Worker Protection Standard:

Team Corn wants you to have a safe summer, and part of being safe in the fields is knowing a little about pesticide safety. Seed Companies must follow strict guidelines in dealing with pesticides, and they --like team corn-- take those guidelines very seriously.

There are some things that we require our employees to understand about pesticide safety as well. We've boiled them down to a few brief points below, and also provided the full text of the Environmental Protection Agency's Worker Protection Standard speech. It's required reading for all of our detasselers.

Here are the key points:

• Your leaders and supervisors have received pesticide safety training.
• You will receive pesticide safety training so that you know you are safe.
• If it is unsafe to enter a field a sign at the field entrance will say so.
• Pesticide problems can come from used pesticide containers left in a field, from spraying a nearby field or from irrigation from a nearby field.
• If you think there is a danger of pesticide exposure, tell your crew leaders and wash the affected area of your body with soap and water (available on the bus).
• It's a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water before and after using the port-o-pot or before eating (available in the port-o-pot).
• Information on all pesticides that have been applied to a field are available at the field entrance.

Here's the whole speech. Read it through...

Pesticides are sometimes used by the farmers and seed companies to help grow seed corn.  There is very little chance that you will come into contact with any pesticides while working in the seed fields.

All the seed companies and growers with whom Team Corn works have a plan to make sure that pesticides are only applied when absolutely necessary, that they are applied correctly and that no worker will go into a field until it is safe.  Your supervisor and leaders are also trained in pesticide safety.  In addition, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency's Worker Protection Standard requires that you receive training so you can make sure you are safe in a field.  Employers must follow their regulations and can not retaliate against workers who request information or training.

By law, any field that has been treated with a pesticide must have warning signs posted in places where people can easily see them before entering the field.  All pesticides have a waiting period established by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency.  During these waiting periods no one can enter the fields without special training. Once the waiting period has passed the signs are taken down by seed company representatives and the field is safe to enter.  You will never be asked to enter a seed field before the waiting period has expired. The signs will say "No Entry", or "Danger Pesticides", or "Keep Out". Never enter a field where this sign is posted.  You probably won't see any of these signs, except when driving down the road.  You should never go into a field that has these signs posted. Team Corn crews will only be sent into fields that we, the seed companies, and growers know are safe to enter, however, it's important that you know what to do if you ever come in contact with pesticides before the waiting period is over. 

First, you should know how you might come into contact with pesticides.  The most common way a pesticide can get on you is if some one is spraying in a field next to the one in which you are working and it drifts toward you.  A tall crop like corn will most likely be sprayed using an airplane or a high boy, a machine that looks like a tractor on stilts.  Some farmers apply their fertilizer and pesticides through irrigation systems.  In this case, you might be exposed to pesticides from droplets of water that could drift over to where you are or form puddles of water in the rows nearest the irrigated field, and no pesticides will be applied through irrigation systems in seed fields while detasselers are in the field.   Another way you might be exposed to pesticides is from a container left in the field.  The Federal EPA has very strict rules about what must be done with empty pesticide containers.  One could be left in the field by mistake.  Never touch or pick up a container with the idea of taking it home.  Pesticide containers are to be used for only one thing:  holding pesticides.

In all cases, if you should see pesticides being applied or an empty container, tell your crew leader immediately. He or she is trained to handle the situation. Always follow your crew leader’s instructions.

In the very unlikely event that you are exposed to pesticides, you should know how they get into your body and what to do about them if they do.  Pesticides can be brought into the body by breathing in their vapors, swallowing them, having them get in your eyes, or absorbing them through the skin which is the most likely scenario.  It's very important that you immediately wash any part of your body that may have come in contact with pesticides. Rinse off the area with water first, then wash it with soap and water. If you should happen to get pesticides in your eyes or think you may have gotten them in your eyes, flush the affected eye or eyes with water right away.  Flush for fifteen minutes, then ask your crew leader to take you to a doctor.  If the pesticide gets on your clothing, take it off right away and rinse then wash with soap the part of your body that was touched by the contaminated clothing. It's a good idea to wash clothes that you wear in the field separately from non field clothes to protect the non field clothes from possible pesticide contamination.

Team Corn provides soap, water, and single use paper towels on each bus or van on which you will be riding.  It's always a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water before and after using the toilets and before eating lunch or putting anything  in your mouth.  Speaking of toilets they are there for a purpose.  Use them rather than the field which promotes the spread of disease and parasites.

Like most other tools, pesticides are considered safe if used properly.  In order to get a license to make and sell their pesticides, manufacturers must prove to the Federal EPA that their products will have no long term effects on people or the environment when properly used.  Still, no one can know for sure that they won't affect some people in future years.  People who are exposed to pesticides can have different reactions depending on their body chemistry.  Some of the common signs and symptoms are unexplained skin rashes, headaches, dizziness, excessive sweating, not seeing clearly, vomiting, muscle pain, cramps, drooling, breathing difficulty, or very small pupils in the eyes.  If you have any of these symptoms while in the field or see anyone else that has these symptoms, tell your crew leader right away so that he or she can take the proper steps.  Lightheadedness, headaches, sweating, skin rashes, and muscle pain can be caused by many other problems.  If you need emergency medical care your crew leader or area manager will make sure that you get to the nearest emergency medical facility.

The best way to avoid the possibility of side effects is to make sure you wash any pesticides off immediately and see a doctor or other qualified medical expert if necessary.  Remember your safety is our primary concern. Seed company representatives and Team Corn supervisors are in the same fields that you will detassel.  They are well trained and responsible concerning pesticide safety. They will not send you into fields until the EPA approved waiting period has been completed and the field is safe to enter.  Seed companies, growers, or Team Corn provides a poster or list in each field which gives the name, address, and telephone number of the nearest emergency medical facility, one that explains emergency procedures to follow, and one which records all pesticide applications at that field.

If you have any questions about what you have heard today, do not hesitate to ask your crew leader, field manager, or call your regional office.

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