&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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