Revised 02/02/07

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• How to Comply Manual
• Resources
• Recent EPA actions on WPS
• Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Pesticides
  • Cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticide products
• WSDA's Farmworker Education Program

HOW TO COMPLY MANUAL

In 1992, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted the federal Worker Protection Standard to protect agricultural workers, including pesticide handlers and applicators, from pesticides and their residues. In order to assist agricultural employers comply with the WPS, EPA has updated its How to Comply manual. Although this manual includes changes to the federal standard in the last decade, it does not address more restrictive Washington State requirements for decontamination and training that are found in Washington’s Worker Protection Standard. These more restrictive state requirements are addressed in the WSDA Manual Insert.

Washington agricultural employers can order a free copy of the How to Comply manual at http://agr.wa.gov/PestFert/licensinged/wpsmanual.asp. There are also many WPS compliance and training resources available from the National Agriculture Compliance Assistance Center.

In Washington, the departments of agriculture and labor & industries jointly enforce WPS. Questions can be directed to a variety of state and federal contacts.
 

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RESOURCES

• L&I Heat Stress Information
• Fact Sheet: Protecting Employees and Family Members from Pesticide Exposure
• Washington’s Worker Protection Standard
• WSDA's Washington Pesticide Laws Hand-out Bookletet
• WSDA’s Worker Protection Standard Checklist of Requirements
• WPS compliance and training materials are available from the National Agriculture Compliance Assistance Center.
• Pesticide Notes Newsletter
• Fluorescent Tracer Manual

Recent EPA actions on WPS

• Enclosed Cab Guidance for PPE/Respiratory Protection
• WPS amendments allowing separable glove liners beneath chemical-resistant gloves

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Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Pesticides

• Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Pesticide Product List

• 2005 Pesticide Notes cholinesterase monitoring article (page 1) by L&I that recaps the 2004 monitoring results and details changes for 2005 including the reduction of the handling-hour threshold from 50 to 30 hours in a consecutive 30-day period

L&I has adopted a rule that requires monitoring of all agricultural employees who handle toxicity category I or II organophosphate or N-methyl-carbamate pesticides.   

Exposure to organophosphate or N-methyl-carbamate pesticides may reduce the activity of cholinesterase, an enzyme that aids in regulation of the nervous system. Reduced cholinesterase activity may result in overstimulation of the nervous system with physical symptoms including blurred vision, headache, increased sweating, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue. Severe exposures can lead to slowing of the heart rate, seizures, unconsciousness, respiratory failure and death.

Monitoring of pesticide handlers can detect overexposure and prevent illness. Cholinesterase monitoring includes:s:

1. Providing annual baseline laboratory testing and periodic testing, during the application season, of blood cholinesterase levels for workers with significant exposures.s.

*Cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticide products

*Click here (PDF 781 KB) to view a list of the toxicity category I or II (contain the words DANGER or WARNING on the label) organophosphate and N-methyl carbamate cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticide products covered by the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) cholinesterase monitoring rule.  For the same list sorted alphabetically by product name *click here. (PDF 94 KB)  *This list does not include products registered for Home and Garden Use.

To access a copy of L&I’s Cholinesterase Monitoring Rule and learn more about cholinesterase monitoring go to WISHA’s cholinesterase monitoring page or call John Furman, Ph.D., at 360-902-5666 (Labor & Industries, Olympia) or Pedro Serrano at (360) 902-5412 (Spanish.)

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