Does your farm operation employ seasonal, part time or full time workers?
Does your farm operation use pesticides? (Even organic or non-restricted use products count here.)
If you answered yes to the questions above, you need to know about Worker Protection Standards. Worker Protection Standards is a federal requirement to inform, protect and assist workers on farms, forests, greenhouses and nurseries where pesticides are in use.
Get familiar with the requirements here: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/agricultural-worker-protection-standard-wps.
You may be aware that the Worker Protection Standards rules and materials were updated a few years ago. If you have been wondering if you have current materials and current procedures to comply with the changes you are not alone.
Take a look at publications to explain the updates and how they may apply to you here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_wps.
Find current training materials from the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative here: http://www.pesticideresources.org/.
Need to get up to speed on the changes or put a new hire through Train the Trainer Certification class?
New online training available
See the new online version of WPS Train the Trainer Certification Training here:
https://ifas-farmlabor.catalog.instructure.com/courses/wps-ttt.
Live training
This program is also offered around the state via classroom training at Extension offices. Find your local Extension office at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/find-your-local-office/ or contact Ricardo Davalos, Florida FDACS WPS coordinator at (850) 528-5402 or wps@freshfromflorida.com or Ricardo.Davalos@freshfromflorida.com.
The Southwest UF/IFAS Extension District cooperates to offer this training on a rotation through Polk, Hillsborough and Manatee County. The program is also held at the UF/IFAS Extension Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm.
Check for upcoming WPS programs below:
- Polk County
- Hillsborough County
- Manatee County and UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research Education Center (Balm)
0
