CROP ADVISORS

Your employer (even if that's you) must provide all of the required protections to non-certified crop
advisors they employ. Learn more about the applicable certifications for crop advisors here.
If crop-advising tasks are done during pesticide applications or during restricted-entry
intervals(REIs), protections and training for handlers must be provided. If crop-advising tasks are
done after any REI is over, but within 30 days of the application or the end of the REI, protections
and training for workers must be provided.

If the crop advisor is a/an: The entity responsible for WPS compliance is:

Direct employee of The agricultural employer must provide WPS

an agricultural establishment protections
(e.g., Blue Sky Farms)

Employee of The commercial pesticide handleremployer (CPHE)

a commercial pesticidehandling must provide WPS protections
establishment
(e.g., Acme Crop Services)

Self-employed crop The crop advisor must self-provide applicable WPS

advisor (certified or non- protections, including pesticide safety training
certified)
(e.g., Jane Solo Crop
Consultant)

As a crop advisor, you may perform many tasks related to the production of agricultural plants that
will make you fall under the scope of the WPS. These tasks include such things as assessing pest
numbers/damage, pesticide distribution, and/or evaluating the status, condition, or requirements of
agricultural plants. Often these tasks entail working in pesticide-treated areas that are subject to
WPS requirements.
It's your responsibility to understand the requirements, follow instructions to avoid restricted areas,
wear the required protective equipment, and take steps to avoid bringing pesticideresidues home.
Children, pregnant women, and the elderly are more sensitive to pesticideexposures than other
adults.
First, are you considered a "worker" or a "handler" under the WPS? The difference is whether you
conduct crop-advising tasks in a pesticide-treated area during or after a restricted-entry
interval (REI).

 If you perform crop-advising tasks during the REI, you are considered a pesticide handler.
Your employer must provide protections required for handlers.
 If you perform crop-advising tasks after the REI, but within 30 days of the REI, you are
considered an agricultural worker. Your employer must provide protections required for
agricultural workers.
  If you perform crop-advising tasks more than 30 days after the end of the REI, the WPS
probably doesn't apply to your work.
 Crop advisors are not permitted to perform crop-advising tasks during an application.

Second, are you considered a "certified" crop advisor or a "non-certified crop advisor"? The
difference is whether you have completed other coursework that includes the same training topics
required by the WPS.

 If you are currently a certified/licensed as a pesticide applicator, authorized to use restricted-

use pesticides, you are considered a "certified crop advisor."
 If you have completed a crop advisor program deemed appropriate in writing by the EPA,
State, or Tribal pesticide enforcement agency, you are considered a "certified crop
advisor." It must include all of the same training topics required for WPS handler training
 If neither of the bullets above apply to you, you are considered a "non-certified crop
advisor."

Third, who is your employer? This determines who will provide you with information about
the pesticide applications in your workplace.

 You might be self-employed as an independent contractor.

 You might be employed by an agricultural establishment directly. If that's the case, you might
only perform crop-advising tasks on that establishment.
 You might be employed by a company that provides crop-advising services to more than one
agricultural establishment. If that's the case, that company is considered a
"commercial pesticide handler establishment" (CPHE) under the WPS.