Resources
Table of Contents
Government Agencies:
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
More than 100 million workers and 6.5 million employers are covered
under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which covers workers in
pesticide manufacturing. OSHA and its state partners have approximately
2100 inspectors, plus investigators, standards writers, educators, physicians,
and other staff in over 200 offices across the country. OSHA sets protective
workplace standards, enforces the standards, and offers employers and
employees technical assistance and consultation programs. Note that some
states have their own OSHA.
OSHA/US Department of Labor
Room N3647
Constitution Ave NW
Washington DC 20210
Tel: 202-219-8021
www.osha.gov
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Extension Service
USDA's Extension Service works with its university partners, the
state land-grant system, to provide farmers and ranchers information to
reduce and prevent agricultural-related work incidents. The Pesticide
Applicator Training program trains applicators in the safe use of pesticides
and coordinates pesticide-related safety training programs.
USDA
14th & Independence SW
Washington DC 20250
Tel: 202-720-2791
Cooperative Research and Extension Services
National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control
(NCEH)
NCEH provides environmental pesticide case surveillance and disease
outbreak investigations.
NCEH, CDC
Mailstop F29
4770 Buford Highway NE
Atlanta, GA 30341
Tel: 770-488-7030
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers
for Disease Control (NIOSH)
NIOSH is the federal agency responsible for conducting research on
occupational disease and injury. NIOSH may investigate potentially hazardous
working conditions upon request, makes recommendations on preventing workplace
disease and injury, and provides training to occupational safety and health
professionals.
NIOSH
Humphrey Building, Room 715H
200 Independence Ave SW
Washington DC 20201
Hotline: 1-800-356-4674
www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html
NIOSH Agricultural Health and Safety Centers
NIOSH has funded eight Agricultural Health and Safety Centers throughout
the country which involve clinicians and other health specialists in the
area of pesticide-related illness and injury. The NIOSH-supported centers
are:
Non-Governmental Organizations:
National Pesticide Information
Center
The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) is based at Oregon State
University and is cooperatively sponsored by the University and EPA. NPIC
serves as a source of objective, science-based pesticide information on
a wide range of pesticide-related topics, such as recognition and management
of pesticide poisonings, safety information, health and environmental
effects, referrals for investigation of pesticide incidents and emergency
treatment for both humans and animals, and cleanup and disposal procedures.
A toll-free telephone service provides pesticide information to callers
in the continental United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Additionally, pesticide questions and comments can be sent to an e-mail
address. The Web site has links to other sites and databases for further
information.
NPIC hotline: 1-800-858-7378
Hours of operation: 9:30 am to 7:30 pm E.S.T. 7 days a week except
holidays
E-mail address: npic@ace.orst.edu
Poison Control Centers:
For a list of state and regional poison control centers, or the nearest location, consult the National Pesticide Information Center.
Association of Occupational and Environmental
Clinics (AOEC)
Network of 63 clinics representing more than 250 specialists.
AOEC
1010 Vermont, Suite 513
Washington DC 20005
Tel: 202-347-4976
AAPSE maintains a list of Web resources by state, with links to program information, newsletters, journals, and other resources for pesticide educators, including guidebooks for evaluating pesticide applicator training programs and guides to EPA regulations.
Pesticide Databases:
Extension Toxicology Network (EXTOXNET)The Extension Service's Toxicology Network, EXTOXNET, provides science-based information about pesticides to health care providers treating pesticide-related health concerns. Pesticide toxicological information is developed cooperatively by the University of California-Davis, Oregon State University, Michigan State University, Cornell University, and the University of Idaho.
IRIS
The Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) is an electronic database
on human health effects that may result from exposure to various chemicals
in the environment. IRIS is intended for those without extensive training
in toxicology, but with some knowledge of health sciences. It provides
hazard identification and dose-response assessment information. Combined
with specific exposure information, the data in IRIS can be used for characterization
of the public health risks of a chemical in a particular situation that
can lead to a risk management decision designed to protect public health.
Extensive supporting documentation is available online.
Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry
ATSDR (part of the Department of Human Health and Services) publishes
fact sheets and other information on pesticides and other toxic substances.
