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Work injury may not be seen, but still troublesome EPA says

On Behalf of | Feb 24, 2014 | Workplace Illness |

California is known for its agriculture industries. Many local farms and agricultural work places use pesticides and other chemicals that can pose both seen and hidden dangers. State legislators are hoping to bring attention to the risk of work injury by pesticide and chemicals as the federal government proposes legislation to remove warnings that were once required to be posted.

The farming communities in California posted information about the dangers or facts about pesticides where all workers could see the warnings. However, the proposed federal legislation, if enacted, may allow companies to remove those warnings, meaning some workers may have no information available as to what the dangers of the pesticides may be. California legislators are hoping to bring awareness to the issue and want pesticide dangers disclosed.

The pesticides in question can result in rashes and skin problems. Also, some have been linked to long-term problems such as cancer. There are estimates that between 10,000 to 20,000 workers suffer from pesticide related work injuries. Representatives from the EPA also state that they want to see workers continued to be informed of the hazards and deserve access to warnings.

The issue of pesticide safety for California farm workers and in other states may not be ironed out be all parties any time soon. However, it is beneficial for all workers who are at risk for a work injury related to any chemicals or pesticides to know their rights. Being injured or falling ill due to workplace conditions can greatly alter someone’s life, and that worker has every right to be aware of their rights to pursue claims for applicable workers’ compensation benefits.

Source: wrcbtv.com, Advocates: EPA Falls Short on Protecting Workers From Pesticides, No author, Feb. 22, 2014

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