PUYALLUP, Wash. – Pesticide handlers must be trained annually and training records maintained starting in January, according to recent changes in the federal Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS). Many resources are available to employers to meet the requirements, said Catherine H. Daniels, Washington State University Extension pesticide specialist at WSU Puyallup.
Train the trainer: A free, online course approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help employers train pesticide workers to meet the new requirements is available at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/workerprotection/. Offered in five units to fit employer schedules, it takes 1-2 hours to complete. Upon successful completion of the final exam, employers will be qualified as WPS worker trainers by the EPA.
Worker training: Videos that satisfy the pesticide safety training requirement for workers are available from the new federal/state Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative.
• Training video in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alaSkV-jHAU
• Training video in Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgmS_Z3XFIs
Stakeholder meetings: Sessions is to inform the public about the rule changes and obtain feedback will be hosted across the state by the Washington Department of Labor & Industry’s (L&I) Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
Nov. 14: Kennewick L&I office, 4310 W. 24th Ave., Kennewick, at 10 a.m.
Nov. 15: Yakima L&I office, 15 W. Yakima Ave., Suite 100, Yakima, at 9 a.m.
Nov. 18: Mount Vernon L&I office, 525 E. College Way, Suite H, Mount Vernon, starting at 11 a.m.
Full details on the new WPS rule can be found at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-11-02/pdf/2015-25970.pdf. A summary of new rules starts on page 67502.
News media contact:
Catherine H. Daniels, WSU Puyallup pesticide coordinator, 253-445-4611, cdaniels@wsu.edu
