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Publication #PI-16

 

2012 Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide: Interpreting PPE Statements on Pesticide Labels1

O. Norman Nesheim and Frederick M. Fishel2

This document helps you understand the revised PPE statements now part of labels on pesticide products used on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses.

Background

Many Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) statements on pesticide labels have been changed as a result of the Worker Protection Standard for Agricultural Pesticides (WPS). These revised statements are more precise on the type of PPE that must be worn by pesticide handlers (mixers, loaders, and applicators). The terminology used to describe the required PPE is now more consistent from label to label. The tables accompanying this document list LABEL STATEMENTS used to describe the PPE required for use by mixers, loaders, and applicators.

The column headed ACCEPTABLE PPE describes the options the pesticide handler has when the label statement lists a specific item of PPE. The tables are grouped by subject, as follows:

Table 1 - Body Protection

Table 2 - Hand Protection

Table 3 - Eye Protection

Table 4 - Foot Protection

Table 5 - Respiratory Protection

Table 6 - Head Protection

Tables

Table 1. 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Statements. (Body Protection)

Label Statement

Acceptable PPE

Long-sleeved shirt and long pants

Long-sleeved shirt and long pants, or

Woven or nonwoven coverall, or

Plastic- or other barrier-coated coverall, or

Rubber or plastic suit

Coverall worn over short-sleeved shirt and short pants

Coverall worn over short-sleeved shirt and short pants, or

Coverall worn over long-sleeved shirt and long pants, or

Coverall worn over another coverall, or

Plastic- or other barrier-coated coverall, or

Rubber or plastic suit

Coverall worn over long-sleeved shirt and long pants

Coverall worn over long-sleeved shirt and long pants, or

Coverall worn over another coverall, or

Plastic- or other barrier-coated coverall, or

Rubber or plastic suit

Chemical-resistant apron worn over coverall or over long-sleeved shirt and long pants

Chemical-resistant apron worn over coverall or long-sleeved shirt and long pants, or barrier-coated coverall, or suit

Plastic or other

Rubber or plastic

Chemical-resistant protective suit

Plastic- or other barrier-coated coveralls, or

Rubber or plastic suit

Waterproof suit or liquid-proof suit

Plastic- or other barrier-coated coveralls, or

Rubber or plastic suit
Table 2. 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Statements. (Hand Protection)

Label Statement

Acceptable PPE

Waterproof gloves

Any rubber or plastic gloves sturdy enough to remain intact throughout the task being performed

Chemical-resistant gloves

Barrier-laminate gloves, or

Other gloves that glove selection charts or guidance documents indicate are chemical-resistant to the pesticide for the period of time required to perform the task

Chemical-resistant gloves such as butyl or nitrile

Butyl gloves, or

Nitrile gloves, or

Other gloves that glove selection, charts or guidance documents indicate are chemical-resistant to the pesticide for the period of time required to perform the task
Table 3. 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Statements. (Eye Protection)

Label Statement

Acceptable PPE

Protective eyewear

Shielded safety glasses, or

Face shield, or

Goggles, or

Full-face respirator

Goggles

Goggles, or

Full-face respirator
Table 4. 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Statements. (Foot Protection)

Label Statement

Acceptable PPE

Shoes

Leather, canvas, or fabric shoes, or

Chemical-resistant shoes, or

Chemical-resistant boots, or

Chemical-resistant shoe coverings (booties)

Chemical-resistant boots

Chemical-resistant boots
Table 5. 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Statements. (Respiratory Protection)

Label Statement

Acceptable PPE

Cartridge respirator

Respirator with organic vapor-removing cartridge and pesticide prefilter, or

Respirator with canister approved for pesticides, or

Air-supplying respirator

Air-supplying respirator or self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)

Air-supplying respirator, or

Self-contained breathing

Dust/mist filtering respirator

Dust/mist filtering respirator, or

Respirator with dust/mist filtering cartridge, or

Respirator with organic vapor-removing cartridge and pesticide prefilter, or

Air-supplying respirator

Canister respirator (gas mask)

Respirator with canister approved for pesticides, or

Air-supplying respirator
Table 6. 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Statements. (Head Protection)

Label Statement

Acceptable PPE

Chemical-resistant hood or wide-brimmed hat

Rubber or plastic-coated safari-style hat, or

Rubber or plastic-coated firefighter-style hat, or

Plastic- or other barrier-coated hood, or

Rubber or plastic hood, or

Full hood or helmet that is part of some respirators

Footnotes

1.

This document is PI-16, one of a series of the Agronomy Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. This publication was adapted from "Coverall, Gloves, and Other Skin Protection," "Protective Eyewear," and "Respirators," which were produced through cooperative efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Extension Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). For additional information, contact the Pesticide Information Office, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110710, Gainesville, FL 32611-0710, (352)392-4726. Original publication date December 1995. Revised February 2012. This publication is included in SP-43, 2012 Florida Citrus Pest Management Guide. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. For a copy of this handbook, request information on its purchase at your county Extension office.

2.

O. Norman Nesheim, professor emeritus, Food Science and Human Nutrition Department and former director, Pesticide Information Office; Frederick M. Fishel, professor, Agronomy Department, and director, Pesticide Information Office; Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

Use pesticides safely. Read and follow directions on the manufacturer's label.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.