Pesticide Outreach Program

Free Pesticide Safety Training Throughout Utah

Helping Farmers With EPA WPS Regulations Compliance While Helping Farmworkers Protect Themselves From the Harmful Chemicals They Work In and Around.

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Utility Relief For Those In Need

Helping Low-Income Families With Their Power & Gas Bills Throughout Weber, Davis & Morgan Counties.

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Utah's Invisible Population - Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers

Helping The Poorest of the Working Poor With Emergency Assistance, Training, Education and Job Placement.

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We have created this site to help farmers, contractors and others in the agricultural community. In working with Utah's farmers and Farmworkers since 1992, we have found that there is a lot of confusion about the laws and regulations about Pesticides and Pesticide Safety Training. We found that there is a need for a place where our agriculture community can go to get their questions answered and to make sure they are protecting themselves, their workers and that they are in compliance with federal laws and EPA regulations. We hope that this will be a useful tool for you to find information on the laws & regulations, on health issues, emergency procedures and resources and an easy way to schedule a free training - the mandatory Pesticide Safety Training for all workers who come in contact with pesticides, or products with pesticide residues. We would like to thank the Utah Labor Commission's Workplace Safety Program for the grant funds that made this all possible.

-Corrie Hout,
Program Manager

Pesticide Q&A

The purpose of this site is to Help Utah's Farmers to: •Minimize Farmworker risks associated with working in and with pesticides.

•Provide EPA required Pesticide Safety Training to their workers

•Comply with EPA regulations for a safe workplace where pesticides are mixed, applied, and

•Recognize and successfully handle pesiticide related emergencies.

•Schedule free EPA approved Pesticide Safety Training

•Get access to the information they need to protect their workers as required by the EPA

Some of the basic information that Farmers and Contractors throughout the State of Utah need to know:

EPA Requires: All Farm Employees Who Work with Plants Treated with Pesticides Must Complete Pesticide Safety Training ss Part of The Worker Protection Standard for Agriculture Pesticides

Commonly Asked Questions:

Is having the pesticide applicator state certified good enough? NO! EPA requires EVERYONE who comes in contact with a product that has been exposed to pesticides within 30 days to complete Pesticide Safety Training

How long can you legally work someone without EPA Pesticide Safety Training? 5 days

Whose responsibility is it to make sure the workers all have their Pesticide Safety Training (Verifiable by their WPS blue cards)? The farm owner or operator

After the workers take Pesticide Safety Training, how long is the training or Blue WPS card good for? 5 years

What fines are there for farms out of compliance with WPS (including working people without having Pesticide Safety Training)? $100-$300 for first offense

And Under FIFRA:

•Private Applicators: up to $1,000 and 30 days in prison

•Commercial Applicators: up to $25,000 and 1 year in prison

Who Can Help With WPS Pesticide Safety Training and Questions? •Corrie Hout at Futures Through Training, Inc.

1-800-953-8850 ext. 19

•Clark Burgess at Utah State Department of Agriculture (801) 538-7188

•A. J. Ferguson at Utah Farm Bureau

(801)233-3006

Special Thanks to the

Utah Labor Commission’s

Workplace Safety Program

for Making this Possible.The purpose of this site is to Help Utah's Farmers to: •Minimize Farmworker risks associated with working in and with pesticides.

•Provide EPA required Pesticide Safety Training to their workers

•Comply with EPA regulations for a safe workplace where pesticides are mixed, applied, and

•Recognize and successfully handle pesiticide related emergencies.

