OSU to Offer Upcoming Worker Protection Standard Compliance Workshops

The Worker Protection Standard is designed to protect pesticide handlers from occupational exposure to pesticides.
The Worker Protection Standard is designed to protect pesticide handlers from occupational exposure to pesticides.

The College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University is offering free three-hour workshops at several locations throughout Ohio in February, March, and April on new regulations on pesticide use.

Specifically, the workshops will address changes under the 2015 revised Worker Protection Standard, which took effect on Jan. 2, 2017. The regulations pertain to agricultural professionals who apply pesticides during the production process. The standard was initially adopted to protect workers from occupational exposure to pesticides.

“The goal of the workshop is to help employers and supervisors comply with the new regulations,” said Mary Ann Rose, program director for Ohio State University Extension’s Pesticide Safety Education Program. “The workshop emphasizes the new requirements for training workers and handlers, central display of hazard information, entry restrictions, and protections for pesticide handlers and early entry workers.”

Those who attend the workshops will receive a compliance manual titled, “How to Comply With the 2015 Revised WPS for Agricultural Pesticides,” which was originally released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They will also be provided with a new worker DVD.

“Attendees will have the knowledge and resources they need to implement the new rules on their farm or business,” Rose continued.

The workshops will be held on Feb 16; March 13, 23 and 27; and April 13. Registration is required in order to participate. More information can be found here.