NPSEC News – November 30th, 2018

NPSEC is pleased to announce AFOP as its newest partner for store products. AFOP produces a variety of products on farm worker safety including a new WPS Flip Chart. More information will be available shortly on our website.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2018 President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA).

The PEYA program recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects by K-12 youth, promoting awareness of our nation’s natural resources and encouraging positive community involvement. The PEYA program celebrates student leadership in service projects to protect the environment and keep our global community healthy. Winners of this year’s awards will be invited to a ceremony in Washington, D.C. in mid-2019, and have their project mentioned on EPA’s website.

Read more here. 

An online search for “GMO” returns more than 88 million results — a tangled mess of frightening images, dense data, skepticism, insulting comments and conflicting claims and counterclaims. For the average consumer, separating reputable sources from propaganda is tough, if not impossible.

What is a genetically modified organism, or GMO?

Even the answer to the question can be controversial.

At its most basic, genetic modification is the process by which changes occur in an organism’s genome. Nature is perpetually modifying the genetics of every organism in an effort to help the organism adapt to its changing environment.

“It’s important to understand that all organisms — not just those that are the basis of foods — are genetically modified in some way, shape or form,” says Brad Day, a professor and associate department chair for research in Michigan State University’s Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. “They are genetically modified by persisting in the environment. Radiation from the sun can induce changes in the genome, for example…”

Read the full article from MSU here

This article is by Ben Phillips and Craig Anderson, Michigan State University. 

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a regulation designed to protect farm workers from dangerous exposure to pesticides. A recent update in 2015 has aligned the WPS with most of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provisions for using respirators. The revised WPS includes specific requirements for the use of respirators when using pesticide products under the Agricultural Use Requirements that requires the use of a respirator.

This revision requires all those who mix, load and apply pesticides (including self-employed pesticide handlers) to have a medical evaluation, and annual fit-tests for each type of respirator required by the pesticide product label and annual training regarding the proper use of each respirator to be used by the handler. The medical evaluation must occur before the employee is fit tested or required to use the respirator in the workplace.

Read more here

The NPSEC Store is a good place to find EPA-approved materials with expanded 2015 WPS content. This is where you can order NPSEC, PERC, WPS, and state-specific products. For PERC products, PSEPs get a 5% discount if they purchase the products using the code we mailed you at checkout. We track all PERC sales by state and send 5% of all net sales in a particular state or territory back to the PSEP as a gift. 

National Worker Protection Standard: A Manual for Trainers

Available in English and Spanish!

These EPA-approved manuals (English: EPA 730-B-16-001; Spanish: EPA 730-K-17-001)) begin with an introduction to pesticides and pesticide safety, including the federal pesticide regulations. They discusses each of the specific points that must be included in WPS training sessions and contains valuable information to help trainers prepare for and conduct pesticide safety training.

Purchase Here

WPS Respiratory Protection Guide: Requirements for Employers of Pesticide Handlers

Under the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) as revised in 2015, there are new requirements for pesticide handlers when pesticide labels require the use of a respirator. This 45-page guide includes step-by-step fit-testing procedures, respirator selection guidance, medical evaluation options, and some frequently asked questions. 

Purchase Here

Updated WPS Poster(s) for “Central Posting” areas and certain decontamination sites
This poster(s) complies with the requirements in the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) for agricultural pesticides.

Posters come in Large (22×34.5in) and Small (11×17) with a English/Spanish front, and the option of English or Spanish back. All Posters have a gloss laminate finish for durability.

Purchase Here

WPS Training Videos

These WPS training videos for agricultural workers and pesticide handlers apply to many sectors because they include footage and examples from orchards, forestry, nurseries, greenhouses, vineyards, and row crops.

Available in English and Spanish!

Purchase Here

Can be purchased individually or in bundles of 2 and 10!

This handbook is formatted as a small booklet, half the size of a sheet of paper. We hope you’ll find it as useful as a handout when training and/or inspecting agricultural work under the WPS.

Purchase Here 

Online training course!

This web-based course is EPA-approved, including 12 self-paced learning modules. The course provides the required information for trainers who will perform annual training for agricultural workers and pesticide handlers under the U.S. EPA Worker Protection Standard (WPS). It will guide you through the necessary procedures to provide effective training about pesticide safety topics.

Purchase Here