Chp 6.-Field Worker Safety

Question 1

Field Worker Safety Trainning
(Q6.1,Q6.2,6.14)

Employers must ensure that their employee fieldworkers have been trained in pesticide safety before they are allowed to work in a treated field and that employee field workers be trained at least every five years in the following topics:

Training must be presented orally from written material or audio, visually, using non-technical terms-and understood by all employees.

Answer 1

1. )Routine decontamination and thorough washing after the exposure period
2. )Restricted-entry interval, posting and the standard format of state/federal posting signs.
3. )Where workers may encounter pesticides and their residues.
4. ) Routes of exposure
5. )Pesticide hazards, chronic, acute and delayed effects, and sensitization effects.
6. ) Common signs and symptoms of pesticide overexposure
7. )First aid, decontamination, eye flushing, and getting emergency medical attention
8. )Warnings about taking pesticides or pesticide containers home.
9. )Hazard communication requirements
10. ) Employee rights to information and protection against retaliatory action for exercising employee rights.

Question 2

Qualified Trainers

Q6.3

Answer 2

1. ) QAL
2. ) Person holding other valid license or certificate of personal pesticide qualification.
3. ) Person who has completed an instructor training program by
   - The University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Project
   - Other instructor training program approved by DPR.
4. )California Registered Professional Forester
5. )Person holding a valid County Biologist License in Pesticide Regulation or Investigation and Environmental Monitoring issued by California DEA
6. ) Farm advisor employed by University of California Cooperative Extension
7. )Person holding any other valid trainer qualification approved by DPR.

Question 3

Hazard Communication for Field Workers
(Q6.4)

Whenever employees are allowed to enter pesticide treated fields, the employer must make the the following available to employees, including those of a labor contractor, in a central location.

• Physicians of employees or other reps. have access to this information.
• *Upon request the employer must make the above records available within 48hrs.

Answer 3

1.)Pesticide use records for all the pesticides that have been applied to the field within the last two years.
2.) Copies of the PSIS leaflets (A-9) that provide general information about pesticides
“Pesticide Safety Rules for Farm Workers”
3.) An MSDS for each pesticide listed in the pesticide use records

Question 4

Application Specific Information
Q6.5 and Q6.6

When employees work in a treated field, the property operator must display all of the following information at a central location.

The information must be displayed when employees work within 1/4 mile of the treated area and must remain until the field no longer meets the definition of a treated area.

Answer 4

1. ) Identification of the treated area
2. )Time and date of the pesticide application
3. )MSDS Product name, the EPA registration numbers, and the active ingredients (including PSIS leaflet and pesticide use records).
4. )Spray adjuvant product name and California registration numbers.
5. )The REI

Question 5

Field work during pesticide application
( Q6.7)

On farms, forest, treated nurseries, and greenhouses, only the people making the application can be directed or allowed to enter or remain in the treated area.

Answer 5

If the pesticide is applied in a nursery:
1.) By aircraft, in an upward direction, or at a pressure of more than 150 pounds per square inch, or is applied as fumigant, smoke, fog, or aerosol, the prohibited area is the treatment site+100 ft. in all directions
2.)By group, in a downward direction from a height greater than 12 inches from the soil or other planting medium, as a fine spray, or using pressure of more than 40 pounds per square inch but no more than 150, or that requires a respirator on the product label, the
prohibited area is the treatment site plus 25ft. in all direction.

If the pesticide is applied in a greenhouse

1. )As a space treatment with a fumigant, smoke, fog, aerosol, or mist or is a pesticide for which the product label requires respirator, the prohibited area is the entire enclosed area +any adjacent area that is not sufficiently sealed to prevent pesticide transfer from the treatment site, until ventilation criteria is met.
2. ) As a spray from a height greater than 12 inches from the soil or other planting medium, as a fine spray, or using a pressure of more than 40 pounds per square inch, the prohibited area is the treatment site+25ft. in all directions.

Question 6

Greenhouse Ventilation Criteria

Answer 6

When a greenhouse application involves a pesticide with label directions that require respirator and is applied as a fumigant, smoke, mist, fog, or aerosol, it must be ventilated until

1. )The concentration is measured and found not to exceed any pesticide label standard.
2. )One of the following has occurred if there is no label standard.
   a. )Ten air exchanges are complete
   b. )Two hours of mechanical ventilation
   c. )Four hours of passive ventilation.
   d. )Twenty four hours with no ventilation
   e. )Any combination of percentage portions of each above method=100%

Question 7

Emergency Medical Care

Q6.8

Answer 7

When employees are required to enter pesticide treated fields, emergency medical care must be planned in advance. Employees must be informed of the name and location of the medical facility or doctor where care is available. If the facility is not easily accessible, the employer must outline a procedure of how to obtain emergency medical care.

Question 8

Restricted-Entry Interval

A restricted-entry interval (REI) is the period of time after a crop or commodity has been treated with a pesticide when restrictions on entry are in effect to protect employees from potential exposure to a hazardous level of pesticide residue; and can be found in the regulations or label of the product.

