Signed WPS Made Easy

Pasticide application wps central information worksheet

Music welcome to the pesticide safety training for the worker protection standard or WPS the WPS is a federal regulation and it is important to note that some states or tribes may have pesticide regulations in addition to the federal WPS covered here this regulation is designed to protect agricultural employees by reducing the possibility of work-related pesticide exposure and illness you will be informed about the pesticide hazards you may find at your work site and be shown the steps you can take to protect yourself your family or others from pesticide exposure you will also learn the steps you can take if you or someone else is affected by pesticides and understand your employers responsibilities for employees who work in areas where pesticides are used the WPS requires agricultural employers to inform and train their workers and pesticide safety once a year your employer must keep a copy of your training on file for two years and you have the right to request a copy of it during this time the WPS defines an agricultural establishment as a place where plants are produced this can be a farm forest nursery greenhouse or other location agricultural workers are those employees of an agricultural establishment who do not work directly with pesticides or pesticide equipment instead they do tasks such as watering weeding pruning trimming planting harvesting or moving nursery stock all agricultural workers must receive WPS training before they enter areas where in the last 30 days a pesticide has been applied or where the restricted entry interval or REI has been in effect an REI is the length of time you must wait before you can enter an area after a pesticide has been applied the length of an REI is different for different pesticides your employer is prohibited from directing or allowing any agricultural worker to handle pesticides apply pesticides work on pesticide application equipment or do any other pesticide related activity without first completing an epa-approved WPS handler training the WPS defines pesticide handlers as those employees who work directly with pesticides pesticide handlers must be at least 18 years old and are usually known as pesticide applicators handler tasks include mixing loading transferring or applying pesticides cleaning pesticide containers fixing pesticide application equipment or disposing of unused pesticides handlers are employed by an agricultural establishment or a company hired to make commercial pesticide applications in certain situations crop advisors are also pesticide handlers Music a pesticide is a substance used to protect plants and control pests such as insects weeds fungi and diseases the most common types of pesticides used in agriculture are insecticides herbicides and fungicides these are applied as liquids sprays powders granules or gases such as soil fumigants and are often hard to detect after an application has been completed because of this small amounts of pesticides or pesticide residue may still be found in and around the area where you work and they may be harmful to your health depending on the amount and type of pesticide residue you are exposed to pesticide residue may be found where pesticides were applied such as on plant leaves or stems on fruits and vegetables on pesticide application equipment including irrigation equipment when pesticides are applied through the irrigation system pesticide residue can also be found on tractors and other farm equipment dirty work clothes use personal protective equipment or PPE empty pesticide containers in areas used for storing mixing and handling pesticides and in the soil if you work or live near areas where pesticides are being used you can be exposed to pesticides through drift drift can happen during a pesticide application when droplets or dust travel away from the target site drift is a violation of pesticide law and should be reported to your state or tribal pesticide regulatory agency in order to keep pesticide exposure from becoming a risk to your health there are steps that employers have to take they are required to display specific information about the pesticides used on their establishment at a central location that can be easily accessed by employees during normal work hours this information must be posted for at least 30 days after the end of an application or 30 days after the REI has ended and must include pesticide safety information that explains how to stay safe when working around pesticides or pesticide residues the name and phone number of a nearby emergency medical facility and the contact information for the state or tribal pesticide regulatory agency hazard information found in the safety data sheets or SDS for each pesticide applied the SDS is not a pesticide label it has information on the health risks of the pesticide its chemical and physical hazards toxicity first-aid and emergency spill procedures pesticide application information that describes the area location in the crop or site where the pesticides were used the name of the pesticides the active ingredients the EPA registration numbers the dates and the time the application started and ended and the length of the REI the pesticide application and hazard information must be posted within 24 hours of completing a pesticide application and before workers enter the treated area after a pesticide has been applied a record of the application and hazard information will be kept on the establishment for two years as an employee during this time you have the right to request a copy of this information you also have the right to designate someone to get this information for you a request from this designated representative must be made in writing when you start work at an establishment your employer must tell you where to find the information posted at a central location and where you can find the decontamination supplies for routine washing and emergency use your employer must provide decontamination supplies within a quarter of a mile of the treated site for a certain length of time after the REI has ended decontamination supplies for workers includes soap single-use towels and water for routine or emergency washing if another source of clean water such as a stream a