Kerry Richards, Pesticide Safety Education Coordinator; kerryr@udel.edu
Workers must be trained ANNUALLY before they enter areas treated with pesticides within the past 30 days. Employees who are considered pesticide handlers must be trained prior to doing any handler tasks. Training must be completed using EPA Approved training materials and monitored by someone who is available to answer questions.
Examples of EPA approved training materials, in English and Spanish, can be found at:
https://ag-safety.extension.org/understanding-and-applying-the-worker-protection-standard-videos-for-workers-and-handlers/
COMING SOON: Watermelon WPS Worker and Handler training
Labor contractors are required to provide to workers that they make available for growers. However, it is the grower’s responsibility to make sure the training has been provided. If documentation of training CAN NOT be provided workers should NOT be allowed to enter any area treated with pesticides in the last 30 days.
What can you do if documentation of training is not available?
If documentation of WPS training is not available, training may be provided using one of the training examples listed at the link above.
- These materials meet the requirements required by WPS
- They must be provided in a language that workers understand
- Someone must be available to answer questions during the training
- Training should be documented
Training documentation form can be found at: https://agsci.colostate.edu/cepep/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2016/06/WPS-Verification-Pesticide-Safety-Training-form-for-Employees-2016.pdf