&EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Washington, DC 20460 EPA 305-F-98-031 September 1998 vwwv.epa.gov A r^—^yimii nijn-^ Ag Center Helping Agriculture Comply with Environmental Requirements FOCUS O N Does the WPS Require Growers To Protect Themselves? 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 yourself and your immediate family. The que by people seeking clarification on this part of t released by EPA's Office of Compliance on A Are small agricultural establishments exempted from compliance with the Worker Protection Standard? No. Except for a partial exemption for owners and their immediate families (immediate family includes only spouse, children, stepchildren, foster children, t parents, stepparents, foster parents, o comply with WPS requirements for protecting ?tions answered here were submitted to the Agency \e regulation. The questions and answers were iarchlS, 1995. brothers, and sisters), all agricultural establishments that use pesticides that have WPS labeling must comply with the Standard when using those products for uses within the scope of the WPS. ------- Those who qualify as "agricultural owners" are exempt from some WPS provisions. The Ag Center welcomes comments on this document and its other services. The definition of a "worker" includes a self-employed person. Does this mean that growers are required to comply with all provisions where they are not specifically exempt? In general, self-employed people who perform worker activities must provide themselves with the protections required for workers. However, if they qualify for the agricultural owner exemption, they are exempt from some provisions. Are growers (owners) personally subject to the REI provisions, entry restrictions, and PPE requirements for early-entry activities? Yes, growers (owners) are personally subject to the Restricted Entry Interval (REI) provisions, entry restrictions, and PPE requirements for early entry, when using a product referencing the WPS. 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 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." Ag Center Fact Sheet Series Agrichemicals/WPS - Requirements for Growers/Family Page 2 ------- |