The University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
Cooperative Extension Service

Worker Protection Standards for Agricultural Pesticides Used in Tobacco Production

J. Michael Moore

The US-EPA Worker Protection Standard is a regulation that requires actions to be taken to protect agricultural workers from the risk of pesticide-related illness or injury. To protect your workers, you must be aware of the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) and know how to comply with its requirements. To plan effectively, you must also understand how compliance might affect your farming operation.

The Standard requires that employers provide for their workers and pesticide applicators in three areas.

• Training on pesticide safety. Information about the specific pesticides used on the farm must be provided. Much of this information must be posted in a central location, including specifics on recent pesticide applications (location of application, name of the pesticide, EPA registration number and active ingredient, time and date of application, restricted entry interval, and the time when workers may reenter the field).
• Protection against exposure must be ensured. Employers must provide personal protective equipment and be sure it is properly used and cleaned. They must also be sure that workers are warned about treated areas (through oral warning, posting of field, or both) and that workers do not enter treated fields during restricted entry intervals (with some very specific exceptions). This may require careful scheduling of pesticide application and field work so that they do not conflict. Personal protective equipment requirements vary from pesticide to pesticide and may be different for applicator/handlers and mixer/loaders. Protective equipment is also required for entry into fields during the restricted-entry interval. Labels should be checked carefully for specific requirements. Restricted-entry intervals (generally 12, 24, or 48 hours) also vary by pesticide, as stated on labels.
• Employers must provide ways for their workers to mitigate or minimize the impacts of pesticide exposure. This includes making available decontamination sites and emergency assistance in case of exposure. For full information on the WPS, farmers should consult their county Cooperative Extension center or one of several publications available.

The following table lists products, registration numbers, common names, restricted entry intervals, and posting/notification requirements for the major pesticides and growth regulators used in tobacco. This should help you to properly record and post pesticide use and to plan field operations. Remember, however, that the information in this table is presented in good faith as a reference. This information does not take the place of the product label; changes to label information can occur without notice. Always read and follow label directions.

DISCLAIMER: The following information and worker protection standards are presented in good faith for your reference. This information does not take the place of the product label; changes to product label information can occur without notice. Always read and follow label directions.

¹ Exception: If the product is soil-injected or soil-incorporated, the Worker Protection Standard, under certain circumstances, allows workers to enter the treated area if there will be no contact with anything that has been treated.
²Represents the minimum PPE required; more protective clothing can be worn. See product label for recommended chemical-resistant glove materials.
³ Refer to "Early Entry Work Situations" in The Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides--How to Comply, pages 59-61, "Short-Term Tasks," "Emergency Tasks," and "Specific Tasks Approved by EPA Through a Formal Exception Process." See pages 45-47 for information on "Restrictions During and After Applications" including exceptions: 1) "Early Entry With No Contact" and 2) "Early Entry With Contact for Short-Term, Emergency," or "Specially Excepted Tasks."
⁴ Notification on Farms, Forests, and Nurseries: Refer to page 41, The Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides--How to Comply. Unless the pesticide labeling requires both types of notification, notify workers either orally or by posting of warning signs at entrances to treated areas. You must inform workers which method of notification is being used.

Both Oral Warning and Posted Signs: Some pesticide labels require you to notify workers both orally and with signs posted at entrances to the treated area. If both types of notification are required, the following statement will be in the "Directions for Use" section of the pesticide labeling under the heading Agricultural Use Requirements: "Notify workers of the application by warning them orally and by posting warning signs at entrances to treated areas."

Attention: Pesticide Precautions

1. Observe all directions, restrictions and precautions on pesticide labels. It is dangerous, wasteful and illegal to do otherwise.
2. Store all pesticides in original containers with labels intact and behind locked doors. "Keep pesticides out of the reach of children."
3. Use pesticides at correct label dosage and intervals to avoid illegal residues or injury to plants and animals.
4. Apply pesticides carefully to avoid drift or contamination of non-target areas.
5. Surplus pesticides and containers should be disposed of in accordance with label directions, to contamination of water and other hazards will not result.
6. Follow directions on the pesticide label regarding restrictions as required by State and Federal Laws and Regulations.
7. Avoid any action that may threaten an Endangered Species or its habitat. Your county extension agent can inform you of Endangered Species in your area, help you identify them and, through the Fish and Wildlife Service Field Office, identify actions that may threaten Endangered Species or their habitat.

Trade names are used only for information. The Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, does not guarantee or warrant published standards on any product mentioned; neither does the use of a trade or brand name imply approval of any product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State College, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.

An Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 18 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Gale A. Buchanan, Dean and Director