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WPS Fact Sheets and Publications
EPA 735-B-06-002,
September 2005, Reprinted June 2006
The Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides How To Comply Manual has been updated to reflect amendments to the Worker
Protection Standard (WPS), a regulation designed to protect agricultural
workers and pesticide handlers. The WPS contains requirements for
pesticide safety training, notification of pesticide applications,
use of personal protective equipment, restricted entry intervals
following pesticide application, decontamination supplies, and emergency
medical assistance. The revised manual provides detailed information
on who is covered by the WPS and how to meet regulatory requirements.
The updated manual will facilitate better protection of pesticide
workers and handlers in agriculture from the potential risks of
pesticides.
The new 2005 WPS How To Comply (HTC) Manual supersedes the 1993
version. Changes to the WPS since 1993 have made the earlier version
obsolete, and its continued use may lead an employer to be out of
compliance. The 2005 HTC Manual revision was coordinated by EPA's
National Agricultural Compliance Assistance Center and a workgroup
consisting of representatives from EPA Headquarters, EPA Regional
Offices, and several state agencies, with input solicited from USDA
and other state and tribal pesticide agencies.
The links below provide information for employers to comply with
the WPS, including a Quick Reference Guide, sample forms, fact sheets,
and checklists. The document can be downloaded as one large file
or in smaller sections by unit.
Download full PDF version
(PDF, 4,042KB)
- Cover Page (PDF,
442KB, 1 page)
- Introduction (Pages i
- x) (PDF, 547KB, 10 pages)
- The Importance
of this Manual (Page i) (PDF, 463KB,
1 page)
- Who Needs to Read
this Manual? (Page ii) (PDF, 488KB,
1 page)
- About this Manual
(Page iii) (PDF, 471KB, 1 page)
- Contact Information
(Page iv) (PDF, 693KB, 1 page)
- Helpful Web
Sites (Page v) (PDF, 458KB, 1 page)
- Contents (Page
ix - x) (PDF, 497KB, 2 pages)
- Unit 1: Quick Reference
Guide (Pages 1 - 4) (PDF, 601KB, 4 pages)
- Unit 2: An Introduction
to the Worker Protection Standard (Pages 5 - 16) (PDF,
1,117KB, 12 pages)
- Unit 3: What Employers
Must Do for Both Workers and Handlers (Pages 17 - 28) (PDF,
738KB, 12 pages)
- Unit 4: Further Requirements
for Employers of Workers (Pages 29 - 56) (PDF,
1,283KB, 28 pages)
- Unit 5: Further Requirements
for Employers of Handlers (Pages 57 - 68) (PDF,
581KB, 13 pages)
- Unit 6: Owner Exemptions
and Crop Advisors (Pages 69 - 80) (PDF,
533KB, 13 pages)
- Appendix A: Criteria for
WPS Materials (Pages 81 - 90) (PDF,
497KB, 11 pages)
- Appendix B: Sample Forms,
Fact Sheets and Checklists (Pages 91 - 116) (PDF,
1,283KB, 27 pages)
- Appendix C: Quick Reference
Guide to the Worker Protection Standard (Pages 117 - 124)
(PDF, 632KB, 9 pages)
- Index (Pages 125 - 128)
(PDF, 469KB, 5 pages)
2005 WPS HTC Errata Sheet - This errata sheet applies to copies of the HTC Manual downloaded from the Ag Center's Web site before December 30, 2005.
About the HTC Manual
The original 1993 WPS HTC Manual has been updated to reflect
amendments made to the WPS in 1995, 1996, and 2004. The new 2005
WPS HTC Manual supersedes the 1993 version. Changes to the WPS since
1993 have now made the earlier version obsolete and its continued
use may lead an employer to be out of compliance. The revised 2005
WPS HTC Manual provides detailed information on who is covered by
the WPS regulation and how to meet the regulatory requirements.
The new manual includes information on all recent regulatory amendments
and administrative exceptions, such as:
- Changes in the WPS worker training requirement that requires
untrained workers to be provided basic pesticide information before
entering pesticide-treated areas
- Reduction in the number of days decontamination supplies must
be available to workers after application of low-risk pesticides,
and the requirement that supplies are to be located together
- Modification in the language requirements for treated-area
warning signs
- Modification in the size requirements for treated-area warning
signs
- Early-entry exception for irrigation tasks and for limited
contact tasks
- Optional use of separable glove liners beneath chemical-resistant
gloves
- Optional wearing of gloves by agricultural pilots when entering
or leaving aircraft
- Exemption for certified or licensed crop advisors and persons
under their direct supervision
The revised manual now also contains additional resources to assist
agricultural employers to comply, such as new checklists and charts:
- Warning Sign Size Specifications for Greenhouses and Nurseries
- Early-Entry Exceptions Chart
- Crop Advisors Chart - includes the summary of WPS requirements
for the employers of crop advisors
- WPS Requirement to Provide Basic Pesticide Safety Information
to Untrained Workers; and
- EPA Chemical Resistance Category Chart - used when personal
protective equipment (PPE) section on a pesticide label lists
a chemical resistance category
HTC Manual on CD-ROM with Additional Resources
To further assist agricultural employers with WPS compliance, EPA
also offers a CD-ROM version of the revised WPS HTC Manual that
contains several additional compliance assistance tools not available
with the printed version. The CD version of the HTC Manual also
contains:
- EPA's WPS Worker Training Handbook (in English/Spanish);
- EPA's WPS Handler Training Handbooks (in English and in Spanish);
- 13 additional WPS fact sheets;
- EPA's Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings Handbook;
and
- Several other related references.
To order the HTC Manual on CD-ROM with additional resources, please
contact the Ag Center at agcenter@epa.gov
or by calling the toll free number (1-888-663-2155).
When ordering, please use EPA document number EPA 305-C-05-001.
The WPS Quick Reference Guide
The Quick Reference Guide lists the maximum WPS requirements. Fulfilling
these maximum requirements will help you comply with the WPS. The
brochure is available in both black/white and color.
Quick Reference Guide Tri-fold
Brochure: Federal Version - Black/White* (PDF,
547KB, 2 pages)
Quick Reference Guide Tri-fold
Brochure: Federal Version - Color* (PDF,
547KB, 2 pages)
The Ag Center has developed a version of the Quick Reference Guide
in Microsoft Word that allows state/tribe-specific information to
be added to the Quick Reference Guide. If you would like to obtain
an electronic file of the Quick Reference Guide that you can edit,
please contact the Ag Center
at agcenter@epa.gov or by calling the toll
free number (1-888-663-2155). The brochure is available in both
black/white and color. To view the editable brochure in PDF, please
use the links below:
Quick Reference Guide
Tri-fold Brochure: Editable Version for States/Tribes - Black/White*
(PDF, 547KB, 2 pages)
Quick Reference
Guide Tri-fold Brochure: Editable Version for States/Tribes - Color*
(PDF, 547KB, 2 pages)
*Be sure to check the tri-fold brochure for proper printing alignment
before copying.
Related Information
Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides
Worker Protection Standard Publications
Worker Protection Standard Fact
Sheets Developed by the Ag Center
Worker Safety Information from EPA
Worker
Protection Standard Regulations
Basic
Principles of Worker Protection Standard
Worker
Safety and Training
WPS Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Information
Worker
Protection Standard Compliance Monitoring Program
Worker
Protection Standards Inspection and Enforcement Accomplishments
Report
Worker
Protection Standard Inspections
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