The WPS changes can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations at 40CFR170. Even though the state does not have any WPS statutes or rules, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) has the responsibility to ensure that pesticide labels are followed. The WPS requirements are referenced on agricultural pesticide labels, which includes pesticide applications to farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses. The ISDA would like to inform producers and applicators about some of the major changes to federal regulation and where to find additional information regarding the specifics of the changes and their effective dates.

Most of the changes took place starting on Jan. 2, 2017, with additional training content requirements, pesticide safety display information and application restrictions for handlers taking place after Jan. 1, 2018. The changes occurring in 2018 mostly involve training materials that the EPA will not have available until sometime this year.

Some points in the new federal changes include:

• Training for farmworkers will be required on an annual basis, instead of every five years.
• There will be no grace period for new workers. They must be trained before they can begin work, if pesticides have been applied within the last 30 days of the hire date.
• Employee training and employer responsibilities have been expanded.
• Handlers must be at least 18 years old to handle pesticides.
• Expanded mandatory posting of no-entry signs for the most hazardous pesticides.
• Applications must be suspended if people come within 100 feet of (Application Exclusion Zone) application equipment.
• Significant increases to mandatory record keeping for growers to keep training records or proof of training for two years and must provide records upon request to the employee or the employee’s designated representative.
• Workers will be protected from retaliation.
• Workers who use respirators must have training, medical evaluations and fit testing. Records of these activities must be kept by the grower.
• Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and application information must be available to workers and their physicians for two years following an application.
• The grower must supply sufficient water at application sites, for washing and emergency eye flushing. They must have 1 gallon per worker, 3 gallons for each handler and 1 pint for each applicator if eye protection is required.

The new WPS continues to exempt farm owners and their immediate families from many of the rules, and the definition of “immediate family” was expanded. The new regulations added in-laws, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles and first cousins.

Remember, WPS requirements may have slight variations on different labels, so always review and follow the label requirements.

For details regarding the new federal requirements, please visit the EPA website for more information.  

—From Idaho State Department of Agriculture news release