precautions about  the
    handling task to be performed.


Option: You may allow handlers to read
the labeling themselves, if they are able
to read and understand it.


Safe operation of equipment
You must make sure that your handler-
employees know how to safely and
correctly use all equipment they are
assigned to use for handling pesticides,
including, if applicable, how to avoid
drift and how to use chemigation
equipment safely.


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."


The Ag Center welcomes comments on
this document and its other services.
  National Agriculture Compliance
  Assistance Center
  901 N. 5th Street
  Kansas City, KS 6610 1
  Toll-free:
  Internet:
  Fax:
                                                                                     1-888-663-2155
                                                                                     www.epa.gov/agriculture
                                                                                     913-551-7270

                                                                                  United States Environmental
                                                                                  Protection Agency
                                                                                  Washington, DC 20460
                          Ag Center Fact Sheet Series
                          Agrichemicals/WPS - Handler Monitoring/Instructions
                                                                             Page 2

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