Wash. Admin. Code § 296-307-10905

Current through Register Vol. 24-23, December 1, 2024

Section 296-307-10905 - Training requirements for workers-40 C.F.R., Sec. 170.401

(1) General requirement. Before any worker performs any task in a treated area on an agricultural establishment where within the last 30 days a pesticide product has been used or a restricted-entry interval for such pesticide has been in effect, the agricultural employer must ensure that each worker has been trained in accordance with this section within the last 12 months, except as provided in subsection (2) of this section.

Note:

In addition to the training required by this section, the agricultural employer must assure without exception, that all employees are trained in accordance with chapter 296-901 WAC, Globally harmonized system for hazard communication.

(2) Exceptions. The following workers need not be trained under this section:

(a) A worker who is currently certified as an applicator of restricted use pesticides under chapter 17.21 RCW.

(b) A worker who has satisfied the handler training requirements in WAC 296-307-11205.

(c) A worker who is certified or licensed as a crop advisor by the Washington state department of agriculture under RCW 15.58.230, provided, that a requirement for such certification or licensing is pesticide safety training that includes all the topics in WAC 296-307-11205(3)(b) or (c) as applicable depending on the date of training.

(3) Training programs.

(a) Pesticide safety training must be presented to workers either orally from written materials or audio-visually, at a location that is reasonably free from distraction and conducive to training. All training materials must be EPA-approved. The training must be presented in a manner that the workers can understand, such as through a translator. The training must be conducted by a person who meets the worker trainer requirements of (d) of this subsection, and who must be present during the entire training program and must respond to workers' questions.

(b) The training must include, at a minimum, all of the following topics:

(i) Where and in what form pesticides may be encountered during work activities.

(ii) Hazards of pesticides resulting from toxicity and exposure, including acute and chronic effects, delayed effects, and sensitization.

(iii) Routes through which pesticides can enter the body.

(iv) Signs and symptoms of common types of pesticide poisoning.

(v) Emergency first aid for pesticide injuries or poisonings.

(vi) How to obtain emergency medical care.

(vii) Routine and emergency decontamination procedures, including emergency eye flushing techniques.

(viii) Hazards from chemigation and drift.

(ix) Hazards from pesticide residues on clothing.

(x) Warnings about taking pesticides or pesticide containers home.

(xi) Requirements of this section designed to reduce the risks of illness or injury resulting from workers' occupational exposure to pesticides, including application and entry restrictions, the design of the warning sign, posting of warning signs, oral warnings, the availability of specific information about applications, and the protection against retaliatory acts.

(c) EPA intends to make available to the public training materials that may be used to conduct training conforming to the requirements of this section. Within 181 days after a notice of availability of such training materials appears in the Federal Register, training programs required under this section must include, at a minimum, all of the topics listed in (c)(i) through (xxiii) of this subsection instead of the topics listed in (b)(i) through (xi) of this subsection.

(i) The responsibility of agricultural employers to provide workers and handlers with information and protections designed to reduce work-related pesticide exposures and illnesses. This includes ensuring workers and handlers have been trained on pesticide safety, providing pesticide safety and application and hazard information, decontamination supplies and emergency medical assistance, and notifying workers of restrictions during applications and on entering pesticide treated areas. A worker or handler may designate in writing a representative to request access to pesticide application and hazard information.

(ii) How to recognize and understand the meaning of the posted warning signs used for notifying workers of restrictions on entering pesticide treated areas on the establishment.

(iii) How to follow directions and/or signs about keeping out of pesticide treated areas subject to a restricted-entry interval and application exclusion zones.

(iv) Where and in what forms pesticides may be encountered during work activities, and potential sources of pesticide exposure on the agricultural establishment. This includes exposure to pesticide residues that may be on or in plants, soil, tractors, application and chemigation equipment, or used personal protective equipment, and that pesticides may drift through the air from nearby applications or be in irrigation water.

(v) Potential hazards from toxicity and exposure that pesticides present to workers and their families, including acute and chronic effects, delayed effects, and sensitization.

(vi) Routes through which pesticides can enter the body.

(vii) Signs and symptoms of common types of pesticide poisoning.

