Requirements for Emergency Assistance Under the Worker Protection Standard
Employers at agricultural establishments must provide emergency assistance to a worker or handler on their:
- farm;
- forest;
- nursery; or
- greenhouse
if there is reason to believe that the worker or handler has experienced a pesticide exposure during his or her employment or shows symptoms similar to those associated with acute exposure to pesticides and needs medical treatment. Common ways for handlers and workers to be exposed to pesticides used on the agricultural establishment include:
- application;
- spills;
- splashes;
- drift; or
- contact with pesticide residues.
Make Transportation Available
Employers must promptly make transportation available to take the worker or handler to an operating medical facility capable of providing emergency medical treatment to a person exposed to pesticides.
Employers can "make transportation available" by:
- Taking the employee to the medical facility.
- Calling an emergency vehicle, such as an ambulance.
- Making sure the employee has a ride to the medical facility with someone else.
Provide Information to Medical Personnel
Employers must provide the following information to treating medical personnel promptly:
- The safety data sheet, product name, EPA registration number and active ingredients for any product(s) to which the person may have been exposed.
- Description of the way the pesticide was being used.
- Circumstances of the worker’s or handler’s exposure to the pesticide.