(a) General requirement. Before any worker performs any task in a treated area on an agricultural establishment where within the last 30 days a pesticide product has been used or a restricted-entry interval for such pesticide has been in effect, the agricultural employer must ensure that each worker has been trained in accordance with this section within the last 12 months, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) Exceptions. The following workers need not be trained under this section:

(1) A worker who is currently certified as an applicator of restricted use pesticides under part 171 of this chapter.

(2) A worker who has satisfied the handler training requirements in § 170.501.

(3) A worker who is certified or licensed as a crop advisor by a program acknowledged as appropriate in writing by EPA or the State or Tribal agency responsible for pesticide enforcement, provided that such certification or licensing requires pesticide safety training that includes all the topics in § 170.501(c)(2) or § 170.501(c)(3) as applicable depending on the date of training.

(c) Training programs. (1) Pesticide safety training must be presented to workers either orally from written materials or audio-visually, at a location that is reasonably free from distraction and conducive to training. All training materials must be EPA-approved. The training must be presented in a manner that the workers can understand, such as through a translator. The training must be conducted by a person who meets the worker trainer requirements of paragraph (c)(4) of this section, and who must be present during the entire training program and must respond to workers' questions.

(2) The training must include, at a minimum, all of the following topics:

(i) Where and in what form pesticides may be encountered during work activities.

(ii) Hazards of pesticides resulting from toxicity and exposure, including acute and chronic effects, delayed effects, and sensitization.

(iii) Routes through which pesticides can enter the body.

(iv) Signs and symptoms of common types of pesticide poisoning.

(v) Emergency first aid for pesticide injuries or poisonings.

(vi) How to obtain emergency medical care.

(vii) Routine and emergency decontamination procedures, including emergency eye flushing techniques.

(viii) Hazards from chemigation and drift.

(ix) Hazards from pesticide residues on clothing.

(x) Warnings about taking pesticides or pesticide containers home.

(xi) Requirements of this subpart designed to reduce the risks of illness or injury resulting from workers' occupational exposure to pesticides, including application and entry restrictions, the design of the warning sign, posting of warning signs, oral warnings, the availability of specific information about applications, and the protection against retaliatory acts.

(3) EPA intends to make available to the public training materials that may be used to conduct training conforming to the requirements of this section. Within 180 days after a notice of availability of such training materials appears in the Federal Register, but no earlier than January 1, 2018, training programs required under this section must include, at a minimum, all of the topics listed in § 170.401(c)(3)(i)-(xxiii) instead of the topics listed in § 170.401(c)(2)(i)-(xi).

(i) The responsibility of agricultural employers to provide workers and handlers with information and protections designed to reduce work-related pesticide exposures and illnesses. This includes ensuring workers and handlers have been trained on pesticide safety, providing pesticide safety and application and hazard information, decontamination supplies and emergency medical assistance, and notifying workers of restrictions during applications and on entering pesticide treated areas. A worker or handler may designate in writing a representative to request access to pesticide application and hazard information.

(ii) How to recognize and understand the meaning of the posted warning signs used for notifying workers of restrictions on entering pesticide treated areas on the establishment.

(iii) How to follow directions and/or signs about keeping out of pesticide treated areas subject to a restricted-entry interval and application exclusion zones.

(iv) Where and in what forms pesticides may be encountered during work activities, and potential sources of pesticide exposure on the agricultural establishment. This includes exposure to pesticide residues that may be on or in plants, soil, tractors, application and chemigation equipment, or used personal protective equipment, and that pesticides may drift through the air from nearby applications or be in irrigation water.

(v) Potential hazards from toxicity and exposure that pesticides present to workers and their families, including acute and chronic effects, delayed effects, and sensitization.

(vi) Routes through which pesticides can enter the body.

(vii) Signs and symptoms of common types of pesticide poisoning.

(viii) Emergency first aid for pesticide injuries or poisonings.

(ix) Routine and emergency decontamination procedures, including emergency eye flushing techniques, and if pesticides are spilled or sprayed on the body to use decontamination supplies to wash immediately or rinse off in the nearest clean water, including springs, streams, lakes or other sources if more readily available than decontamination supplies, and as soon as possible, wash or shower with soap and water, shampoo hair, and change into clean clothes.