•Schedule free EPA approved Pesticide Safety Training

•Get access to the information they need to protect their workers as required by the EPA

Some of the basic information that Farmers and Contractors throughout the State of Utah need to know:

EPA Requires: All Farm Employees Who Work with Plants Treated with Pesticides Must Complete Pesticide Safety Training ss Part of The Worker Protection Standard for Agriculture Pesticides

Commonly Asked Questions:

How long can you legally work someone without EPA Pesticide Safety Training? 5 days

Whose responsibility is it to make sure the workers all have their Pesticide Safety Training (Verifiable by their WPS blue cards)? The farm owner or operator

After the workers take Pesticide Safety Training, how long is the training or Blue WPS card good for? 5 years

What fines are there for farms out of compliance with WPS (including working people without having Pesticide Safety Training)? $100-$300 for first offense

And Under FIFRA:

•Private Applicators: up to $1,000 and 30 days in prison

•Commercial Applicators: up to $25,000 and 1 year in prison

Who Can Help With WPS Pesticide Safety Training and Questions? •Corrie Hout at Futures Through Training, Inc.

1-800-953-8850 ext. 19

•Clark Burgess at Utah State Department of Agriculture (801) 538-7188

•A. J. Ferguson at Utah Farm Bureau

(801)233-3006

Special Thanks to the

Utah Labor Commission’s

Workplace Safety Program

for Making this Possible.

Basic Questions and Answers

The purpose of this site is to Help Utah's Farmers to:

Minimize Farmworker risks associated with working in and with pesticides
Provide EPA required Pesticide Safety Training to their workers
Comply with EPA regulations for a safe workplace where pesticides are mixed and applied
Recognize and successfully handle pesiticide related emergencies
Schedule free EPA approved Pesticide Safety Training
Get access to the information they need to protect their workers as required by the EPA

Some of the basic information that Farmers and Contractors throughout the State of Utah need to know:

EPA Requires:

All Farm Employees Who Work with Plants Treated with Pesticides Must Complete Pesticide Safety Training ss Part of The Worker Protection Standard for Agriculture Pesticides

Commonly Asked Questions:

Is having the pesticide applicator state certified good enough?

NO! EPA requires EVERYONE who comes in contact with a product that has been exposed to pesticides within 30 days to complete Pesticide Safety Training

How long can you legally work someone without EPA Pesticide Safety Training?

5 days

Whose responsibility is it to make sure the workers all have their Pesticide Safety Training (Verifiable by their WPS blue cards)?

The farm owner or operator

After the workers take Pesticide Safety Training, how long is the training or Blue WPS card good for?

5 years

What fines are there for farms out of compliance with WPS (including working people without having Pesticide Safety Training)?

$100-$300 for first offense And Under FIFRA:

Private Applicators: up to $1,000 and 30 days in prison
Commercial Applicators: up to $25,000 and 1 year in prison

Who Can Help With WPS Pesticide Safety Training and Questions?

Corrie Hout at Futures Through Training, Inc.
1-800-953-8850 ext. 19
Clark Burgess at Utah State Department of Agriculture
(801) 538-7188
A. J. Ferguson at Utah Farm Bureau
(801)233-3006

Special Thanks to the
Utah Labor Commission’s Workplace Safety Program
for Making this Possible.

Basic Training Upon Hiring

Whenever a new person is hired, they must be trained in the following, before starting work:

Pesticides may be on or in plants, soil, irrigation water, or drifting from nearby applications
Prevent pesticides from entering your body by:

Following directions and/or signs about keeping out of treated or restricted areas Washing before eating, drinking, using chewing gum or tobacco, or using the toilet Wearing work clothing that protects the body from pesticide residues Washing/showering with soap and water, shampoo hair and put on clean clothes after work Washing work clothes separately from other clothes before wearing them again Washing immediately in the nearest clean water if pesticides are spilled or sprayed on the body and, as soon as possible, showering, shampooing, and changing into clean clothes
Further training will be provided within 5 days
Remember: The complete WPS Training still must be completed before the end of the 5th day of work.

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Worker Protection Standard Pesticide Safety Training

Required Training Topics
Every EPA required WPS Pesticide Safety Training must be done in the primary language of the worker. Spanish, Navajo, Thai, Burmese, American Sign Language...whatever that language is - even if the worker speaks a little English, or is fluent, it must be made available done in that first language.

The reason for this language requirement is that the information is about dangerous and potentially deadly chemicals that the worker may be exposed to and take home to expose their families, too.

