Worker Protection Standard
Producer's Checklist for Workers and Handlers
Agricultural Workers
Have you given your agricultural workers all the protections required by the Environmental Protection Agency Worker Protection Standard? This checklist outlines duties employers must perform to comply with the WPS regulations. Use this list as a reminder and for assistance in training your workers and handlers. If your answer to any question is no, correct the problem before you start a pesticide application.This list is not intended to be a complete listing of Worker Protection Standard regulations. To reduce liability and the risk of penalties, you must follow the WPS How To Comply Manual published by the EPA. For a copy of the manual, or other information on complying with the Worker Protection Standard, contact your county Extension office.
Information at a central location
| yes__no__ | Is the Pesticide Safety Poster displayed with the central area information? |
| yes__no__ | Are the name, address, and telephone number of the nearest hospital displayed with the central area information? |
| yes__no__ | Have the product name, EPA registration number, and active ingredients of the chemical been displayed with the central area information? |
| yes__no__ | Have the location and description of the treated area been displayed with the central area information? |
| yes__no__ | Have the time and date of the application, along with the length of the REI and when it will expire, been displayed with the central area information? |
Pesticide safety training for workers
| yes__no__ | Have all of your workers received safety training? |
| yes__no__ | If so, was the training conducted within the last 5 years and was it conducted by a certified trainer using EPA training materials? |
| yes__no__ | Did your workers receive written verification of their training? |
Decontamination sites
| yes__no__ | Have decontamination sites been provided within 1/4 mile of where worker tasks will be performed? |
| yes__no__ | Do the sites have plenty of soap, single-use towels, and enough water for routine washing, emergency eye flushing, and emergency washing of the entire body? |
| yes__no__ | Is the water stored in a container other than the tanks used for drinking water or for storing water to be mixed with pesticides? |
| yes__no__ | Are all sites located outside areas being treated or still under an REI? |
Emergency assistance
| yes__no__ | Is transportation available for anyone who may be accidentally poisoned? |
| yes__no__ | Are the product name, EPA registration number, active ingredients, medical information, and first aid information from the label available for medical personnel? |
| yes__no__ | Will someone be able to give medical personnel information about the exposure and how the chemical was being used? |
Restrictions during applications
| yes__no__ | Do workers know not to enter areas being treated with pesticides? |
| yes__no__ | Do workers understand the restrictions on early-entry work with no contact? |
Special application restrictions in nurseries
| yes__no__ | Will nursery workers be kept the necessary distance away from areas being treated? |
Special application restrictions in greenhouses
| yes__no__ | Will workers be kept out of greenhouses during applications and until the air concentration listed on the label is met or until the ventilation requirements on the label are met? |
Restrictions during restricted-entry intervals
| yes__no__ | Do workers know not to enter treated areas under an REI and contact any surface treated with the pesticide? |
Notice about applications
| yes__no__ | If the label requires notification, have employees been informed orally? |
| yes__no__ | If oral warnings are required, have you informed workers of the location and description of the area as well as length of the REI before the application is made? |
| yes__no__ | If the label requires, have warning signs been posted at field entrances? |
| yes__no__ | If signs are required, do all posting signs follow the EPA design? |
| yes__no__ | If signs are required, will signs be posted not earlier than 24 hours before the application and removed within 3 days of the end of the REI? |
| yes__no__ | Are all greenhouse applications posted? |
Agricultural Pesticide Handlers
Have you given your pesticide handlers all the protections required by the EPA Worker Protection Standard? This checklist outlines duties employers must perform to comply with the WPS regulations. Use this list as a reminder and for assistance in training your handlers. If your answer to any question is no, correct the problem before you start a pesticide application.This list is not intended to be a complete listing of Worker Protection Standard regulations. In order to reduce liability and the risk of penalties, you must follow the WPS How to Comply Manual published by the EPA. For a copy of the manual, or other information on complying with the Worker Protection Standard, contact your county Extension office.
