How to Comply with the 2015 Revised Worker Protection Standard For Agricultural Pesticides What Owners and Employers Need To Know

Regulatory Guidance

For Agricultural Employers

For Commercial Pesticide Handler Employers

For Trainers of Handlers

For Trainers of Workers

EPA in conjunction with the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC) is making available a guide to help users of agricultural pesticides comply with the requirements of the 2015 revised federal Worker Protection Standard. You should read this manual if you employ agricultural workers or handlers, are involved in the production of agricultural plants as an owner/manager of an agricultural establishment or a commercial (for-hire) pesticide handling establishment, or work as a crop advisor.

This “How to Comply” manual includes:

Details to help you determine if the WPS requirements apply to you.
Information on how to comply with the WPS requirements, including exemptions, exceptions, restrictions, options, and examples.
“Quick Reference Guide”- a list of the basic requirements (excluding exemptions, exceptions, etc.).
New or revised definitions that may affect your WPS responsibilities.
Explanations to help you better understand the WPS requirements and how they may apply to you.

This updated 2016 WPS How to Comply Manual supersedes the 2005 version. Changes to the standard have made the 2005 version obsolete.

How to Comply with the Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides (146 pp, 3 MB)

Purchase printed copies of the booklet from NPSEC.

The following documents are the individual chapters and appendixes of the manual.

Preamble (16 pp, 881 K)
Introduction to the Worker Protection Standard (8 pp, 176 K)
Chapter 1: Determining your WPS Responsibilities (15 pp, 391 K)
Chapter 2: Requirements for Agricultural Employers (16 pp, 307 K)
Chapter 3: Additional Worker Employer Requirements (35 pp, 426 K)
Chapter 4: Additional Handler Employer Requirements (20 pp, 452 K)
Chapter 5: Requirements for Commercial Pesticide Handler Employers (10 pp, 288 K)
Chapter 6: Exemptions and Exceptions (10 pp, 251 K)
Chapter 7: Compliance with the Worker Protection Standard (6 pp, 198 K)
Appendix A: Worker Protection Standard Definitions (4 pp, 78 K)
Appendix B: Worker Protection Standard Criteria (10 pp, 83 K)
Appendix C: Worker Protection Standard Checklists (8 pp, 78 K)
Appendix D: Contacts and Additional Resources (6 pp, 227 K)

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