CPA Federal Pesticide Laws 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is enforced under which federal law?
- TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act)
- FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act) (Correct answer)
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act)
- CWA (Clean Water Act)
Correct answer: FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act)
The Worker Protection Standard is a regulation under FIFRA designed to protect agricultural workers and pesticide handlers from occupational exposure to pesticides.
Question 2: Under the Worker Protection Standard, what is the minimum number of hours of pesticide safety training required for agricultural workers?
- 2 hours
- 4 hours (Correct answer)
- 8 hours
- 16 hours
Correct answer: 4 hours
The WPS requires that agricultural workers receive at least 4 hours of pesticide safety training before working in pesticide-treated areas.
Question 3: What is a Restricted Entry Interval (REI) as defined under the Worker Protection Standard?
- The time a pesticide remains effective after application
- The period after application during which entry into treated areas is restricted (Correct answer)
- The distance workers must maintain from spray equipment
- The expiration date printed on the pesticide label
Correct answer: The period after application during which entry into treated areas is restricted
The REI is the minimum time that must pass after a pesticide application before workers without protective equipment can enter the treated area.
Question 4: Under the WPS, employers must provide workers with access to pesticide application information including the product name, EPA registration number, and:
- The purchase price of the pesticide
- The location and date of application and the applicable REI (Correct answer)
- The applicator's personal contact information
- The full manufacturing process of the pesticide
Correct answer: The location and date of application and the applicable REI
WPS requires employers to post or make available the product name, EPA registration number, active ingredients, location, date of application, and the REI so workers know when it is safe to re-enter.
Question 5: Which of the following activities is NOT typically covered under the Worker Protection Standard?
- Harvesting crops in a field that was recently sprayed
- Handling pesticide concentrate while filling spray equipment
- Applying pesticides to a golf course (Correct answer)
- Thinning plants in a pesticide-treated greenhouse
Correct answer: Applying pesticides to a golf course
The WPS applies to agricultural establishments (farms, forests, nurseries, greenhouses) but does not cover golf courses, turf, or ornamental applications outside agriculture.
Question 6: Under FIFRA, what maximum civil penalty can the EPA assess per violation against a certified applicator who uses a pesticide inconsistently with its label?
- $500
- $5,000 (Correct answer)
- $25,000
- $100,000
Correct answer: $5,000
Under FIFRA Section 14, the EPA may assess a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation against certified applicators for misuse of pesticides.
Question 7: Which WPS requirement mandates that handlers and early-entry workers must have access to water, soap, and towels for decontamination?
- Personal protective equipment requirement
- Decontamination supplies requirement (Correct answer)
- Emergency assistance requirement
- Central posting requirement
Correct answer: Decontamination supplies requirement
WPS requires employers to provide decontamination supplies—water, soap, and clean towels—at or near the site where handlers mix, load, or apply pesticides.
CPA Federal Pesticide Laws 3
The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is enforced under which federal law?