Information at a central location
| yes__no__ | Is the Pesticide Safety Poster displayed with the central area information? |
| yes__no__ | Are the name, address, and telephone number of the nearest hospital displayed with the central area information? |
| yes__no__ | Have the product name, EPA registration number, and active ingredients of the chemical been displayed with the central area information? |
| yes__no__ | Have the location and description of the treated area been displayed with the central area information? |
| yes__no__ | Have the time and date of the application, along with the length of the REI and when it will expire, been displayed with the central area information? |
Pesticide safety training for handlers
| yes__no__ | Have all of your handlers received safety training? |
| yes__no__ | If so, was the training conducted within the last 5 years and was it conducted by a certified trainer using EPA training materials? |
| yes__no__ | Did your handlers receive written verification of their training? |
Decontamination sites
| yes__no__ | Have decontamination sites been provided within 1/4 mile of where handling tasks are being performed? |
| yes__no__ | Is there a decontamination site at each mixing/loading site? |
| yes__no__ | Do the sites have plenty of soap, single-use towels, a clean pair of coveralls, and enough water for routine washing, emergency eye flushing, and emergency washing of the entire body? |
| yes__no__ | Are these same supplies at the location where handlers remove their PPE? |
| yes__no__ | Is the water stored in a container other than the tanks used for drinking water or for storing water to be mixed with pesticides? |
| yes__no__ | Is at least 1 pint of eye flush water immediately accessible to each handler? |
| yes__no__ | Are decontamination supplies in enclosed containers while in areas being treated? |
Emergency assistance
| yes__no__ | Is transportation available for anyone who may be accidentally poisoned? |
| yes__no__ | Are the product name, EPA registration number, active ingredients, medical information, and first aid information from the label available for medical personnel? |
| yes__no__ | Will someone be able to give medical personnel information about the exposure and how the chemical was being used? |
Restrictions during applications
| yes__no__ | Do handlers know not to apply a pesticide in any manner that may contact, directly or through drift, anyone other than trained and equipped handlers? |
Monitoring handlers
| yes__no__ | Will handlers be monitored every 2 hours by voice or sight while they work with a pesticide that has a skull and crossbones on the label? |
| yes___no__ | Will a handler applying a fumigant in a greenhouse be visually monitored constantly by an equipped, trained handler? |
Specific instructions for handlers
| yes__no__ | Are handlers informed before they start any handling job of all safety instructions on the label? |
| yes__no__ | Will the label be available for handlers to consult after starting the job? |
| yes__no__ | Do handlers know how to safely use chemicals and application equipment? |
| yes__no__ | Are commercial applicators aware of any applications near the area where they will work? |
Equipment safety
| yes__no__ | Has pesticide handling equipment been inspected for breaks or leaks? |
| yes__no__ | Do only trained and equipped handlers repair, clean, or adjust pesticide equipment that contains pesticides or residues? |
Personal protective equipment
| yes__no__ | Does the pesticide label require the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)? |
| yes__no__ | Is the PPE clean and in good working order? |
| yes__no__ | Is the PPE inspected before each day of use and replaced if necessary? |
| yes__no__ | Are handlers informed on how to use PPE correctly? |
| yes__no__ | Do handlers have a clean place to put on and remove PPE? |
| yes__no__ | Do respirators fit correctly? |
| yes__no__ | Are respirator cartridges replaced when an odor, taste, or irritation is noticed; when the respirator or pesticide label requires it; or at the end of the work day if there are no other instructions available? |
| yes__no__ | Are dust filters replaced when breathing becomes difficult when the filter is damaged; when the pesticide or mask label requires; or at the end of the day's work if there are no other instructions available? |
| yes__no__ | Is PPE cleaned before each day of use, according to the manufacturer's instructions? |
| yes__no__ | Will the people who clean PPE know that the PPE may be contaminated with pesticides and exposure to pesticides may be harmful? |
| yes__no__ | Do they know how to protect themselves when handling the PPE and how to clean it correctly? |
| yes__no__ | Is PPE washed and stored separately from other clothing and pesticide storage areas? |
| yes__no__ | Is cleaned PPE dried or hung to dry before storage or use? |
| yes__no__ | Is absorbent clothing discarded if it has been heavily contaminated with an undiluted pesticide having a danger or warning signal word? |
| yes__no__ | Are federal, state, and local laws followed when disposing of PPE that cannot be cleaned correctly? |
| yes__no__ | Will steps be taken to avoid heat stress? |
| yes__no__ | Do employees know not to take PPE home? |
Notification of commercial applicators
| yes__no__ | Do commercial applicators know the specific locations of all areas on your farm where an REI is in effect or where pesticides will be applied while they are working on your farm? |
| yes__no__ | Do commercial applicators know of the restrictions on entering those areas? |
For commercial employers of pesticide handlers
| yes__no__ | Is the affected farm owner aware of the time, date, and location of each application you make? |
| yes__no__ | Is the farm owner aware of the product name, EPA registration number, active ingredients, and the REI for the chemical being applied? |
| yes__no__ | Is the farm owner aware of whether or not the product label requires oral warnings or area posting? |
| yes__no__ | Is the farm owner aware of all safety requirements on the label for workers and others? |
By Trent Spencer, former Extension Program Assistant, Agricultural Engineering, in cooperation with Herb Willcutt, Extension Agricultural Engineer, and Dr. Jim Hamer, Leader, Environmental and Agricultural Chemical Education (EACE), Mississippi State University. Funded by the Bureau of Plant Industry, Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. Distributed by EACE.
Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.
Form 991
Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress,
May 8 and June 30, 1914. Ronald A. Brown, Director
Copyright by
Mississippi State University. All rights reserved.
This document may be copied and distributed for nonprofit educational
purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University
Extension Service.
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