Penn State Worker Protection Standard Program Brochure

The mission of the Penn State Worker Protection Standard Program is to promote a better understanding of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides and to assist agricultural employers and employees in compliance assistance.

Worker Protection Standard Compliance

You must comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Worker Protection Standard if:

  • You own, operate, or are employed by any agricultural business that uses pesticides
  • You hire or provide employees for any agricultural business that uses pesticides
  • You or anyone who you employ is a certified/licensed crop advisor

The Penn State Worker Protection Standard Program Offers:

  • Group presentations on Worker Protection Standard compliance for growers
  • On-site assessments of Worker Protection Standard compliance prior to or after a regulatory inspection (dependent on advanced scheduling and time availability)
  • Assistance in the training of agricultural handlers and workers using language-appropriate resources
  • Educational programs on the Worker Protection Standard for migrant labor

Family Exemptions to the Worker Protection Standard

Even if you are a family-run operation with no outside hired help, you are still responsible to follow certain worker protection standards. These standards for the family include:

  • Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Preventing pesticide contact (directly or through drift) during application
  • Ensuring that you or anyone else not correctly trained and equipped is kept out of areas being treated with pesticides
  • Maintaining Restricted Early Intervals (R.E.I.)
  • Maintaining no-contact early entry
  • Maintaining short-term agricultural emergency or specially excepted early entry with proper PPE

Only immediate family members qualify for the family exemption under the Worker Protection Standard. This includes spouses, children, stepchildren, foster children, parents, stepparents, foster parents, siblings, first cousins, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunts, grandparents, grandchildren and in-laws.

Contact Information:

Joni Davis
Worker Protection Standard Specialist
106 Ford Building
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
(814) 863-8656
WPSprogram@psu.edu     Facebook