lake or a pond is closer to you you should use it in an emergency at the beginning of your work period or before a pesticide application begins your employer must also notify you to stay out of areas where an REI is in effect they may do this by posting warning signs that look just like this around the treated area give you instructions to stay out of the area or they may be required to do both if you see this warning sign you must stay out of the area even if the REI has ended and you have been told that you can enter you can only enter the treated area when the REI is over the warning signs are removed are covered and the pesticide application information and the SDS is posted at the central location you may also be instructed to stay out of an area called the application exclusion zone or a easy this is an area around the application equipment during an outdoor pesticide application only properly trained and equipped handlers may be in an a easy early entry workers are employees who are asked to enter an area where pesticides were used before the REI has ended to do this type of work you must be at least 18 years old and your employer must tell you why early entry work is necessary you must wear the required PPE be given information about the pesticide that was applied and have instructions on how long you can stay in the area all early entry workers must be able to read and understand the pesticide label on hazards precautions safety and first aid or someone must explain this information to you early entry workers must not handle pesticides unless they are trained as handlers Music since it is possible that harmful pesticide residues may be on you and your work clothes there are things you can do to protect yourself your children and other family members from being exposed to pesticide residues to keep everyone safe you should wear work clothes that protect you such as a long-sleeved shirt long pants shoes socks and a hat or scarf gloves may also help protect you from residues wash your hands before touching your eyes or mouth and before eating drinking and smoking chewing gum chewing tobacco using the toilet or using your phone never take empty pesticide containers home with you even if they are rinsed they are never completely free of pesticides remove your work shoes or boots before entering your home wash or shower immediately at the end of your work shift using soap and shampoo your hair change into clean clothes before you have any physical contact with others keep dirty work clothes separate from family or other clothes and away from children wash your work clothes in hot soapy water before wearing them again do not wash your work clothes and any non work clothes together when possible rinse the washing machine at least twice before doing family laundry air dry work clothes outside when possible if somebody washes your work clothes for you tell them that they may have pesticide residue on them exposure to pesticides and pesticide residue can be harmful to anyone so keep household members away from areas treated with pesticides and keep all pesticides out of the reach of children children and pregnant women are especially at risk as pesticide exposure may lead to birth defects learning problems low birth weight premature birth or miscarriage Music the contact you have with the pesticide or pesticide residue is called pesticide exposure and may harm some people more than others since pesticides are different from one another so is the potential hazard or harm they may have on your health an acute pesticide illness is one that occurs shortly after a major exposure incident and the symptoms are usually seen within 24 hours some of the most common symptoms include headaches sweating weakness rapid pulse nausea or loss of consciousness acute pesticide poisoning can be serious requiring medical treatment and in extreme cases people can die a chronic pesticide illness can result from exposure to a highly toxic pesticide or from repeated exposures to small amounts of some pesticides over a long period of time the symptoms of a chronic pesticide illness may show up shortly after the exposure or they may be delayed and not show up until long after the exposure has taken place serious delayed effects may include cancer chronic respiratory conditions or damage to the nervous system repeated pesticide exposure may cause sensitization to the pesticide you were exposed to this is similar to an allergic reaction that may get worse with each exposure and can even be life-threatening typical effects from sensitization are rashes and respiratory problems if you think you have symptoms caused by any type of pesticide exposure contact your employer or supervisor at once they will make sure that you get medical attention Music pesticides can enter your body through four routes your skin your eyes your nose and your mouth knowing the symptoms of exposure through these routes and knowing what to do if you or a co-worker are exposed to pesticides is important for everyone's safety many of the pesticide exposures and injuries in agriculture result from pesticides entering the body through the skin this happens when your skin comes in contact with pesticides or pesticide residue on plants soil dirty work clothes contaminated equipment or even your phone some pesticides can cause skin irritation or they can pass through the skin and be absorbed into the bloodstream if you think your skin has come in contact with a pesticide or pesticide residue wash it off immediately with soap and water to slow down or stop your skin from absorbing more of the pesticide if the decontamination supplies are far away rinse off in the nearest clean water such as a stream or pond as soon as possible follow up by washing with soap and water shampooing your hair and changing into clean clothes if you develop any symptoms from the exposure get medical attention pesticides can get into your eyes from airborne dust or particles splashes or spills broken hoses spray mists by rubbing them with contaminated hands or dirty PPE the tissues of the eye are extremely absorbent because of this pesticides can easily move to other parts of your body this can be very dangerous if a pesticide gets into your eye flush it out by rinsing with an eye wash kit or any source of clean