Farm workers and pesticide handlers must receive basic pesticide safety training from a qualified trainer* before they begin work and every 12 months. That training includes information about pesticide residues, the potential health effects of pesticide exposure, and how to avoid bringing pesticide residues home.

*What makes a WPS trainer “qualified?” They must meet one of these criteria:

• Complete an EPA-approved Train-the- Trainer (TTT) course
• Hold a current pesticide applicator license
• Be designated as a trainer by the lead agency for regulating pesticides in the state, tribe, or territory

Curriculum for In-Person Delivery of a Train-the-Trainer Course

These are Power-Point Presentations with approximately 166 slides and 12 sections, available in both English and Spanish. When delivered in their entirety, they are each an EPA-approved Train-the-Trainer course (Approval # EPA WPS TTT W/H 00026) that qualifies a person to train workers and handlers. The English presentation was updated to correct some formatting issues in AEZ-related slides on February 17, 2017.

Download the Whole English Presentation (.pptx — 52.9 MB)

Download the Whole Spanish Presentation (.pptx — 53 MB)

In addition to the activities included in the TTT manual, you may also download the Optional Activities PDF to reinforce key concepts. This document contains:

• Activities for Rules and Regulations
• Activites for Encountering Pesticides
• Activities for Health Effects
• Activities for Reducing Pesticide Exposure
• Activities for Pesticide Labels
• Activities for PPE
• Handout PPE Inspection Checklist

Students who complete this course should keep a record of the date they were trained and the EPA-approval number for this presentation (Approval # EPA WPS TTT W/H 00026). According to the national WPS, they don’t need to refresh/re-train. States may have additional requirements.

Students who complete this course must use EPA-approved training materials to train workers and handlers. Browse available training materials here.

Question: If someone delivers the approved TTT powerpoint, did he or she also complete the course?

EPA’s Answer: Yes. A person who delivers an approved TTT course as an instructor will also be considered to have completed the TTT course and could be issued a certificate of completion the same as those who participated as students.

Question: If someone reads all of the information in the slides and notes, did he or she complete the course?

EPA’s Answer: No. A person will only be considered to have completed an EPA-approved TTT course if they participate in the TTT course as designed and approved by EPA with the accompanying instruction and verification of completion. Merely reading through TTT course materials would not constitute completion of the course.