(x) How and when to obtain emergency medical care.

(xi) When working in pesticide treated areas, wear work clothing that protects the body from pesticide residues and wash hands before eating, drinking, using chewing gum or tobacco, or using the toilet.

(xii) Wash or shower with soap and water, shampoo hair, and change into clean clothes as soon as possible after working in pesticide treated areas.

(xiii) Potential hazards from pesticide residues on clothing.

(xiv) Wash work clothes before wearing them again and wash them separately from other clothes.

(xv) Do not take pesticides or pesticide containers used at work to your home.

(xvi) Safety data sheets provide hazard, emergency medical treatment and other information about the pesticides used on the establishment they may come in contact with. The responsibility of agricultural employers to do all of the following:

(A) Display safety data sheets for all pesticides used on the establishment.

(B) Provide workers and handlers information about the location of the safety data sheets on the establishment.

(C) Provide workers and handlers unimpeded access to safety data sheets during normal work hours.

(xvii) The rule prohibits agricultural employers from allowing or directing any worker to mix, load or apply pesticides or assist in the application of pesticides unless the worker has been trained as a handler.

(xviii) The responsibility of agricultural employers to provide specific information to workers before directing them to perform early-entry activities. Workers must be 18 years old to perform early-entry activities.

(xix) Potential hazards to children and pregnant women from pesticide exposure.

(xx) Keep children and nonworking family members away from pesticide treated areas.

(xxi) After working in pesticide treated areas, remove work boots or shoes before entering your home, and remove work clothes and wash or shower before physical contact with children or family members.

(xxii) How to report suspected pesticide use violations to the State or Tribal agency responsible for pesticide enforcement.

(xxiii) The rule prohibits agricultural employers from intimidating, threatening, coercing, or discriminating against any worker or handler for complying with or attempting to comply with the requirements of this rule, or because the worker or handler provided, caused to be provided or is about to provide information to the employer or the EPA or its agents regarding conduct that the employee reasonably believes violates this part, and/or made a complaint, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing concerning compliance with this rule.

(4) The person who conducts the training must meet one of the following criteria:

(i) Be designated as a trainer of certified applicators, handlers or workers by EPA or the State or Tribal agency responsible for pesticide enforcement.

(ii) Have completed an EPA-approved pesticide safety train-the-trainer program for trainers of workers.

(iii) Be currently certified as an applicator of restricted use pesticides under part 171 of this chapter.

(d) Recordkeeping. (1) For each worker required to be trained under paragraph (a), the agricultural employer must maintain on the agricultural establishment, for two years from the date of the training, a record documenting each worker's training including all of the following:

(i) The trained worker's printed name and signature.

(ii) The date of the training.

(iii) Information identifying which EPA-approved training materials were used.

(iv) The trainer's name and documentation showing that the trainer met the requirements of § 170.401(c)(4) at the time of training.

(v) The agricultural employer's name.

(2) An agricultural employer who provides, directly or indirectly, training required under paragraph (a) must provide to the worker upon request a copy of the record of the training that contains the information required under § 170.401(d)(1).

Before any worker performs any activity in a treated area on an agricultural establishment where within the last 30 days a pesticide product has been used, or a restricted-entry interval for such pesticide has been in effect, the agricultural employer must ensure that the worker has been informed of, in a manner the worker can understand, all of the following establishment-specific information:

(a) The location of pesticide safety information required by § 170.311(a).

(b) The location of pesticide application and hazard information required by § 170.311(b).

(c) The location of decontamination supplies required by § 170.411.

(a) Outdoor production pesticide applications. (1) The application exclusion zone is defined as follows:

(i) The application exclusion zone is the area that extends 100 feet horizontally from the point(s) of pesticide discharge from the application equipment in all directions during application when the pesticide is applied by any of the following methods:

(A) Aerially.

(B) Air blast or air-propelled applications.

(C) As a fumigant, smoke, mist, or fog.

(ii) The application exclusion zone is the area that extends 25 feet horizontally from the point(s) of pesticide discharge from the application equipment in all directions during application when the pesticide is sprayed from a height of greater than 12 inches from the soil surface or planting medium and not as in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section.

