Wash. Admin. Code § 296-307-10825 - Agricultural employer duties-40 C.F.R., Sec. 170.309

Agricultural employers must:

(1) Ensure that any pesticide is used in a manner consistent with the pesticide product labeling, including the requirements of this part, when applied on the agricultural establishment.

(2) Ensure that each worker and handler subject to this part receives the protections required by this part.

(3) Ensure that any handler and any early entry worker is at least 18 years old.

(4) Provide to each person, including labor contractors, who supervises any workers or handlers, information and directions sufficient to ensure that each worker and handler receives the protections required by this part. Such information and directions must specify the tasks for which the supervisor is responsible in order to comply with the provisions of this part.

(5) Require each person, including labor contractors, who supervises any workers or handlers, to provide sufficient information and directions to each worker and handler to ensure that they can comply with the provisions of this part.

(6) Provide emergency assistance in accordance with this subsection. If there is reason to believe that a worker or handler has experienced a potential pesticide exposure during his or her employment on the agricultural establishment or shows symptoms similar to those associated with acute exposure to pesticides during or within 72 hours after his or her employment on the agricultural establishment, and needs emergency medical treatment, the agricultural employer must do all of the following promptly after learning of the possible poisoning or injury:

(a) Make available to that person prompt transportation from the agricultural establishment, including any worker housing area on the establishment, to an operating medical care facility capable of providing emergency medical treatment to a person exposed to pesticides.

(b) Provide all of the following information to the treating medical personnel, and upon request to the worker or handler:

(i) Copies of the applicable safety data sheet(s)(SDS) and the product name(s), EPA registration number(s) and active ingredient(s) for each pesticide product to which the person may have been exposed.

(ii) The circumstances of application or use of the pesticide on the agricultural establishment.

(iii) The circumstances that could have resulted in exposure to the pesticide.

(iv) Antidote, first aid and other medical information from the product labeling.

(7) Ensure that workers or other persons employed or supervised by the agricultural establishment do not clean, repair, or adjust pesticide application equipment, unless trained as a handler under WAC 296-307-11205. Before allowing any person not directly employed or supervised by the agricultural establishment to clean, repair, or adjust equipment that has been used to mix, load, transfer, or apply pesticides, the agricultural employer must assure that pesticide residues have been removed from the equipment if feasible and must provide all of the following information to such person:

(a) Pesticide application equipment may be contaminated with pesticides.

(b) The potentially harmful effects of exposure to pesticides.

(c) Procedures for handling pesticide application equipment and for limiting exposure to pesticide residues.

(d) Personal hygiene practices and decontamination procedures for preventing pesticide exposures and removing pesticide residues.

(8) Display, maintain, and provide access to pesticide safety information and pesticide application and hazard information that is legible and in accordance with WAC 296-307-10830. If workers or handlers are on the establishment and within the last 30 days a pesticide product has been used or a restricted-entry interval for such pesticide has been in effect on the establishment.

(9) Ensure that before a handler uses any equipment for mixing, loading, transferring, or applying pesticides, the handler is instructed in the safe operation of such equipment.

(10) Ensure that before each day of use, equipment used for mixing, loading, transferring, or applying pesticides is inspected for leaks, clogging, and worn or damaged parts, and any damaged equipment is repaired or replaced.

(11) The agricultural employer must notify a commercial pesticide handler employer (CPHER) of any specific locations and descriptions of those treated areas and any restrictions on entering the treated areas with restricted-entry intervals (REIs) in effect whenever:

(a) A handler employed by a CPHER will be on the agricultural establishment; and

(b) The CPHER handler may be in or walk within a quarter mile of any pesticide treated area with restricted-entry interval (REI) in effect.

(12) Ensure that workers do not enter any area on the agricultural establishment where a pesticide has been applied until the applicable pesticide application and hazard information for each pesticide product applied to that area is displayed in accordance with WAC 296-307-10830(2) and until after the restricted-entry interval has expired and all treated area warning signs have been removed or covered, except for entry permitted by WAC 296-307-11410.

(13) Provide any records or other information required by this section for inspection and copying upon request by an employee of EPA, or any duly authorized representatives of the Washington state department of agriculture or department of labor and industries.

(14) Pesticide safety, application, and hazard information must remain legible at all times when the information is required to be displayed. This information must be in accordance with WAC 296-307-10830.

Notes

Wash. Admin. Code § 296-307-10825

Adopted by WSR 19-21-169, Filed 10/22/2019, effective 2/3/2020 Amended by WSR 21-04-128, Filed 2/2/2021, effective 3/8/2021 Amended by WSR 22-17-124, Filed 8/23/2022, effective 9/26/2022