water make sure that the water flow is gentle and that your head is turned so that the injured eye is below the good eye this will stop contaminated water from going into the unaffected eye keep the injured eye as wide open as you can and continue flushing for at least 15 minutes to avoid further hai injury make sure that the water is clean not too hot and never put anything in the water or in the eye get medical attention as soon as possible pesticides can enter your mouth when you eat drink smoke chew tobacco or chew gum without first washing your hands or when you eat produce without washing it first never eat or drink from any container used for pesticides even if the container has been washed if a person accidentally drinks a pesticide tell your employer immediately follow the emergency first aid directions that are on the pesticide label and get the person to a medical facility quickly never make a person vomit unless you are advised by medical personnel or the first-aid statement on the product label pesticide exposure can also occur by inhalation or breathing in pesticide vapors dust or spray particles through your nose and mouth this type of exposure is more serious with some pesticides than others particularly fumigant pesticides which form gases once in the lungs pesticides can enter other parts of the body very quickly and damage other organs in these type of exposures always get medical attention immediately if you or someone else is exposed to pesticides through drift a spill or some other way go to a safe location decontaminate immediately and tell your employer or supervisor if you are experiencing symptoms from a pesticide exposure your employer must provide you with transportation to the nearest emergency medical treatment facility remember you can find the contact information for a nearby medical facility and information about the pesticide that may have been involved displayed at the central location during work hours your employer is also required to give emergency medical personnel the safety data sheet or SDS information on the pesticide product and a detailed description of how the pesticide was used and how the exposure may have happened to avoid further contamination do not give an open pesticide container to medical personnel in addition to pesticide exposure hot working conditions can also harm you if you are working in excessive heat with limited air movement or high humidity and start to feel sick or dizzy it could be because of the heat and not pesticide exposure if you have heart problems high blood pressure diabetes or other medical issues you are at a much higher risk for heat-related illnesses than someone without these conditions symptoms of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating clammy moist skin extreme weakness or fatigue dizziness nausea muscle cramps and rapid breathing if this happens get to a cool or shaded area that has good airflow loosen clothing to make breathing easier drink water and apply cold wet if possible if your body overheats and cannot control its temperature you can die quickly if you don't get immediate medical treatment heat related illnesses are best prevented by drinking plenty of water and taking frequent breaks to give your body a chance to cool down because the symptoms of heat exhaustion and pesticide poisoning are similar it is important for you to be aware of your surroundings ask yourself did I drink enough water how long have I been working in the heat is any kind of pesticide application being made nearby thinking about these things can help you figure out what is making you or somebody else sick Music to work as a pesticide handler you must be at least 18 years old and receive EPA approved WPS handler training every year as a handler you may apply pesticides work on pesticide application equipment or be involved in other pesticide related tasks it is the responsibility of both you and your employer to make sure you use each pesticide correctly and legally and to understand and follow the directions and restrictions on pesticide labels labels like this are found on pesticides to give you information on the safe and effective use of the product as a pesticide handler reading understanding and following all the directions and application restrictions on a label is one of the most important parts of your job this includes information that might be with and not on the container it is against the law to apply a pesticide contrary to the label directions if you cannot read and understand a product label your employer must have someone explain it to you the label is the law it is important to know the different parts of a pesticide label and what information can be found in each part the brand name is the commercial name of the pesticide this is usually the biggest most noticeable word on the front of the label the pesticide manufacturer is the company which makes or distributes the pesticide the pesticide formulation is the mix of active and other ingredients in the product there are many types of formulations but pesticides are usually in a liquid dry or gas form dry formulations include wettable powders and water dispersible granules extra care must be taken with wettable powders because they are dusty and can be easily inhaled liquid formulations include suspension concentrates soluble concentrates or emulsify Abal concentrates when working with emulsifier concentrates use extra caution as they contain solvents that can be harmful to you and to the environment fumigant pesticides can be liquid solid or gas when applied but it is the gas released from these products that acts as a decide fumigants are extremely dangerous and have important safety measures that you must follow to use them pesticide product labels also have an EPA registration number this is the unique number given to each pesticide by the US Environmental Protection Agency or EPA this number identifies the product and gives medical personnel valuable information in an emergency there are four signal words that can be used and each describes the acute short-term toxicity of the product danger with skull and crossbones and the word poison printed in red ink this means that the pesticide is highly toxic or extremely poisonous and will make you very sick or even kill you if eaten