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 The changes to the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard should
reduce the risk of injury and illnesses from contact with pesticides
on farms and in forests, nurseries and greenhouses, according to
officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
U.S. Department of Labor.
"We depend on farmworkers every day... they deserve fair, equitable
working standards with strong health and safety protections," EPA
Administrator Gina McCarthy said in a statement.
Each year, between 1,800 and 3,000 occupational incidents involving
pesticide exposure are reported from the farms, forests, nurseries
and greenhouses covered by the Worker Protection Standard, the EPA
said. That range is thought to be lower than the actual number of
incidents that occur, the agency said.
The EPA said it is additionally concerned about low level, repeated
exposure to pesticides that may contribute to chronic illness as
well.
Farm workers, including migrant workers, commonly perform tasks by
hand on pesticide-treated crops, such as harvesting, thinning, and
pruning. Additionally workers often mix, load and apply pesticides.
United Farm Workers President Arturo Rodriguez said the changes were
badly needed for a population that is largely low-income and made up
of minorities.
"It's been a long time coming," he said in a press conference.
Among the new rules, children under 18 are prohibited from handling
pesticides; training on pesticide protections is required annually
instead of once every five years; expanded postings of no-entry
signs on fields treated with hazardous pesticides are required; and
improvements in personal protection equipment are being made.
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An exemption continues for farm owners and immediate family members,
EPA said.
U.S. scientists are studying how human health is affected by the use
of herbicides, insecticides and other farm chemicals in growing a
variety of crops. Some consumer and environmental groups have been
calling for greater controls on pesticide use.
The EPA, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National
Institutes of Health, and the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health have been overseeing an "Agricultural Health
Study" of nearly 90,000 people in Iowa and North Carolina tracking
the impact of factors including pesticide use.
(Reporting By Carey Gillam in Kansas City, Mo.; Editing by Andrew
Hay)
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