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Pesticide Safety Education Program

Ohio State University Extension

CFAES

Worker Protection Standard (WPS)

 


The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a federal regulation issued by U.S. EPA. The WPS applies to growers who own or manage a farm, forest, nursery, or greenhouse where pesticides are used in production of agricultural plants and have one or more of these situations:

  1. Hire or contract for services of agricultural workers who receive compensation and do tasks such as harvesting, weeding or watering.
  2. Operate a business or farm where pesticides are applied by handlers who receive compensation and do tasks related to mixing, loading, transferring or applying pesticides. Click here for a complete list of handlers tasks.
  3. Operate a business where crop advisor tasks are performed. Click here for a complete list of crop advisor tasks.

New! EPA has proposed changes for the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard. Click here to read "What is the Worker Protection Standard, and How has it Changed in 2016?"

Click here to view the EPA website on revisions the Worker Protection Standard.


Here is more information about the Worker Protection Standard:

Search NPSEC for more WPS materials!!


Web-Based Training for Train-the-Trainers of Agricultural Workers and Handlers

Completion of this course certifies you as a qualified WPS trainer of agricultural workers and pesticide handlers in the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You must check with your state or tribal pesticide regulatory agency for possible additional requirements.

(Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative-$35)

 


Click here to view the EPA website on revisions of the Worker Protection Standard

Click here for WPS Checklists

WPS FAQs


More information on the Applicator Exclusion Zone (AEZ):

AEZ FAQs

AEZ Comparison Table (shows the differences between the 2015 WPS AEZ requirements and the 2020 WPS AEZ Final Revisions)


Pesticide Education Resources Collaborative

  • PERC: the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative, a new cooperative agreement between the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs and University of California Davis Extension, in collaboration with Oregon State University.

 


Find WPS Products

  • Gempler's Inc. - source of signs, worker training books, field postings, central postings, etc. At the Gempler's website, select the tab for "safety" and scroll down to "WPS"