For the training to be completed correctly and in compliance with the regulations, each worker needs to 100% understand every one of the required 11 points listed below:

Descriptions of where and in what form pesticides may be encountered during work activities.
Hazards of pesticides resulting from toxicity and exposure, including acute and chronic effects, delayed effects, and sensitization.
Routes through which pesticides can enter the body.
Signs and symptoms of common types of pesticide poisoning.
Emergency first aid for pesticide injuries or poisonings.
Instructions on how to obtain emergency medical care.

Routine and emergency decontamination procedures, including emergency eye flushing techniques.
Hazards from chemigation and drift.
Hazards from pesticide residues on clothing.
Warnings about taking pesticides or pesticide containers home.
Requirement of the WPS designed to reduce the risks of illness or injury resulting from workers' occupational exposure to pesticides including application and entry restrictions, design of the warning sign, posting of warning signs, oral warnings, availability of specific information about applications, and protection against retaliatory acts.

Pesticide Health Related Emergencies

iStock_000010335990XSmall Anytime you think you or any of your workers/co-workers have a pesticide-related health problem, you need to treat it like a life-threatening emergency. Always follow these steps when dealing with a pesticide-related health emergency:

Assess the situation; Is it safe for you to help? Before you can do anything else, you need to make sure there is no chance of becoming a second victim. If there is any chance of being exposed to the same pesticide, wear protective gear or get someone who is trained for the situation.
Get the person out of the situation; as quickly as it is safe and possible.
Administer CPR, if necessary.
Get the labels of EVERY pesticide that has been used in that area for the past 30 days, and the usage dates.
Read the directions on first aid on the labels of EVERY pesticide that has been used in that area for the past 30 days. If there are conflicting first aid directions, do NONE of them. If there are no conflicting directions, follow the directions
Take the victim and the labels to the closest doctor, clinic (if the person seems okay), or hospital (if the person stopped breathing, passed out, had a seizure, is not completely "with it" or is light headed, vomiting, frothing at the mouth, dizzy, stumbling, is having trouble breathing, or if you have "the feeling that you should." Don't second guess yourself in a situation like this, it may be a matter of life and death.)

REMEMBER: NEVER LET SOMEONE WHO MAY BE HAVING PESTICIDE-RELATED HEALTH PROBLEMS TO DRIVE!!!

Pesticide Laws

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976

Administering Agency:

EPA

Pesticide Related Notes:

Hazardous Waste Disposal Rules Established
Some farmers are exempt from this law depending on their disposal of pesticide wastes, and containers.

Superfund Amendment & Reauthorization Act (SARA - Title III)

Contact Agency:

National Response Center1-800-424-8802

Pesticide Related Notes:

Requires farmers to contact the National Response Center if they accidentally release a pesticide into the environment.
Requires community emergency response plans for accidents
Requires farmers to inform communities about hazardous chemicals

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

Governing Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Year Enacted

1947; amended in 1972 with the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act (FEPCA)

Main Purpose

Controls the use of pesticides

Penalties for Violations

Private Applicators: up to $1,000 and 30 days in prison
Commercial Applicators: up to $25,000 and 1 year in prison

Important Information

All Pesticides in the US must be registered and approved by the EPA before they can be marketed
(Exceptions: pesticides registered prior to 1972 do not require the same review, testing, and approval process)
EPA is given the authority to make regulations pertaining to pesticides; including Worker Protection Standard (WPS) that requires Pesticide Safety Training for Farmworkers
EPA must approve lables on all pesticides
All pesticides must be classified as General Use or Restricted Use
All Restricuted Use Pesticides must be applicated by a certified applicator under the supervision of a private or commercial applicator
Set limits for residue on raw agriculture products
Makes it illegal to not follow regulations on storage and disposal of pesticides and their containers

Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990

Common Name:

Farm Bill of 1990

Pesticide Related Notes:

Requires applicators to keep usage records of restricted-use pesticides.
Requires applicators to give copies of their records to doctors treating farmworkers who have been exposed.

