Exposure Information for Florida Agricultural Workers
On May 14, the Governor of Florida signed legislation to toughen oversight of farm labor contractors as well as provide field workers with information on exposure to pesticides. The provisions of the new law, passed unanimously on April 30, take effect on July 1, 2004. The measure recreates the Florida Agricultural Worker Safety Act, which was passed in 1994, and sunset in 1998.
In addition to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ charge to operate under the Worker Protection Standard promulgated by the EPA, the Department must also produce and make available to trainers a general agricultural pesticide safety sheet that is in a language understandable to the worker and that includes illustrated instructions on preventing exposure. Agricultural employers will also be required to provide, within two working days of a request, specific written information (fact sheet or MSDS) about pesticides to workers who may have been exposed or who enter a field where a pesticide has been applied within 30 days. The information, which is to be in the form of a fact sheet, must be provided “promptly” to a worker, a worker’s representative, or medical personnel in the event of a pesticide-related emergency. (Chemical Regulation Reporter, 5/24/04).
