Portable Central

Location Project

EPA HAZCOMM FUNDS PROJECT UNDER 

Cesar Asuaje

University of Florida

Institute of Food and 

Agricultural Science

Sonia I. Cotto-Febo

Florida Department of 

Agriculture and Consumer

Services

EPA HAZCOMM FUNDS PROJECT UNDER 

FDACS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT 
WPS Central Location 

Quick Overview

1. Specific 

information About 

Pesticide 

Applications

2. Safety Poster 

3. Emergency

Information
Whenever any worker 

or handler is 

employed at a 

agricultural 

establishment and 

within the past 30 

WPS Central Location Quick 

Overview

within the past 30 

days: 

 A pesticide has been 

applied

 or a restricted- entry 

interval has been in 

effect

In certain instances it 

remains posted 

continuously
WPS Central Location 

Quick Overview

• Information must 

remain:

– Legible

– Accessible

– Central Location
Timing for Pesticide Safety 

Information display at Central 

Location?

 Continue to display it: 

 At least 30 days after the 

end of the application time if 

there is not REI for the 

pesticide.

 At least 30 days after the 

REI expire

If workerS and handlers are present at the Agricultural Establishment
Project Justification

1. Farm workers and handlers are not 

provided with Pesticide Safety 

Information and Specific Information 

about pesticide application 

information, inhibiting them to take 

appropriate protective measures.
Project Justification 

98

71

32

107

88

41

120

112

54

20

40

60

80

100

120

Central

Posting

Safety

Training

Decont

Site

Failure to provide Pesticide Safety Information and 

Pesticide Application Information has the highest 

violation incidence in the State of Florida

32

0

20

FY 03-04 FY 04-05 FY 05-06

Site

Source: FDACS-Bureau of Compliance Monitoring Case Processing Office FY 2003-

2005 FDACS WPS Activities Summaries
Project Justification

32

56

35

51

85

24

40

60

80

100

FRM

NUR

GRN

On FY 2005 WPS Violation Reports show 

that farms have the highest Central Posting 

violation rate in the State of Florida

Source: FDACS-Bureau of Compliance Monitoring Case Processing Office 

32

6 10

24

8

0

20

FY 03-04 FY 04-05 FY 05-06
Project Justification

Central Posting Violation 

National Overview

614

753

217 200

400

600

800 Safety Training

Central posting

Decontamination

supplies

On FY 2005, EPA reported that the highest WPS 

violation rate in the US is, failure to provide 

Pesticide Safety and Pesticide Application Information

Source:

EPA FY 2005 WPS Inspection and Enforcement Accomplishment Report Office of Compliance, March 

2006.

217

0

200
Project Justification

2. Enforcement actions taken that result in a 

fine allocation, may be burdensome to the 

Ag Employer. FDACS fines range from 

$250 up to $10,0000.

3. Farming is a highly diversified business 

and it operates under circumstances where 

it is difficult to comply with the central 

location requirement. 
Project Development

1. Meeting with Farm safety task group: 

Farmers, Extension Agents, FDACS 

Pesticide’s Inspectors and WPS 

Coordinator. 

2. Growers Assessment Consultation 

(Questionnaire)
Safety Task Group 

Meeting Concerns

Three major concerns:

1. Many workers do not enter the fields 

thru the main central location posting 

and many farmers use multiple field 

entries specially large scale 

operations

2. Adequate display of Pesticide 

Application Informaton

3. Durability
1. Multiple Entry Farms

Main Entry Posting

Field located a t 17

miles away from the main 

Central posting

Worker may enter using 

different locations

Workers may enter farms to areas far away from the 

main central posting location
2. Adequate display of Pesticide 

Application Information

 Handling large 

amount of pesticide 

record sheets at the 

central location is a 

problem and could 

create confusion to 

workers and 

applicators.
3. Display Legibility 

 Due to weather 

conditions and use; 

posters and pesticide 

application records 

are damaged or 

completely destroyed. 
Safety Task Group 

Conclusions

Safety task group

recommendations:

 Develop a portable 

central location 

that can be 

mounted and 

dismounted on 

structures that are 

already in the field: i.e. Portable toilets, bus

and trucks
Portable Toilets

Portable Toilets are the most permanent structures in the fields. 

Sanitation regulations require them to be available to the 

workers at all times.
Principal Investigator 

Dr. Ralph Ellis,Jr.

Associate Professor

University of FloridaDepartment of Civil and 

Coastal Engineering

Gainesville, FL
Portable Central Location 

Design
HEAVY DUTY OUTDOOR 

BROCHURE BOX:

• 10” wide x 13” tall X 3 “ 

deep 

• Non- Yellowing PVC

Material

• Clear Acrylic Front Panel
PCL Challenging Issues

Toilet Wall

1. Effectively design a mounting option that 

can be attached and detached from the 

portable toilet unit.

Trailer
Portable Toilet Wall
PCL Challenging Issues

2. Large pesticide Application Programs 

require record keeping of several pesticide 

information.
Central Location Project 

Evaluation

Two (2) Mounting Options will be tested out 

throughout the State of Florida.

– Directly on the portable toilets side wall

– Standard U Channel sign Post

– 10 samples per PCL mounting model

– Farm Selection Criteria:

• Multiple entries farm

• