Selecting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

This course provides an overview of selecting, using, and maintaining personal protective equipment (PPE) for pesticide safety. It covers EPA regulations, pesticide labels, and precautionary statements detailing required PPE for handlers, applicators, and early entry workers. The instructor emphasizes proper use, cleaning, and disposal of gloves, respirators, and body coverings, while addressing practical concerns like heat illness and equipment inspection. By following label instructions and safety protocols, participants can minimize pesticide exposure risks effectively. 

After completing this course, learners will be able to:

• Understand and identify the required personal protective equipment that pesticide handlers must use for the specified task assigned. This includes review of important sections of the pesticide product label including the precautionary statements and identification of the three primary hazards. Additionally, the reasons to use personal protective equipment to protect employees and reduce incidents.
• Define personal protective equipment and identify the different types of personal protective equipment, including gloves, respirators and body coverings.
• Understand the ways in which an employee must wear and care for personal protective equipment to protect themselves from exposure to pesticides. This includes storage of personal protective equipment, instructions on use of personal protective equipment, proper removal and disposal or cleaning instructions for personal protective equipment after use.