absorbed through the skin or inhaled danger means the pesticide is very poisonous if it enters your body is corrosive or causes irreversible damage to skin or eyes small amounts of this product will cause serious harm warning means the pesticide is moderately toxic if eaten absorbed through the skin or inhaled and causes moderate I or skin irritation caution means slightly toxic but it can still make you sick if absorbed by the skin inhaled or if it gets into your eye the first aid instructions tell you what to do if you get the pesticide in your eyes inhale it into your lungs swallow it or get it on your skin it also provides a number to call for emergency medical treatment information read this before you use the product so that you can act quickly in case of an emergency there is an agricultural use requirements box that refers to the WPS requirements this means that users must follow the WPS requirements even though they are not printed on the labeling this part of the label lists the PPE required for early entry tells you how long the REI is and tells you whether an employer must notify workers about an application by speaking to them by posting warning signs or both when posting these warning signs is required by either the label or is determined by the length of the REI in the application site your employer is responsible for making sure this is done however as a handler you may be asked to put these warning signs up the environmental hazard statement section of the label gives you information about how the pesticide can harm the environment the precautionary statements tell you about potential hazards to humans and domestic animals health risks and the protections you need to take while using the product including the personal protective equipment or PPE this tells you what protective clothing or equipment you must use when mixing loading or applying the pesticide or when you clean repair and maintain application equipment the type of PPE depends on the task you are doing the directions for use section has two very important statements the first one means that it is against the law if you do not follow the pesticide label directions the second one means that it is against the law for anyone other than handlers with the required PPE to be in the treated area during an application and that the applicator cannot allow the pesticide to contact anyone directly or indirectly this section also has the sites where you can apply the pesticide the application rates the type of equipment to use and any application restrictions the storage and disposal section gives you instructions on rinsing the container how to store dispose or recycle it and whether or not it can be refilled with pesticides never store pesticides near food or feed products all the information on the product label is very important to the safety and success of your work there are also other things you can do or your employer must do to be safe when applying pesticides inspect your equipment before it is used to mix load transfer or apply pesticides to make sure it is working correctly and make sure that you know how to use it safely although your employer is responsible for making sure this gets done you may be asked to do this as a handler you must know the size of the application exclusion zone or a easy for applications made outdoors the aez is a distance around the application equipment that varies in size depending on the type of application being made and the spray quality of the nozzles being used if people are inside the aez but within the boundaries of the agricultural establishment you are working on you must stop the application and only continue after they have moved out an a ez can go beyond the boundaries of the establishment you work for if people are inside the aez but off the establishment you must stop the application and only continue after they have moved out or if you are sure you can apply the pesticide without contacting them know the location of your decontamination supplies your employer must provide decontamination supplies for handlers within a quarter of a mile of your application site supplies must include at least three gallons of water for each handler soap single-use towels and a clean change of clothes emergency eye flushing supplies must be provided if you are mixing or loading a pesticide that requires protective eyewear or are mixing or loading any pesticide using a closed system under pressure when applying a pesticide that requires eye protection each handler must also have one pint of water immediately available on them or on the application equipment because of the concentrations and quantities of pesticides that you work with mixing and loading are two of the most hazardous activities you will do your employer must make sure that you have all the PPE you need and always check the label for restrictions always transport pesticides securely in a truck bed cargo area or other area way from the driver or passenger compartment check containers for leaks before loading and unloading protect them from damage and monitor them during transport never leave pesticides unattended and when possible keep them in a locked area it is important to read the label before using a pesticide in case of a spill know where to find the central location for the product STS that lists emergency and containment procedures if a spill does occur protect yourself by using the PPE listed on the product label always contact your employer for instructions or in an emergency call 911 allel call the emergency contact number listed on the product label the four C's of emergency spills are control contain cleanup and contact control the spill contain the spill with absorbent material such as kitty litter sand or clay keep others away from the spill area clean up the spill never hose it down as this will only contaminate a much larger area contact your state or tribal environmental agency or your fire department most states and tribes require reporting of pesticide spills Music Music an effective way to protect yourself from pesticides and pesticide residue is by wearing PPE and even though you are responsible for providing your own basic work clothes such as long-sleeved shirts long pants shoes and socks it is your employer's responsibility to provide you