In Case of Pesticide Poisoning
Time is critical with any pesticide poisoning! Get immediate help from a local hospital, physician, or the nearest poison control center. If you believe you have been poisoned or injured by pesticides on an agricultural establishment covered under the WPS, your employer must make transportation available from the job site to a medical care facility. Your employer must also provide information about the pesticide to which you may have been exposed.See EPA's Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings for information on the health hazards of pesticides currently in use, and current consensus recommendations for management of poisonings and injuries caused by them.
For information on how to handle a pesticide poisoning, call the National Pesticide Information Center at 1-800-858-7378 (toll-free to any caller in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands).
For health care professionals: To search EPA's Pesticide Poisoning Handbook by keyword, topic, or chapter, click here.
Some symptoms of pesticide poisoning can be mistaken for symptoms of other illnesses, such as the flu. When pesticide handlers become ill from working with organophosphate or carbamate insecticides in warm and hot environments, it is sometimes hard to tell whether the person is suffering from heat exhaustion or pesticide poisoning. The table below compares the symptoms.
Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion | Symptoms of Organophosphate/ Carbamate Poisoning |
Sweating | Sweating |
Headache | Headache |
Fatigue | Fatigue |
Dry membranes | Moist membranes |
Dry mouth | Salivation |
No tears | Tears |
No spit present | Spit present in mouth |
Fast pulse (slow if person has fainted) | Slow pulse |
Nausea | Nausea and diarrhea |
Dilated pupils | Possible small pupils |
Central nervous system depression | Central nervous system depression |
Loss of coordination | Loss of coordination |
Confusion | Confusion |
Fainting (prompt recovery) | Coma (can't waken) |