How to Comply with the 2015 Revised Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides: What Owners and Employers Need to Know

From: Gene Merkl

We are hosting a live video conference outlining the new rules on Wednesday November 16^th at 10:00 AM. Please have your extension office (or REC) request from Distance Education (copied above) “WPS 2015 Training Video Conference” or via telephone at 662-325-8643 and make plans to attend.

We will also be recording this training for your future use and will announce when it has been uploaded to the extension website.

We will include a segment on the Respirator Fit Test and Medical Evaluation requirements under the new rule and are pleased to welcome two guest participants to our conference:

Misty Dickerson, LPN, Nurse Manager of Work Well Occupational Medicine, has worked with Work Well for 20 years.  An expert in OSHA regulations, she is certified in multiple areas including Respiratory Fit Testing and NIOSH Spirometry for Occupational Health and Safety.

Helena Lasseter, RN, MPH, is the Director of Out-Patient Services Merit Health Wesley.  Her medical and consulting career emphasis includes governmental regulation education and implementation, injury prevention in industrial settings, and working with worker’s compensation issues and claims.

They will discuss topics such as:

• why medical respiratory clearance is important
• medical reasons that may cause an employee to fail the testing
• health conditions that may require additional testing for clearance
• the difference between a “fitting” and “clearance”
• OSHA “long form” completion and frequency
• types of masks and usage
• how to be fitted to the correct mask before purchasing it
• maintenance and cleaning of the mask
• when masks should be refitted (before annual fit testing date)
• other pertinent issues, such as prevention of heat exhaustion while wearing PPE.

Please let me know should you need additional information or clarification.

Gene Eugene Merkl, Jr.

Program Manager,

Pesticide Applicator Recertification and Training

Regulatory Information Network Liaison, SIPMC

Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology

Mississippi State University

Box 9775 Mississippi State, MS 39762-9775

TEL (662) 325 5829

 FAX (662) 325 8837