(iii) There is no application exclusion zone when the pesticide is applied in a manner other than those covered in paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section.

(2) During any outdoor production pesticide application, the agricultural employer must not allow or direct any worker or other person to enter or to remain in the treated area or an application exclusion zone that is within the boundaries of the establishment until the application is complete, except for:

(i) Appropriately trained and equipped handlers involved in the application, and

(ii) Persons not employed by the establishment in an area subject to an easement that prevents the agricultural employer from temporarily excluding those persons from that area.

(iii) Owners of the agricultural establishment and their immediate family members who remain inside closed buildings, housing, or shelters on the establishment under the conditions specified in § 170.601(a)(1)(vi).

(3) After the application is complete, the area subject to the labeling-specified restricted-entry interval and the post-application entry restrictions specified in § 170.407 is the treated area.

(b) Enclosed space production pesticide applications. (1) During any enclosed space production pesticide application described in column A of the Table under paragraph (b)(4) of this section, the agricultural employer must not allow or direct any worker or other person, other than an appropriately trained and equipped handler involved in the application, to enter or to remain in the area specified in column B of the Table under paragraph (b)(4) of this section during the application and until the time specified in column C of the Table under paragraph (b)(4) of this section has expired.

(2) After the time specified in column C of the Table under paragraph (b)(4) of this section has expired, the area subject to the labeling-specified restricted-entry interval and the post-application entry restrictions specified in § 170.407 is the area specified in column D of the Table under paragraph (b)(4) of this section.

(3) When column C of the Table under paragraph (b)(4) of this section specifies that ventilation criteria must be met, ventilation must continue until the air concentration is measured to be equal to or less than the inhalation exposure level required by the labeling. If no inhalation exposure level is listed on the labeling, ventilation must continue until after one of the following conditions is met:

(i) Ten air exchanges are completed.

(ii) Two hours of ventilation using fans or other mechanical ventilating systems.

(iii) Four hours of ventilation using vents, windows, or other passive ventilation.

(iv) Eleven hours with no ventilation followed by one hour of mechanical ventilation.

(v) Eleven hours with no ventilation followed by two hours of passive ventilation.

(vi) Twenty-four hours with no ventilation.

(4) The following Table applies to paragraphs (b)(1), (2), and (3) of this section.

(a) After the application of any pesticide to an area of outdoor production, the agricultural employer must not allow or direct any worker to enter or to remain in the treated area before the restricted-entry interval specified on the pesticide product labeling has expired and all treated area warning signs have been removed or covered, except for early-entry activities permitted by § 170.603.

(b) After the application of any pesticide to an area of enclosed space production, the agricultural employer must not allow or direct any worker to enter or to remain in the areas specified in column D of the Table in § 170.405(b)(4), before the restricted-entry interval specified on the pesticide product labeling has expired and all treated area warning signs have been removed or covered, except for early-entry activities permitted by § 170.603.

(c) When two or more pesticides are applied to a treated area at the same time, the applicable restricted-entry interval is the longest of all applicable restricted-entry intervals.

(a) General Requirement. The agricultural employer must notify workers of all entry restrictions required by §§ 170.405 and 170.407 in accordance with this section.

(1) Type of notification required—(i) Double notification. If the pesticide product labeling has a statement requiring both the posting of treated areas and oral notification to workers, the agricultural employer must post signs in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section and must also provide oral notification of the application to workers in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section.

(ii) Outdoor production areas subject to restricted-entry intervals greater than 48 hours. If a pesticide with product labeling that requires a restricted-entry interval greater than 48 hours is applied to an outdoor production area, the agricultural employer must notify workers of the application by posting warning signs in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section.

(iii) Outdoor production areas subject to restricted-entry intervals equal to or less than 48 hours. If a pesticide with product labeling that requires a restricted-entry interval equal to or less than 48 hours is applied to an outdoor production area, the agricultural employer must notify workers of the application either by posting warning signs in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section or by providing workers with an oral warning in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section.

(iv) Enclosed space production areas subject to restricted-entry intervals greater than four hours. If a pesticide with product labeling that requires a restricted-entry interval greater than four hours is applied to an enclosed space production area, the agricultural employer must notify workers of the application by posting warning signs in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section.