(viii) Emergency first aid for pesticide injuries or poisonings.

(ix) Routine and emergency decontamination procedures, including emergency eye flushing techniques, and if pesticides are spilled or sprayed on the body to use decontamination supplies to wash immediately or rinse off in the nearest clean water, including springs, streams, lakes or other sources if more readily available than decontamination supplies, and as soon as possible, wash or shower with soap and water, shampoo hair, and change into clean clothes.

(x) How and when to obtain emergency medical care.

(xi) When working in pesticide treated areas, wear work clothing that protects the body from pesticide residues and wash hands before eating, drinking, using chewing gum or tobacco, or using the toilet.

Note:

Consider including other activities that could be a route of exposure such as using a phone or cell phone, or tablet, applying makeup, and getting into a personal vehicle.

(xii) Wash or shower with soap and water, shampoo hair, and change into clean clothes as soon as possible after working in pesticide treated areas.

(xiii) Potential hazards from pesticide residues on clothing.

(xiv) Wash work clothes before wearing them again and wash them separately from other clothes.

(xv) Do not take pesticides or pesticide containers used at work home.

(xvi) Safety data sheets (SDSs) provide hazard, emergency medical treatment and other information about the pesticides used on the establishment they may come in contact with. The responsibility of agricultural employers to do all of the following:

(A) Display safety data sheets (SDSs) for all pesticides used on the establishment.

(B) Provide workers and handlers information about the location of the safety data sheets (SDSs) on the establishment.

(C) Provide workers and handlers unimpeded access to safety data sheets (SDSs) during normal work hours.

(xvii) This section prohibits agricultural employers from allowing or directing any worker to mix, load or apply pesticides or assist in the application of pesticides unless the worker has been trained as a handler.

(xviii) The responsibility of agricultural employers to provide specific information to workers before directing them to perform early entry activities. Workers must be 18 years old to perform early entry activities.

(xix) Potential hazards to children and pregnant women from pesticide exposure.

(xx) Keep children and nonworking family members away from pesticide treated areas.

(xxi) After working in pesticide treated areas, remove work boots or shoes before entering your home, and remove work clothes and wash or shower before physical contact with children or family members.

(xxii) How to report suspected pesticide use violations to the Washington state department of agriculture.

(xxiii) This section prohibits agricultural employers from intimidating, threatening, coercing, or discriminating against any worker or handler for complying with or attempting to comply with the requirements of this chapter part, or because the worker or handler provided, caused to be provided or is about to provide information to the employer, the EPA or its agents, or any duly authorized representative of the Washington state department of agriculture regarding conduct that the employee reasonably believes violates this chapter part, and/or made a complaint, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing concerning compliance with this chapter part.

(d) The person who conducts the training must meet one of the following criteria:

(i) Be currently designated as a trainer of certified applicators or pesticide handlers by the Washington state department of agriculture in accordance with chapters 15.58 and 17.21 RCW; or

(ii) Have completed an EPA-approved pesticide safety train-the-trainer program for trainers of workers; or

(iii) Be currently certified as an applicator of restricted use pesticides under chapter 17.21 RCW.

(4) Recordkeeping.

(a) For each worker required to be trained under subsection (1) of this section, the agricultural employer must maintain on the agricultural establishment, for two years from the date of the training, a record documenting each worker's training including all of the following:

(i) The trained worker's printed name and signature.

(ii) The date of the training.

(iii) Information identifying which EPA-approved training materials were used.

(iv) The trainer's name and documentation showing that the trainer met the requirements of subsection (3)(d) of this section at the time of training.

(v) The agricultural employer's name.

(b) An agricultural employer who provides, directly or indirectly, training required under subsection (1) of this section must provide to the worker upon request a copy of the record of the training that contains the information required under (a) of this subsection.

Wash. Admin. Code § 296-307-10905

Adopted by WSR 19-21-169, Filed 10/22/2019, effective 2/3/2020

Amended by WSR 21-04-128, Filed 2/2/2021, effective 3/8/2021

Amended by WSR 22-17-124, Filed 8/23/2022, effective 9/26/2022