You must comply with the Worker Protection Standard if:
– You own, operate, or are employed on any farm, forest, nursery, or greenhouse where pesticides are used in the production of agricultural plants;
– You hire or provide employees for any agricultural business which Mix/load or apply pesticides.
- These employees are defined as Handlers under WPS
– You have employees that work in areas that have been treated with pesticides within the past 30 days.
- These employees are defined as Workers under WPS
– You or anyone you employ is a certified/licensed crop advisor.
WPS Requirements for Employers:
Two of the most significant WPS changes are:
- Workers and Handlers must be trained prior to performing any duties, and they must be retrained EVERY year.
- Handlers who are using pesticides that require respiratory protection must complete a medical clearance and respirator fit test as outlined by OSHA standards.
A guide that summarizes the maximum requirements under the revised WPS can be found on-line at http://pesticideresources.org/wps/hosted/quickrefguide.pdf
This guide does not include exemptions and exceptions. However, it does provide references to those exemptions and exceptions.
EPA WPS Update and Approved Train-The-Trainer Course
Trainers who provide WPS training must either be a certified applicator or complete an EPA approved Train-The-Trainer Course. A course that provides an update on the WPS and also qualifies as an EPA approved Trainer-The-Trainer course will be offered by the University of Delaware Pesticide Safety Education Program (DE-PSEP) in Kent and Sussex counties. Details are available here.