After one recent presentation, a grower related his first job experience in gypsy moth mitigation: spraying trees overhead with no personal protective equipment (PPE), drenching himself, vehicles, yards, roadways, storm drains, etc. - marveling that he somehow had escaped apparent adverse effects. New York pesticide compliance inspectors now pay close attention to PPE. We now hold mock inspections to help greenhouse and other pesticide applicators comply with the federal Worker Protection Standard (WPS), especially in matters of worker exposure and record-keeping. It helps to remind everyone of the importance of safety - from growers who do the work themselves, to employees who appreciate their safety is being taken seriously or may forget to take appropriate cautions themselves. Much thought has been put into these issues for the benefit of applicators and co-workers who spend time in production environments where pesticides are used.
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