Answer 8

1. ) If there is a discrepancy between the two, the longer interval must be followed.
2. )When reference is made to pounds of a pesticide, it means pounds of active ing.
3. ) A day is considered 24hrs and begins at the completion of the application.

Question 9

Field Reentry After Pesticide Application
Q6.9-Q6.11)

No employer, labor contractor or property operator may direct any employee to enter or remain in a treated field until the label, or regulation-specified REI, has expired, whichever is longer.
However there are exceptions and include

Answer 9

1.)Employees may only enter a treated field to conduct pesticide handling activities,
including watered in or mechanical soil incorporation.
2.)To perform no-contact activities(with treated surfaces, tractor activities, when the inhalation exposure level meets label standards. e.g. ventilation criteria met for greenhouses. (“No contact” means the employee will not have any contact with any treated surface, including soil, water, air, equipment, or plant surfaces.The “no contact” requirement is met if the employee is operating a tractor or other equipment and is separated from the treated surfaces by an enclosed cab, shields, or operator placement on the equipment in relation to the treated plants.)
3.) To conduct limited-contact activities such as limited contact irrigation and only if all the following occurs.
a.)The label does not require posting and oral notification of employees.
b.)At least four hours have elapsed since application
c.) the inhalation exposure does not exceed the label standard or if the ventilation criteria have been met.
d.)Exposure is minimal and limited to the feet, legs below the knees, the hands, and forearms below the elbows.
e.)Employees must wear the early entry PPE
f.) No employee spends more than 8 of 24hours in the treated field.
g.)Employees are informed of the exception and about the prior provisions

Question 10

Shortening the Restricted Entry Interval

Answer 10

The REI adjustments described below can be made only to restricted entry interval found in the regulations, not to those on the label, and with prior authorization from the CAC

1. ) When there is no foliage on the pant that has been treated, and without any crop cover or weed cover, in the treated area, is not over four inches in height, the REI can be reduced by 50%
2. )When the pesticide label requires you to adjust the REI in outdoor applications of geographical areas that averages less than 25 in. rain annual, but the rainfall in your area averages more than 25in. of rain/year. Then with rainfall data presented to the CAC the REI may be shortened.

Question 11

Requirements for Early-Entry Field Workers
(Q.613)

Employees may perform tasks in a treated field and while REI is in effect only if

Answer 11

1.)Early-entry field workers are informed of pesticide label requirements regarding Human hazards or percautions/First aid/Symptoms of poisoning/prevention, recognition, and first aid for heat-related illnesses/ the importance of washing following the exposure/Use and care of label required PPE
2.) PPE is:
Replaced if it cannot be properly cleaned/that contaminated PPE be washed separate from other clothing and that the laundering company be aware of contaminations/PPE kept separate from personal clothing and stored in a well-ventilated place to dry/inspected by the employer before each days use/when eye protection is required, that workers have in possession at least one pint of eye flush.

Question 12

Warning and Posting Requirements
(Q6.12)

Unless a pesticide label require both oral and field posting, then one of the following must be presented to any person in the fields, likely to enter during application, or who may enter during the REI or walks within a 1/4 mile of the treated field. Information includes

Answer 12

1. )Descirption and location of the treated area
2. )the time period during which entry is restricted, and instructions to stay out. (except for early reentry employees)

• signs must be posted around the treated field during application and throughout REI.
• postings are no further than 600ft. apart.

Exception when measures are taken to prevent employees from doing any of the following.

1. )walking within 1/4mile of the treated area
2. )entering the treated area
3. )working or remaining in the treated area.
   * postings are no further than 600ft. apart.

All greenhouses require postings of warnings unless measures are taken to prevent employees from doing the following within the greenhouse

1. )Entering
2. )Working or remaining in
3. )passing through during application or REI

Question 13

Warning Signs

Warning signs must be

Answer 13

Warning signs must be.

1. )With a skull and crossbones symbol near the center.
2. )With words “Danger/Peligro, Pesticides/Pesticidas” must appear in the upper portion
3. ) be with the words “Keep out/No enter” must appear in the lower portion.
4. ) Visible from 25ft away (colors of letter and symbols must contrast immediate background)
5. ) Posted no earlier than 24hrs before application
6. ) and removed within 3 days of expiration.
7. )Posted during application and throughout REI.
8. )When used for an REI longer than 7days the following info must be included
   - Date when entry can recommence, Name of the property operator, field i.d. #
9. ) Posted at all usual points of entry to the treated field.

When minimal exposure pesticide is used with the words”Danger/Poison” on the label is applied through an irrigation system signs must be posted in the same manner however must also,

1. ) Contain an Octagon STOP sign at least 8in. diameter.
2. )The words “Keep out/No enter” appear above the symbol and
3. ) “Pesticide in irrigation water/pesticides en agua de riego” appear below the symbol.
   - Letters 2.5in. tall and must contrast sharply with the background.

If a fumigant is applied, warning signs must be posted as above however with

1. )The skull and an cross bones symbol and the following information
2. )Danger/Peligro
3. )Area under fumigation don’t enter/no entre
4. ) Name of fumigant-in use
5. )Date and time of fumigation
6. )Name, address, and telephone number of the applicator.