12:00 CST - 1:00 CST
Migrant Clinicians Network
Amy K. Liebman, MPA, MA | Virginia Ruiz, JD | Richard Pont | Gayle Thomas, MD
Farmworkers have waited for over 20 years for improved pesticide protections! The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently issued stronger regulations to better protect farmworkers from pesticide exposures. This is an historic moment for farmworkers and those who care for farmworkers as this policy change will positively impact the health and safety of this population. Farmworkers and their families are the most overexposed population to pesticides. Each year, tens of thousands of farmworkers and their family members are exposed to pesticides and these exposures are largely preventable. The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is the primary federal regulation that provides workplace protections for farmworkers who are exposed to pesticides. This session will overview changes in the WPS, how these changes will impact agricultural workers and their families; and the roles and responsibilities of clinicians and other stakeholders regarding worker protection. Additionally, this session will provide participants with resources to help educate farmworkers and their families about the WPS and pesticide exposure, to facilitate reporting of pesticide exposure, and to assist clinicians in the recognition and management of pesticide exposures.
- Be familiar with the Worker Protection Standard
- Recognize how changes in the WPS will impact agricultural workers and their families
- Identify resources to educate farmworkers and other stakeholders about the WPS and tools to help prevent, diagnose and manage pesticide exposures