Worker Protection Standard focus on equipment safety.

The Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a regulation issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and amended in 1995. It covers pesticides that are used in the production of agricultural plants on farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses. The WPS requires you to take two steps to reduce the risk of pesticide-related illness and injury if you use such pesticides or employ workers or pesticide handlers who are exposed to such pesticides.

1) Equipment inspection

You must make sure that equipment used for mixing, loading, transferring, or applying pesticides (pesticide handling equipment) is inspected and repaired. You must inspect pesticide handling equipment before each day of use for leaks, clogging, and worn or damaged parts. Repair or replace any damaged equipment.

2) Protecting persons who maintain equipment

You must make sure that persons repairing, cleaning, or adjusting pesticide handling equipment are protected or informed. Remove pesticide residues from pesticide handling equipment before anyone other than an appropriately trained and equipped handler is allowed to repair, clean or adjust it.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

EXCEPTION: If it is not feasible to remove pesticide residues from pesticide handling equipment, AND the people who will be repairing, cleaning, or adjusting the equipment are not your employees (and, therefore, are not handlers for whom you are responsible under the WPS), you must inform them

* that the equipment may be contaminated with pesticides

* of the potenially harmful effects of exposure to pesticides

* how to correctly handle such equipment.

Information for Persons Working on Pesticide Equipment

The equipment you will be cleaning, adjusting, or repairing may have pesticides on it. Although you may not be able to see or smell the pesticides, they can rub off on you when you touch the equipment.

1) If pesticides get on you, they can hurt you. They can:

* cause skin rashes or burns,

* go through your skin and into your body and make you ill,

* burn your eyes,

* make you ill if you get them in your mouth.

2) You should wear work clothing that protects your body from pesticide residues, such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes and socks. If possible, avoid touching the parts of the equipment where the pesticide is most likely to be. Or, if practical for the job that you will be doing, consider wearing rubber or plastic gloves and an apron.

3) You should not let pesticides stay on your hands:

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

* Wash your hands as soon as you finish handling the equipment.

* Wash your hands before eating, drinking, chewing gum, using tobacco or using the toilet.

* Wash or shower with soap and water, shampoo your hair and put on clean clothes after work.

* Wash work clothes that may have pesticides on them separately from other clothes before wearing them again.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To get more facts about compliance, visit www.epa.gov

National Agriculture Compliance Assistance Center

www.epa.gov/agriculture