Update on worker protection standards

Oregon OSHA is continuing to work on final rulemaking to conform to agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) rule changes announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2015.

Oregon OSHA recently announced that they are delaying implementation of these new rules until January 1, 2018, to allow for more transition time and to fine-tune some of the rules to better reflect the unique circumstances for employers in Oregon.

Highlights of the WPS rule changes include:

• Annual mandatory training for farmworkers about their rights and responsibilities
• Expanded training and employer responsibilities to reduce take-home pesticide exposure from clothing and protective equipment
• Children under 18 are no longer allowed to handle pesticides.
• Expanded mandatory posting of no-entry signs for the most hazardous pesticides
• Applications must be suspended if people come within 100 feet of application equipment, such as air-blast sprayers.
• Mandatory record-keeping requirements
• Workers who report employer violations will be protected from retaliation.
• Workers who use respirators must have training, medical evaluations, and fit-testing.
• Safety data sheets (SDS) must be available to workers and their physicians.
• Sufficient water must be available at mixing/loading sites for routine washing and emergency eye flushing.

The new Worker Protection Standard continues to exempt farm owners and their immediate families from many of the rules, and the definition of “immediate family” was expanded. More information can be found at the links below.

WPS resources

Worker protection update (Oregon Department of Agriculture)

Comparison of the new protections to the existing protections (Environmental Protection Agency)

Worker training, videos, and handouts (Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative)

Worker protection standard Topic Page (Oregon OSHA)

Oregon OSHA - Adopted Changes to the Worker Protection Standard in Agriculture with Federal and State Changes. (Oregon OSHA)