Farm owners and immediate family members must comply with some, but not all of the Worker Protection Standard (WPS). You do not have to give your family members pesticide safety training, decontamination sites, emergency assistance, or information at a central location site and application notices. You must comply with restricted entry intervals, personal protective equipment use, exchange of application information with your commercial applicators and restrictions during application.

WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES FOR WPS?

Labels of agricultural pesticides require compliance with WPS. The Agricultural Use Requirements box on the label says, "Use this product only in compliance with its labeling and with the Worker Protection Standard, 40 CFR."

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO FOR MY AGRICULTURAL WORKERS AND PESTICIDE HANDLERS?

When you use products with WPS labeling, you must observe restricted entry intervals, assure handlers use specified personal protective equipment, and notify workers about applications when the label requires BOTH oral and posted notification. (Only for pesticides in the most toxic category.)

Your workers and handlers must receive pesticide safety training. You must post information about applications in a central location. You must provide decontamination sites with soap, water, and paper towels for workers, and a change of coveralls for handlers. You must notify employees (orally or by posting) about all applications.

WHERE CAN I GET INFORMATION?

There are additional WPS requirements and specific exceptions that are detailed in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) manual, "The Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides--How to Comply."

Both Delaware Cooperative Extension and the Delaware Department of Agriculture can give you information on WPS including the EPA "How to Comply" manual .

WHERE CAN MY WORKERS/ HANDLERS AND I RECEIVE TRAINING?

Train the trainer programs will be offered by Delaware Cooperative Extension and the Delaware Department of Agriculture. Handler training can be done by a certified applicator. WPS handlers can also train workers. Workers and handlers must be retrained every 5 years. Anyone trained as a certified applicator can also be a handler or worker under WPS.

WHEN MUST TRAINING BE DONE?

Pesticide handlers must be trained before they do any task using a pesticide with a WPS label. Workers must receive basic training before they enter a field where, within the last 30 days, a pesticide has been applied, or a restricted entry interval has been in effect.

WHY DO I NEED TO DO THIS?

You, your family and workers are the key to agricultural production in this country. When someone is injured by a pesticide accident, some people think the only answer is to take that pesticide off the market. Let's all practice pesticide safety--not only to protect ourselves, our family and workers, but also to safeguard the use of these chemicals for agriculture.