EPA Releases Guidance on Pesticide Safety Training Requirements During COVID-19

EPA is aware that public health restrictions in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency may make it difficult to provide WPS training, obtain the services of qualified trainers, or hire agricultural workers and pesticide handlers who have been trained in the last 12 months.

EPA has released guidance regarding the annual pesticide safety training requirements outlined in the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) that offers flexibility during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

This guidance is intended to inform agricultural employers, handler employers and trainers of some of the flexibilities the WPS permits that may facilitate WPS pesticide safety training during the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

EPA continues to encourage in-person pesticide safety training if workplace protections to maintain a healthy work environment are able to be implemented.  However, the WPS also permits remote WPS training of agricultural workers and pesticide handlers as long as all WPS pesticide safety training requirements are met. Regardless of whether the training is in-person or remote, conducted by employers or a third party, the agricultural employer and handler employer remain responsible for ensuring that the WPS pesticide safety training requirements are met. 

The complete guidelines are available here from the U.S. EPA.