SAFE PRACTICES

It’s the Law:

Oregon law (ORS 654.780) requires agricultural employers to give all employees a copy of the basic information developed by Oregon OSHA as part of their orientation training. This information must include personal hygiene, protective safety equipment, safety rules, work clothing, employee rights, and common symptoms of hazardous chemical exposure.

Division 4/Z: OAR 437-004-9800 – The Hazard Communication Rule at (7)(d)&(e) requires agricultural employers to give a copy of or provide training that covers the information in this publication (Safe Practices when Working around Hazardous Agricultural Chemicals, #1951) to all of their employees. Employers can meet the Hazard Communication Rule training requirements for workers who perform ONLY hand labor operations by:

• Giving them a copy of this publication, and
• Telling them where and how they can have access to the employer’s Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for the hazardous chemicals to which they may be exposed.

Division 4/W: OAR 437-004-6000, § 170.1 – 170.260 – The Worker Protection Standard (40CFR170) – requires employers to provide initial training to all workers:

• if agricultural pesticides have been used at the workplace during the previous 30 days or
• if agricultural pesticides will be used during the worker’s period employment. Providing the training outlined in this publication in a manner that the worker understands meets those initial training requirements.

This publication must be provided in the worker’s own language if Oregon OSHA has produced it in that language.