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938

Administering Agency:

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Purpose:

Authorizes Environmental Protection Agency to set limits on: pesticide residue on food products

Endangered Species Act of 1973

Governing Agency:

Fish and Wildlife Service

Pesticide Related Notes:

EPA is required to refer potentially dangerous pesticides to FWS for review if they may affect endangered species
FWS can restrict the use of certain pesticides in endangered species' habitats

Pesticide Families

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons	Main Use: Insecticide Function: Neurotoxins that destroy Sodium and Potassium balance causing tremors, convulsions and death. Common Products: Hexchlorocyclohexane (HCH)--Also known as benzenehexachloride (BHC) Cyclodienes-- Chlordane, Aldrin and Dieldrin, Heptachlor, Endrin, Mirex, Endosulfan, and Chlordecone (Kepone®) Polychloroterpenes--Toxaphene, and Strobane Diphenyl Aliphatics-- DDT, DDD, Dicofol, Ethylan, Chlorobenzilate, and Methoxychlor Additional Information: Some restricted uses are still allowed for US usage including: Chlordane, Endosulfan, and Kepone Most Chlorinated Hydrocarbons are no longer used in the US Many 3rd World Countries still use this family of pesticides, even using DDT to try to control Malaria carrying mosquitoes
Organophosphates	Main Use: Insecticide Function: Neurotoxin that alters nerve responses, and affects red blood cell and plasma levels. Causes twitching of voluntary muscles and ultimately paralysis. Names: Demeton, Dicapthon, Guthion, Malathion, and Parathion Additional Information: Organophosphates were originally developed and refined during World War II as nerve gas. This family of pesticides highly toxic to animals and people. They are proven to be carecenogenic (cause cancer), and teratogenic (cause genetic defects).
Carbamates	Main Use: Insecticide Function: Attacks the central nervous system causing tremors and paralysis Common Names: Sevin, Cabaryl, Carbfuran, Methamyl, Aldicarb, Carbosulfan Additional Information: Carbamates are less toxic to animals than most Organophosphates. They work in much the same way as Organophosphates, despite their chemical differences. Carbamates have been used in the US since 1956.
Fumigants	Uses: Nematodicides (worm killers), insecticide, herbicides, and fungicides Functions: Narcotics: inducing sleep, narcosis, unconsciousness, and death Common Names: Methyl Bromide (being fazed out of all usage worldwide) Ethylene oxide, Chlorothene, Metam-potassium, Hydrogen Cyanide Additional Information: As the majority of fumigants are similar to WWI's mustard gas, these pesticides are mostly Restricted Use Pesticides. Many states require applicators to have a fumigant endorsement.
Herbicides	Use: Killing unwanted plants or weeds

Links

EPA Links

WPS Regulations as Published in the Federal Register

Worker Protection Standards

EPA Pesticides Quick Links

WPS Quick Reference

State of Utah Links

Department of Agriculture WPS Program

Pesticide Applicator

Labor Commission's Workplace Safety Program

Utah Occupational Safety and Health

Other Important Links

Utah Farm Bureau - Farm Safety and Rural Health Program

Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs - HOPE Program

Poison Control - 1-800-222-1222

Volunteer with the Pesticide Outreach Program

There are several ways that you can help the Pesticide Outreach Program:

Volunteer to contact Farms throughout Utah to help schedule Pesticide Safety Trainings for the employees.
Assemble Training Packs for Farmworkers who complete the Pesticide Safety Training: work gloves, hats, information, etc.
Go with the Pesticide Safety Trainer to assist with the Training.
Become a Volunteer Pesticide Safety Trainer

If you would like to help out with the Pesticide Outreach Program, email Corrie at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to schedule your time and activities.
Note: All in-office volunteers need to pass a background screening & any Volunteer Pesticide Safety Trainers must have a clean Motor Vehicle Record and pass an FTT required 2 hour driver's certification course.

Special Thanks