EPA's 



Worker Protection Standard 

 Respirators and "-Cides." 



Leo Traverse 



This two-part article 



deals with Air Purifying Respirators 



and is written for 



informational purposes only. 



WORKER PROTECTION STANDARD 



EPA's Agricultural Standard requires the use of PPE 

 (Personal Protective Equipment). PPE involves head- 

 to-toe protection. Under this new standard, the 

 employee must supply PPE when specified by the 

 product label on pesticides. EPA is putting the burden 

 of informing you what personal protective equipment is 

 required on the pesticide's manufacturer. You will find 

 the labels to be extremely safeguarding (this also safe- 

 guards the manufacturer's liabilities should a worker 

 become ill). 



This new standard took effect 10/20/92. (For more 

 information about this standard, contact Jim Boland, 

 EPA, at 703-305-7666 or Murray McKay, NH Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, at 603-271-3550.) However, 

 deadlines for compliance with some provisions are not 

 until 1993 and 1994. For example, April 21, 1993, is 

 the compliance deadline for a number of provisions in- 

 volving labeling of pesticides, entry restrictions (such 

 as in greenhouses), and worker notification about pes- 

 ticide applications. 



EPA is mandating eight areas of responsibility for 

 pesticide users. This article deals with only one part 

 (Air Purifying Respirators) of one section of the PPE 

 requirement for worker safety. 



LIABILITIES 



Outside help can be a liability to business owners in 

 more ways than one. Hiring outside help Ommediate 

 family members are exempt) creates "Hazard Commu- 

 nication and Awareness" responsibilities for the owners 

 of all businesses using hazardous materials. Employ- 

 ees could bring legal action against your company if 

 they sustain injuries Ommediate or long-term). If you 

 haven't been a good corporate citizen and not abided 

 by EPA/FIFRA regulations and label warnings, your 

 employees might be able to develop a good case. 

 Proper paperwork and records are a MUST when deal- 



ing wth pesticides. Good records show your diligence 

 and concern. 



Even though these responsibilities are touted as 

 EPA-mandated, a business owner would be very wise 

 to follow the OSHA regulations on respiratory protec- 

 tion. These OSHA regulations demand written plans, 

 training (with records), fit testing (with records), and 

 maintenance and decontamination procedures. They 

 strongly recommend medical surveillance. 



By doing these things, you'll protect your assets 

 against sharp lawyers who know the regulations and, 

 most importantly, protect your employees against any 

 health hazards associated with pesticides. 



RESPIRATORY PROTECTION 



Respiratory protection is an important part of PPE and 

 is now required when using certain labeled pesticides. 

 Proper choice, use, and care of respirators is not as 

 easy as you might think. ANSI (American National 

 Standards Institute) sets careful requirements for respi- 

 ratory protection (ANSI Z88.2-1980). MSHA (Mine 

 Safety and Health Administration) and NIOSH (Na- 

 tional Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) are 

 the certifying agents for respirators worn in dangerous 

 situations. Although respirators listed by the US De- 

 partment of Agriculture continue to be acceptable for 

 protection from specified pesticides, the US Depart- 

 ment of Interior, Bureau of Mines, is the agency now 

 responsible for testing and approving pesticide respira- 

 tors. In other words, you can't go down to your local 

 hardware store and pick out just any respirator. 



RESPIRATOR TVTES 



A). Air Purifying Respirators (APR) 



1). 1/2 Face Air-purifying Respirators (APR) 

 2). Full-face Air-purifying Respirators (APR) 

 3). 1/2 Face Powered Air-purifying Respirators 

 (PAPR) 



February (Sf March 1993 

 15 



