Pesticides: What You Need to Know Some of the rules and how the game is played

Staying out of trouble Worker Protection Standard Pesticide Licensing Pesticide Recordkeeping Follow the Pesticide Label! –U.S. EPA –Ga. Department of Agriculture –Liability

Worker Protection Standard What’s it about? –Protection of agricultural workers Who is subject to WPS? –Row crops, greenhouses, nursery, forestry with non-family employees –NOT animal production or pastures

WPS Information at central location –safety poster –medical information –when/where/what was sprayed when is it safe to enter field Training: valid for 5 years –Workers basic training before work complete training before early-entry

WPS Training –Pesticide handlers complete training before work –Certified Pesticide applicators(RUP) don’t need WPS training –Trainers handlers can train workers certififed applicators can train anyone

WPS Decontamination –within 1/4 mile of workers/handlers –clean water –maintain 7-30 days after REI expires (see label) –Workers wash hands –Handlers wash body clothes

WPS Emergency assistance –provide transport –provide information to physician Information Exchange –commercial applicator to grower when/where/what being treated –grower to commercial applicator where is REI in effect

General Use Pesticides vs. Restricted Use (RUP) General Use Used by any adult No training Low concentrations RUP More dangerous –man/environment Training required Certification required –private applicator training only –commercial applicator test training

License to buy/apply RUP Private license –from county agent –only to apply to your property or to property of employer –video/label exercise Commercial license –testing –categories –recertification every five years Pesticide Contractor’s license

Recordkeeping RUP –everyone must keep records of RUP –keep for at least two years Commercial applicators –Ga. Law –keep records of all applications –keep at least two years Worker Protection Standard –keep for 30 days beyond REI expiration

LIABILITY Regulation and your behavior determine your exposure to liability –The label I don’t have time to worry about every little regulation, or do I?

If you are sued... Something is wrong with my pet, my tree, my child... Suppose that you (or your employee) used one teaspoon over the labeled rate –How much have you increased health risk? –Have you increased environmental risks? –How much did you increase liability?

How Would You Answer These Questions? Do you have any regard for human safety? Do you have any regard for the environment? Do you understand that the pesticide label establishes safe use patterns? Do you understand that the directions on the pesticide label constitute federal law?

More Tough Questions Do you read the pesticide label? Are you intelligent enough to understand the pesticide label directions? You say that you read the label, that you understand the label, and you understand the label is the law. Yes or no? Did you deliberately break the law, or you simply too stupid to know the difference?

READ THE LABEL!!!!!

Things to Know about the Label The label is the law Label vs labeling Brand name vs active ingredients Sites vs pests Specificity vs generic language

The label: more things to know Personal Protective Equipment REI & PHI Loopholes –lower rate –fewer applications –any equipment not prohibited –mixtures OK

SIGNAL WORDS DANGER or DANGER-POISON –death 50 mg/kg –irreversible eye damage –skin corrosion WARNING CAUTION BE CAREFUL!

Paul Guillebeau IPM/Pesticide Coordinator Department of Entomology University of Georgia Athens GA