DPR: Official Steps to Compliance
The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) requires six basic steps to be taken in order to protect workers and handlers. Additional steps may be necessary for some operations, such as greenhouses and fumigant use.
These include:
1. Central Information Display. You must establish a central information display that is accessible to all workers and handlers. This display should contain:
A) Records of all pesticide applications applied in the last 30 days. These records must contain
- The date and time of pesticide application.
- The pesticide's EPA registration number and active ingredient(s).
- The duration of the Restricted Entry Interval and when it expires.
- The location of pesticide application.
B) The EPA approved WPS Safety Poster with the name and phone number of the nearest medical facility included.
2. Training. You are required to provide training for all handlers and workers. Pesticide handlers who mix, load, and apply pesticides must be trained by a certified WPS Trainer. Workers must be trained by handlers or certified WPS Trainers. All employees meet these requirements if they hold a South Carolina Applicator's License (private or commercial - in the appropriate category).
3. Personal Pprotective Equipment (PPE), such as respirators, gloves, boots, etc., must be provided to workers and handlers. The proper PPE for a pesticide is always specified on the product's label. You are required to make sure the equipment is kept clean and in working order and that people are trained how to use the protective equipment properly.
4. Decontamination stations must be within one mile of the work area for workers. At mixing/loading sites, handlers must have immediate access to a decontamination station and an eye wash solution. These stations must contain clean water, soap, towels, and a change of clothes (a set of one-size-fits-all coveralls, for example). These stations can be simple and portable.
5. Emergency assistance must be provided immediately in the event of an accident.
6. Notify your employees of a pesticide application. Depending on the label, you must post the treated area at the normal entrance or verbally notify your employees that it has been treated. Some labels require both posting and verbal notification. This may be done no more than 24 hours before the application. Danger and Pesticide Signs must be removed within 3 days after the REI expires.
Prepared by Tommy Walker, Clemson University Extension Service; Cam Lay and Tammy Lark, Department of Pesticide Regulation