The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is responsible for training and enforcing compliance with state and federal worker protection laws related to pesticide use.
The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a federal law established in 1992 to protect agricultural workers and pesticide handlers from occupational exposure to agricultural pesticides. It applies to employees working on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses.
- Covers workers in pesticide-treated areas
- Covers employees who handle pesticides (mix, load, apply, etc.)
The EPA’s WPS aims to:
- Eliminate or reduce pesticide exposures
- Mitigate exposures that occur
- Inform employees about pesticide hazards
The WPS applies to anyone using pesticides in agricultural plant production or employing workers or handlers potentially exposed to pesticides.
Employers must provide employees with:
- Information about pesticide exposure
- Protection against exposure
- Ways to reduce exposure risks
Key Requirements of the Current WPS
The current WPS focuses on informing and protecting workers and handlers, including:
- Annual pesticide safety training for workers and handlers before performing tasks
- Access to pesticide labeling information for handlers and early-entry workers
- Access to specific information including pesticide applications, emergency contacts, and a pesticide safety poster displayed centrally
- Keeping workers out of pesticide-treated areas and areas under Restricted Entry Intervals (REIs), except in limited cases
- Protecting early-entry workers performing permitted tasks during REIs, including use of proper personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Worker notification of pesticide-treated areas to prevent inadvertent exposure
- Monitoring handlers using highly toxic pesticides
- Providing required PPE to handlers
- Providing decontamination supplies: water, soap, and towels for routine and emergency washing
- Emergency assistance, including transportation to medical care and providing pesticide exposure information
Resources
- Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Quick Reference Guide
- EPA-Occupational Pesticide Safety and Health
- For WPS Training Materials: Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative
- WPS Respirator Protection Guide
- Worker Protection Standard Application Exclusion Zone (AEZ)
- AEZ Guidance Document
- Worker Protection Standard FAQ Document
- How to Comply Manual