Worker Protection Training Course Set

PORTLAND, NEW YORK (April 23, 2019) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is pleased to announce that the National Grape Cooperative Association and the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program are collaborating to bring NYS Department of Conservation approved course instructor, Michael Nierenberg, to present WPS/PPE TRAINING COURSE to the Lake Erie Region. The course event will be held at the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory located at 6592 West Main Road, Portland, NY 14769, on April 30, 2019 from 3:00-5:00 PM.

The course will help keep our grape growers, pesticide applicators, handlers and workers compliant with the required WPS/PPE standards. Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is aimed at reducing the risk of pesticide poisoning and injury among agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. Per the Environmental Protection Agency, the WPS requires owners and employers on agricultural establishments and commercial pesticide handling establishments to protect employees on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses from occupational exposure to agricultural pesticides. The WPS protections cover two types of employees:

Pesticide handlers: those who mix, load, or apply agricultural pesticides; clean or repair pesticide application equipment; or assist with the application of pesticides.

Agricultural workers: those who perform tasks related to growing and harvesting plants on farms.

This program will address respirator requirements, including medical evaluations, fit testing and record keeping. Safety training for Handlers and Workers will also be addressed, plus Decontamination provisions and more. The DEC instructor will also cover the AEZ = Application Exclusion Zone, which prevents pesticide applicators from applying pesticides if someone is within the AEZ boundaries. This training course will provide pesticide applicators and handlers information on the safe use of pesticides in agriculture. NYS pesticide recertification credits have been applied for. This information is for individuals and businesses involved in selling, using or storing pesticides for agricultural use in New York State; the event is open to the public and we encourage all Growers and their Employees to attend.

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is a cooperative effort between Cornell and Penn State Universities; the participating Cornell Cooperative Extension Associations of Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara and Cattaraugus Counties in New York and Erie County in Pennsylvania. The LERGP extension team provides research-based educational programming for commercial grape growers throughout the year at venues across the Lake Erie grape belt. For more information on LERGP, call 716-792-2800 or visit our website at http://lergp.cce.cornell.edu/

The Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated April 23, 2019