Introduction to Pesticide Worker Safety

When used properly, pesticides offer a variety of benefits to society. They increase crop production, preserve produce, combat insect infestations, and control exotic species. However, pesticides also have the potential for causing harm. With approximately 75 percent of pesticide usage in the United States occurring in agriculture, agricultural employees are at a greater risk of being injured or poisoned by pesticides than are non-agricultural workers. Agricultural workers' duties, including weeding, harvesting, thinning, irrigating, planting, packing, and more, can bring them into close contact with pesticides in soil, irrigation water, and plant surfaces. One recent study of more than 3,000 agricultural employees who suffered acute pesticide poisoning found that at the time of their pesticide exposures, 67 percent were doing routine tasks like those listed above - they were not involved with a pesticide application. Because of the nature of their work, agricultural workers must take extra care to protect themselves from the hazards of pesticide overexposure.

This course is instructive for both workers and their employers. In addition to including information about pesticide use and the health risks of pesticide exposure, the course will detail the specific EPA Worker Protection Standard requirements that employers must adopt and enforce in order to remain compliant and provide their employees with effective protections from pesticide hazards.

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