by LUIS RODRIGUEZ, UF/IFAS Polk Extension
The Worker Protection Standard, or WPS for short, is a federal regulation originally issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Its primary purpose is to reduce the risk of illness or injury to agricultural workers and pesticide handlers from possible exposure to pesticides used in agricultural operations and other safety issues. Under this law, agricultural establishments include farms, forests, nurseries, and enclosed production facilities such as greenhouses.
Any pesticide product that has an Agricultural Use Requirement box in its label is covered by the WPS. When these products are used, agricultural employers are required to comply with the law and WPS requirements to ensure worker safety.
Key Definitions Under the WPS
To comply with WPS, farmers must understand specific WPS terminology:
- Agricultural Employer: Any person who owns or operates an agricultural establishment and employs or contracts agricultural workers or pesticide handlers for compensation, including themselves, family members, or who is self-employed as a pesticide handler.
- Pesticide Handler: An individual employed to mix, load, transfer, or apply pesticides, or perform tasks that involve direct contact with pesticides or any containment/location contaminated by pesticides.
- Agricultural Worker: A person employed to perform tasks such as planting, harvesting, weeding, or watering agricultural plants. Workers do not handle pesticides or pesticide equipment.
- Immediate Family: Includes close relatives such as spouses, parents, children, siblings, in-laws, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and first cousins. Immediate families are exempt from WPS.
- Agricultural Establishment: Any farm, forest operation, or nursery involved in outdoor or enclosed agricultural plant production.
- Agricultural Establishment Owner: Any person who owns, leases, or rents an agricultural establishment covered by the WPS.
- Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ): The area surrounding pesticide application equipment that must be free of all individuals, except for properly trained and equipped handlers, during pesticide application. This zone will vary depending on the type and method of application equipment.
- Restricted Entry Interval (REI): The period immediately following a pesticide application when entry into the treated area is restricted. REIs range from a couple of hours to days, depending on the pesticide product.
Core Responsibilities of Agricultural Employers Under WPS
WPS responsibilities fall into three main categories: Inform, Protect, and Mitigate.
- Inform: Employers must ensure that workers and handlers are informed about pesticide hazards in the work area by providing the following:
- An EPA-approved pesticide safety training.
- Farmers can find WPS training videos for workers and handlers on the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC) website:
- Pesticide safety information of all the pesticides being used in the farm/facility.
- Access to pesticide application records and hazard information, including Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
- Provide notification of treated areas.
- Farmers must maintain information exchange between employers and pesticide handlers.
- Protect: Employers must protect employees from pesticide exposure by:
- Excluding workers and unauthorized individuals from treated areas, AEZs, and areas under REI.
- Ensuring pesticide handlers are at least 18 years old.
- Providing and maintaining proper personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Protecting handlers during mixing, loading, and application.
- Protecting workers who must enter treated areas during REIs, known as early-entry workers.
- Mitigate: Employers must address potential pesticide exposure and must provide:
- Decontamination supplies all their employees.
- Eyewash water for handlers and other safety supplies.
- Emergency assistance when pesticide-related illness or injury occurs within the farm.
Information Display at a Central Location
Agricultural employers must display specific information at a central location whenever employees are present, and a WPS-labeled pesticide has been applied within the past 30 days, or an REI is in effect. The display must include:
- An EPA-developed pesticide safety poster or equivalent.
- Detailed pesticide application information on all pesticides used at the farm.
- Hazard information, including OSHA Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each pesticide used.
This information must remain posted for at least 30 days after the REI expires or 30 days after the application ends, whichever is later.
Decontamination Supplies
Employers are required to provide decontamination supplies to both workers and handlers while they are performing their tasks:
- Supplies must be located within ¼ mile of the work area.
- The following must be provided for the entire duration of a given task:
- Water, at least 1 gallon per worker and 3 gallons per handler.
- Soap.
- Single-use towels.
These supplies enable employees to wash off pesticide residues promptly, reducing the risk of injury or illness.
Safeguarding the Health of Ag Workers
The Worker Protection Standard plays a critical role in safeguarding the health of agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. By understanding WPS definitions, fulfilling employer responsibilities, and ensuring proper information access and decontamination resources, agricultural employers can maintain compliance while promoting a safer working environment. Proper implementation of WPS requirements not only protects employees but also supports sustainable and responsible agricultural production.
For more information about WPS, access the following “Ask IFAS” publication called: “Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Responsibilities and Compliance.”
Luis Rodriguez is the Polk County Small Farms and Pesticide Education Extension Agent. You can reach him at lrodriguezrosado@ufl.edu or 863-519-1049.