TRAINING FOR FIELD WORKERS WORKING IN TREATED FIELDS

INCLUDING WORKER PROTECTION STANDARD REQUIREMENTS (WPS)

Field workers must receive training before working in a treated field and at least once every five years thereafter. Information must be presented orally or audio visually in a manner the field worker can understand. The new federal Worker Protection Standard (WPS) considers a field to be treated if it has had a pesticide application or reentry interval within the last 30 days. 

This pamphlet contains information for training field workers:

• Who can train field workers about pesticide safety
• What training for field workers includes
• What rights field workers need to know they have
• What records field workers need to know are available to them

WHO CAN TRAIN FIELD WORKERS ABOUT PESTICIDE SAFETY

Field workers shall be trained by one of the following:

Certified private applicator, certified commercial applicator, County Agricultural inspector, U. C. Extension Farm Advisor, licensed Pest Control Advisor, or persons who complete a DPR approved instructor training program.

WHAT DOES PESTICIDE SAFETY TRAINING FOR FIELD WORKERS INCLUDE

The training given to field workers must include the following subjects:

1. Pesticide poisoning can occur by eating or drinking contaminated substances, breathing pesticide vapors or mists, pesticide spray falling on skin, pesticides splashing in eyes, touching a contaminated surface, rubbing eyes or smoking with pesticides on hands, etc.
2. Symptoms of pesticide poisoning may be skin rash or burning and itching, dizziness, difficulty breathing, eyes burning or itching, stomachache or nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, fainting, convulsions, weakness, excessive sweating, etc.
3. Pesticides may cause long term health problems such as: cancer, birth defects, sterility, liver and kidney damage, allergic reactions, nervous system damage, etc.
4. Know how to give first aid for pesticide poisoning:
   1. If skin is exposed, remove contaminated clothing and wash skin with plenty of water and soap.
   2. If pesticides are in eyes, flush eyes with clean water for 15 minutes.
   3. If pesticides have been inhaled, go to fresh air, loosen clothing, and give mouth-to-mouth/CPR if needed.
   4. If pesticides were swallowed, check label for first aid procedures and to see if vomiting should be induced.
   5. In all cases of pesticide poisoning, tell the supervisor. He will arrange to take the victim to the nearest emergency medical facility immediately. Make sure to bring the pesticide label or the name of the pesticide and it's manufacturer.
5. How to avoid pesticide poisoning:
   1. Avoid contamination. If pesticide drift comes towards you, leave the field immediately; don't drink or wash with irrigation water; don't eat, drink, or smoke in treated fields; never take pesticides or their containers home from work. 
   2. After pesticides have been applied, workers must stay out of the field for a certain length of time. Sometimes fields may have signs warning people not to enter. Stay out of fields if you have been told not to enter or if you see signs warning against entry. Become familiar with what warning signs look like and where they may be placed in the field.
   3. After working in treated fields, wash hands with soap and water before eating, drinking, smoking, or going to the bathroom; wash the entire body and remove contaminated clothing at the end of the work day. Employers must provide soap, single use towels, and enough clean water for emergency decontamination of the body, all located not more than ¼ mile (or nearest vehicle access point) from the field workers.
   4. Wear clothing to protect against contamination: long sleeves, long pants, shoes or boots, hats, gloves, etc. Wear clean clothing every day. Wash work clothing separate from other laundry.

WHAT RIGHTS MUST EMPLOYEES BE INFORMED THEY HAVE

Employees have certain rights under the law. Employees have the right to:

1. Look at Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), Pesticide Safety Information Sheets (PSIS - available from the County Agricultural Commissioner's office), and pesticide use records.
2. File confidential complaints about unsafe work conditions.
3. Be taken to a doctor if they get sick on the job.
4. File claims for worker's compensation for job related illnesses or injuries.

WHAT RECORDS MUST EMPLOYEES KNOW ARE AVAILABLE?

Records must be ’displayed’ (made easily available) for employees to see and read or have read to them in a manner they can understand. At the work site, employers must display the PSIS A-9. At a central location, the property operator must have records displayed giving information about pesticide applications made on the premises within ¼ mile of where the field workers will be working. The information must be available within 24 hours after the application and kept until 30 days after the reentry interval is over. The records must include identification of the treated area, time and date of application, reentry interval, pesticide name, EPA registration number, and active ingredient.

If you have questions about Training for Field Workers in Treated Fields, contact the Stanislaus County Department of Agriculture at (209) 525-4730.