with the PPE that is required by the product label these might include gloves aprons eye protection coveralls boots or shoes and respirators PPE is made from different types of materials depending on the protection that is needed the product label will tell you which type to use PPE can be reusable or disposable most reusable PPE can be cleaned before it is used again but if it is torn or saturated with pesticides throw it away your employer has to provide you with chemical resistant PPE if the pesticide label requires it waterproof PPE must not allow water through it but does not have to be chemical resistant headgear made of cloth canvas or leather such as a baseball cap or hooded sweatshirt are not PPE required protective eyewear can include safety glasses with front brow and temple protection chemical splash goggles face shields or full face respirator sunglasses or wraparound safety glasses do not protect your eyes and are not PPE it is your employer's responsibility to give you PPE including respirators that have been cleaned maintained and inspected before you use it your employer might instruct you on how to do this yourself do not use damaged PPE respirators if you are applying a pesticide that requires the use of a respirator there are three things your employer must provide you with before you can wear one one to make sure you are healthy enough to wear a respirator you must complete a medical evaluation questionnaire the questionnaire may not be reviewed by your employer it will only be seen by a medical provider who will determine if you can use a respirator without harming your health too your employer must give you a respirator fit test to make sure that each respirator you use fits you correctly if for some reason this fit changes you must repeat this test your employer must also provide you with respirator training this will include following the manufacturer's instructions on how to use clean and maintain it and how to do a seal check each time before you use it always make sure you use the cartridges and filters listed on the product label to avoid contact with pesticides and pesticide residue never remove your PPE when you are doing any Handler activities such as mixing and loading or working on application equipment when taking off your PPE remove each piece in a specific order remember that dirty gloves touch the outside of dirty PPE clean gloves or clean hands touch the clean parts of your PPE always wear your gloves eye protection and boots when washing dirty PPE and keep your clean clothes and clean PPE in an area free from pesticides or pesticide residue earlier in this training we talked about heat exhaustion it is important to be aware of your health your work conditions and how hard you are working because the PPE you wear can put you at risk for heat stress and other heat related illnesses it is your employer's responsibility to provide you with work conditions that take into consideration the PPE you are wearing this may include access to shade frequent short breaks plenty of drinking water a change in work assignments choosing a pesticide that requires less PPE or when possible flexible work hours to avoid working in the hottest part of the day heat related illnesses happen when you sweat and your body loses much-needed moisture and salt the results can be mild or very serious and the action you take can make a difference in addition to heat exhaustion other heat related illnesses include heat rash this is a skin irritation such as hives and blisters if you develop a skin irritation keep the affected area dry and if possible change your work environment heat cramps depleting your body of salts and water leads to cramps usually in the stomach arms and legs this is an early sign of heat illness the most serious heat related illness is heat stroke this is where the body seriously overheats symptoms include hot and dry skin little if any sweating chills a throbbing headache confusion dizziness slurred speech and seizures a person can become unconscious suffer permanent disabilities or die very quickly from heatstroke take these symptoms seriously and call 911 immediately inform your supervisor and stay with the person until professional medical help arrives if someone shows any of these signs of heat illness move them to a cool or shaded area provide water to drink and remove PPE and extra clothing if possible cool them down with a fan cool wet compresses on their head and neck or have them take a cool bath or shower as you can see many of the symptoms of heat related illnesses and pesticide poisonings are very similar this can make it difficult to determine the cause of the symptoms without knowing the circumstances the most important thing to do is get medical help immediately both pesticide poisoning and heatstroke can be life-threatening and require immediate treatment Music your workplace may be inspected by a pesticide inspector at any time your employer cannot fire intimidate or threaten you in any way for providing information to or participating in a WPS inspection for complying or attempting to comply with the WPS or for reporting WPS violations to authorities retaliation is against the law the pesticide safety information posted in the central location lists the state or tribal regulatory agency you may contact if you are retaliated against or if you suspect that there has been a WPS violation the failure of your employer to follow all of the WPS requirements is against the law this training has looked at many topics related to the potential hazards that pesticides may have on your health while working on an agricultural establishment we have looked at what you and your employer must do to prevent the pesticide exposure such as reading understanding and following the pesticide label directions we have also looked at what to do shouldn't expose your occur understanding the signs and symptoms of pesticide exposure and heat related illness and understanding emergency first aid procedures the WPS are rules that have been put in place not only for your own protection but also for the protection of your co-workers your family our environment and the health of an industry that we all depend on ask your pesticide safety trainer if you have any questions about the topics we have addressed Music you