California Pesticide
Databases
Includes Pesticidal Chemical Ingredients Queries, links to USEPA/OPP's
chemical dictionary, Product/Label Database Queries (updated nightly),
a current listing of California's Section 18 Emergency Exemptions, and
more.
Registered
and Cancelled Pesticides
Using EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs database, California's Department
of Pesticide Regulation has developed query forms for OPP's Registered
and Cancelled Pesticide Product Database, OPP's Chemical Ingredients Database
(Chemical Nomenclature, Current Products & Registrants), and OPP's
Company Information Database.
Publications for Health Care Practitioners
Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings, Routt Reigart and James Roberts, 5th edition, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, March 1999.
Signs and Symptoms of Pesticide Poisoning, Larry D. Schulze, Clyde L. Ogg, and Edward F. Vitzthum, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension. EC97-2505-A
Physician's Guide to Pesticide Poisoning, Douglass E. Stevenson. Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A & M University, College Station, undated.
First Aid for Pesticide Poisoning, David E. Baker, Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Missouri-Columbia, Agricultural publication G01915, 1997.
Pesticides and National Strategies for Health Care Providers: Workshop Proceedings, U.S. EPA Office of Pesticide Programs, July 1998. Available through NSCEP, #EPA 735-R-98-001.
Published Papers
An Assessment of Worker Training Under The Worker Protection Standard, produced by Dr. Alice Larson, with the Yakima Valley Farmworkers Clinic Work Group on Pesticide Safety. A comprehensive review and evaluation of worker pesticide safety training programs, materials, and compliance. Executive Summary (72 KB, PDF); Final Report plus appendices (304 KB, PDF)
Blondell, J. "Epidemiology of pesticide poisonings in the U.S., with special reference to occupational cases." Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews,Vol. 12.2. April- June, 1997.
Publications on the Worker Protection Standard
A Guide to Heat Stress in Agriculture, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 1994. Available through GPO, Doc. #055-000-00474-9.
A National Dialogue on the Worker Protection Standard, Part I: Transcripts of the Public Meetings, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 735-R97-001, March 1997, 368 pp. Available through EPA, 703-305-7666.
Controlling Heat Stress in Agriculture. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, card, 1996. Lists the key elements and basic steps to controlling heat stress in agriculture. 8x4 in. Sold in packages of 25 only. Available through GPO, English: Doc. #055-000-00557-5, $3.00. Spanish: Doc. #055-000-00558-3, $4.50.
Controlling Heat Stress Made Simple/Maneras Sencillas de Controlar la Fatiga Causada por el Calor. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, poster, 1995. Explains the symptoms of heat stress. Presents a summary of key points to follow for controlling heat stress as well as an outline of a comprehensive program. Spanish edition on reverse side. 21x24 in. Available through GPO, Doc. #055-000-00544-3,$1.25.
ESL for Farm Safety: AFOP's Working with English Series. Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs. A low literacy English-as-a-Second Language text that teaches farmworkers how to be safe with pesticides and prevent agricultural injuries. $25 per Teacher's Manual, $12 per Student Workbook. Available from AFOP, 1611 N. Kent St., Suite 910, Arlington, VA 22209, tel: 703-528-4141, fax: 703-528-4145, www.afop.org.
Guidance Manual for Selecting Protective Clothing for Agricultural Pesticides Operations, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, September 1993. Available through NSCEP, #EPA 736-B-94-001.
Protect Yourself From Pesticides/Protejase de los Pesticidas. Poster, 1993. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, printed in English and Spanish. Contains nine illustrations of agricultural settings with captions indicating safety procedures for exposure to pesticides. 24x36 in. Available through GPO, Doc. #055-000-00444-7, $1.50.
Protect Yourself from Pesticides: Guide for Agricultural Workers/ Protejase De Los Pesticidas: Guia Para Los Trabajadores. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, July 1993. In English and Spanish. Available through NSCEP, #EPA 735-B-93-002.
Protect Yourself from Pesticides--Guide for Pesticide Handlers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, December 1993. Available through NSCEP, #EPA 735- B-93-003.