Specific Instructions for Handlers

The WPS includes specific instructions for handlers, including access to labels and other information, safe operation of equipment, and instructions for commercial pesticide handlers.

Access to Labels and Other Information

Pesticide products must pass rigorous testing prior to being registered by the EPA. This testing forms the basis for the human health and environmental risk assessments conducted by the EPA that guide the identification of the conditions under which a pesticide can be used. These conditions of use are then reflected in the pesticide product labeling. Adhering to pesticide labeling is required by law and is crucial for preventing unreasonable negative impacts on human health and the environment.

Employers of pesticide handlers must make sure that handlers, before they undertake any handling tasks, are given information from the pesticide labeling and have access to the labeling itself during handling tasks, and are instructed in the safe operation of the equipment they will be using.

Employers must inform their pesticide handlers about all labeling requirements related to the safe use of the pesticide, including the signal word, human hazard statements and precautions, PPE requirements, first aid instructions, environmental precautions, and any additional precautions about the handling task to be performed. Employers may either read the labeling information to the handlers, or the handlers may read the labeling information themselves, as long as they are able to understand it.

Safe Operation of Equipment

Employers must make sure that handlers know how to safely and correctly use all the equipment they are assigned to work with for handling pesticides. This includes how to avoid drift and how to safely use chemigation equipment, if applicable.

Instructions for Commercial Pesticide Handlers

Commercial pesticide handlers must make sure that their employees are informed about the specific location and description of any areas on the agricultural establishment that may be treated with a pesticide or be under a restricted-entry interval while the commercial handler will be onsite or within one quarter mile. The handlers should also be made aware of any restrictions on entering those areas.

As an example, if commercial pesticide handlers are scheduled to use ground equipment to apply a pesticide on a farm, the handlers need to be informed of any nearby areas on the farm that they should keep out of due to a restricted-entry interval that is in effect following an earlier application.

To learn more about Pesticide Handler Safety visit our Pesticide Handler Safety Online Training web page.