(v) Enclosed space production areas subject to restricted-entry intervals equal to or less than four hours. If a pesticide with product labeling that requires a restricted-entry interval equal to or less than four hours is applied to an enclosed space production area, the agricultural employer must notify workers of the application either by posting warning signs in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section or by providing workers with an oral warning in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section.

(2) Exceptions. Notification does not need to be given to a worker if the agricultural employer can ensure that one of the following is met:

(i) From the start of the application in an enclosed space production area until the end of any restricted-entry interval, the worker will not enter any part of the entire enclosed structure or space.

(ii) From the start of the application to an outdoor production area until the end of any restricted-entry interval, the worker will not enter, work in, remain in, or pass on foot through the treated area or any area within 1/4 mile of the treated area on the agricultural establishment.

(iii) The worker was involved in the application of the pesticide as a handler, and is aware of all information required by paragraph (c)(1) of this section.

(b) Requirements for posted warning signs. If notification by posted warning signs is required pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, the agricultural employer must, unless otherwise prescribed by the label, ensure that all warning signs meet the requirements of this paragraph. When several contiguous areas are to be treated with pesticides on a rotating or sequential basis, the entire area may be posted. Worker entry is prohibited for the entire area while the signs are posted, except for entry permitted by § 170.603 of this part.

(1) General. The warning signs must meet all of the following requirements:

(i) Be one of the three sizes specified in paragraph (b)(3) of this section and comply with the posting placement and spacing requirements applicable to that sign size.

(ii) Be posted prior to but no earlier than 24 hours before the scheduled application of the pesticide.

(iii) Remain posted throughout the application and any restricted-entry interval.

(iv) Be removed or covered within three days after the end of the application or any restricted-entry interval, whichever is later, except that signs may remain posted after the restricted-entry interval has expired as long as all of the following conditions are met:

(A) The agricultural employer instructs any workers on the establishment that may come within 1/4 mile of the treated area not to enter that treated area while the signs are posted.

(B) The agricultural employer ensures that workers do not enter the treated area while the signs remain posted, other than entry permitted by § 170.603 of this part.

(v) Remain visible and legible during the time they are required to be posted.

(2) Content. (i) The warning sign must have a white background. The words “DANGER” and “PELIGRO,” plus “PESTICIDES” and “PESTICIDAS,” must be at the top of the sign, and the words “KEEP OUT” and “NO ENTRE” must be at the bottom of the sign. Letters for all words must be clearly legible. A circle containing an upraised hand on the left and a stern face on the right must be near the center of the sign. The inside of the circle must be red, except that the hand and a large portion of the face must be in white. The length of the hand must be at least twice the height of the smallest letters. The length of the face must be only slightly smaller than the hand. Additional information such as the name of the pesticide and the date of application may appear on the warning sign if it does not detract from the size and appearance of the sign or change the meaning of the required information. An example of a warning sign meeting these requirements, other than the size and color requirements, follows:

(ii) The agricultural employer may replace the Spanish language portion of the warning sign with equivalent terms in an alternative non-English language if that alternative language is the language read by the largest group of workers at that agricultural establishment who do not read English. The alternative language sign must be in the same format as the original sign and conform to all other requirements of paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this section.

(3) Size and posting. (i) The standard sign must be at least 14 inches by 16 inches with letters at least one inch in height.

(ii) When posting an outdoor production area using the standard sign, the signs must be visible from all reasonably expected points of worker entry to the treated area, including at least each access road, each border with any worker housing area within 100 feet of the treated area and each footpath and other walking route that enters the treated area. Where there are no reasonably expected points of worker entry, signs must be posted in the corners of the treated area or in any other location affording maximum visibility.

(iii) When posting an enclosed space production area using the standard sign and the entire structure or space is subject to the labeling-specified restricted-entry interval and the post-application entry restrictions specified in § 170.407, the signs must be posted so they are visible from all reasonably expected points of worker entry to the structure or space. When posting treated areas in enclosed space production using the standard sign and the treated area only comprises a subsection of the structure or space, the signs must be posted so they are visible from all reasonably expected points of worker entry to the treated area including each aisle or other walking route that enters the treated area. Where there are no reasonably expected points of worker entry to the treated area, signs must be posted in the corners of the treated area or in any other location affording maximum visibility.

