Pesticide Safety Compliance Restored at Produce Farm

The Challenge: EPA Citations for Pesticide Handling & Worker Protection Gaps

A multi-acre commercial produce farm was cited during an EPA inspection for violations related to the Worker Protection Standard (WPS)—including missing pesticide signage, incomplete training records, and unsafe chemical storage practices.

The farm’s operations relied heavily on seasonal labor and lacked standardized documentation for pesticide handling, putting them at risk of fines, worker injuries, and additional regulatory scrutiny.

Key compliance issues:

No field posting at pesticide application sites
Outdated or missing WPS training logs
Poorly labeled chemical containers in shared storage sheds

Inadequate employee access to SDSs and emergency wash stationslorem

Strengthening Pesticide Safety Under EPA WPS Guidelines

Our Solution: Field-Ready WPS Compliance Overhaul

Delivered bilingual WPS training

(English/Spanish) to all full-time and seasonal workers

Installed pesticide application signage

and weather-resistant field postings

Reorganized and labeled pesticide storage areas

in accordance with EPA and FIFRA standards

Established centralized SDS access

and upgraded decontamination stations

Created a training and inspection schedule

tied to harvest and application seasons

Assisted in building a formal response plan

for future pesticide-related incidents

The Results: Regulatory Clearance and Reduced Risk

Passed EPA reinspection with no additional citations

Reduced pesticide exposure incidents by 65%

Improved safety culture and employee participation in training

Standardized records for annual WPS compliance

Client Feedback

Apt understood our workforce, our workflow, and our risks. Their team made safety real for our people—and made compliance manageable for us.”— Farm Operations Manager