Category: Pesticides
Farmworkers Meet with EPA
Last Updated (Wednesday, 07 May 2008 16:48) Written by Shelley Davis Thursday, 24 April 2008 20:41
On April 22, 2008, Farmworker Justice, with the help of Pesticide Action Network, United Farm Workers, Farmworker Association of Florida, California Rural Legal Assistance and others, brought three farmworkers to Washington DC to meet with EPA officials. Each of the farmworkers had been injured by pesticides. They each explained how they had been injured and what improvements they would like to see in the pesticide regulations.
The first speaker, Sandra Garcia from California had two 2007 incidents to recount. In the first incident, she and a crew of about 40 workers were tipping grapes, when a tractor began spraying in an adjacent block in the same field. The spray drifted to where the farmworkers were working. Despite their attempts to get help from the crewleader, the spraying continued. Sandra and other workers experienced symptoms. She felt dizzy, had a dry throat and coughing. The symptoms lasted about three days. She never learned the name of the pesticide and did not seek medical help for fear of losing her job.
In the second instance, Sandra was working in grapes and went to pick up her child directly after work. Immediately upon seeing her, the child jumped into her arms to embrace her. Even though she had taken off her outer shirt and brushed herself off, the child got exposed to pesticides. That night he broke out in a terrible rash. When she took him to the doctor, the doctor asked if he had been exposed to pesticides because it looked like a chemical-related rash. To illustrate this incident, Sandra also brought a picture of her child covered with a serious rash.
The second speaker was Elvira Carvajal. Elvira recounted an adverse experience she had had as a farmworker and also the positive things she has since learned as a pesticide trainer. In 1996, Elvira was injured while working in a nursery, sorting plants. Although she did not see any pesticide residues or see spraying, she began to feel sick about an hour and a half after she began working. Her symptoms included stomach cramps and pain in her bones. Other workers also experienced symptoms included stomach aches She never learned the name of the pesticide and did not seek medical help because she was afraid of being fired.
As a trainer, Elvira has seen that farmworkers are very interested in knowing their rights, learning about how to protect their families and learning the short- and long- term health effects of the pesticides they are exposed to. With regard to the latter, when this is explained, often workers recount instances when they are working in a crop and how the symptoms associated with a pesticide used on that crop.
The third speaker was Julia from Florida. She was working in a nursery when she and other co-workers were directed to enter a recently treated area. The smell of pesticides in the area was very strong. After about an hour, Julia began to feel symptoms which included a strong headache and blurred vision. Two co-workers experienced similar effects. At home later that evening she began to vomit. Still later that evening she experienced partial paralysis of her face, with one eye that couldn't close and drooping of the mouth and cheek on one half of her face. When she went back to the nursery the next day to ask for help, the nursery said that her health effects were not due to work activity and would not give her the name of the pesticide. She is still undergoing medical treatment. Julia also brought with her a picture of her face, showing that half was paralyzed. Fortunately, this paralysis has since significantly abated.
The three farmworkers suggested the following changes in the WPS:
1. Enhanced pesticide safety training that would include: information on workers' rights; how to protect children and other family members, and a description of the short- and long- term health effects associated with the specific pesticides used at their workplaces.
2. Signs posted at the entrance to each field which would say the name of the pesticide applied and the dates on which entry was restricted.
3. A crop booklet with pictures setting forth the names of the specific pesticides used at their workplaces, the short- and long- term health effects associated with each pesticide and the restricted entry interval for each pesticide.
4. A changing area where workers could put on clean clothes and wash up after work.
5. That pesticide handlers have access to pesticide labels in a language they understand (e.g., Spanish) and that workers who cannot read have the label read to them.
6. The requirement that upon reporting a possible pesticide exposure incident to the employer or supervisor, the employer would have to report the name of the pesticide to the worker, without the worker having to request it.
The meetings were held with Mr. James Gulliford, Assistant Administrator for Pesticides, as well as the staff, working on re-writing the Worker Protection Standard.. These staffers were very impressed with the farmworkers' testimony and asked a wide variety of questions.