(iv) If a smaller warning sign is used with “DANGER” and “PELIGRO” in letters at least 7/8 inch in height and the remaining letters at least 1/2 inch in height and a red circle at least three inches in diameter containing an upraised hand and a stern face, the signs must be posted no farther than 50 feet apart around the perimeter of the treated area in addition to the locations specified in paragraphs (b)(3)(ii) or (b)(3)(iii) of this section.

(v) If a smaller sign is used with “DANGER” and “PELIGRO” in letters at least 7/16 inch in height and the remaining letters at least 1/4 inch in height and a red circle at least one and a half inches in diameter containing an upraised hand and a stern face, the signs must be posted no farther than 25 feet apart around the perimeter of the treated area in addition to the locations specified in paragraphs (b)(3)(ii) or (b)(3)(iii) of this section.

(vi) A sign with “DANGER” and “PELIGRO” in letters less than 7/16 inch in height or with any words in letters less than 1/4 inch in height or a red circle smaller than one and a half inches in diameter containing an upraised hand and a stern face will not satisfy the requirements of the rule.

(c) Oral warnings—Requirement. If oral notification is required pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, the agricultural employer must provide oral warnings to workers in a manner that the workers can understand. If a worker will be on the establishment when an application begins, the warning must be given before the application begins. If a worker arrives on the establishment while an application is taking place or a restricted-entry interval for a pesticide application is in effect, the warning must be given at the beginning of the worker's work period. The warning must include all of the following:

(1) The location(s) and description of any treated area(s) subject to the entry restrictions during and after application specified in §§ 170.405 and 170.407.

(2) The dates and times during which entry is restricted in any treated area(s) subject to the entry restrictions during and after application specified in §§ 170.405 and 170.407.

(3) Instructions not to enter the treated area or an application exclusion zone during application, and that entry to the treated area is not allowed until the restricted-entry interval has expired and all treated area warning signs have been removed or covered, except for entry permitted by § 170.603 of this part.

(a) Requirement. The agricultural employer must provide decontamination supplies for routine washing and emergency decontamination in accordance with this section for any worker on an agricultural establishment who is performing an activity in an area where a pesticide was applied and who contacts anything that has been treated with the pesticide, including, but not limited to, soil, water, and plants.

(b) Materials and quantities. The decontamination supplies required in paragraph (a) of this section must include at least 1 gallon of water per worker at the beginning of each worker's work period for routine washing and emergency decontamination, soap, and single-use towels. The supplies must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Water. At all times when this part requires agricultural employers to make water available to workers, the agricultural employer must ensure that it is of a quality and temperature that will not cause illness or injury when it contacts the skin or eyes or if it is swallowed. If a water source is used for mixing pesticides, it must not be used for decontamination, unless equipped with properly functioning valves or other mechanisms that prevent contamination of the water with pesticides, such as anti-backflow siphons, one-way or check valves, or an air gap sufficient to prevent contamination.

(2) Soap and single-use towels. The agricultural employer must provide soap and single-use towels for drying in quantities sufficient to meet the workers' reasonable needs. Hand sanitizing gels and liquids or wet towelettes do not meet the requirement for soap. Wet towelettes do not meet the requirement for single-use towels.

(c) Timing. (1) If any pesticide with a restricted-entry interval greater than four hours was applied, the decontamination supplies must be provided from the time workers first enter the treated area until at least 30 days after the restricted-entry interval expires.

(2) If the only pesticides applied in the treated area are products with restricted-entry intervals of four hours or less, the decontamination supplies must be provided from the time workers first enter the treated area until at least seven days after the restricted-entry interval expires.

(d) Location. The decontamination supplies must be located together outside any treated area or area subject to a restricted-entry interval, and must be reasonably accessible to the workers. The decontamination supplies must not be more than 1/4 mile from where workers are working, except that where workers are working more than 1/4 mile from the nearest place of vehicular access or more than 1/4 mile from any non-treated area, the decontamination supplies may be at the nearest place of vehicular access outside any treated area or area subject to a restricted-entry interval.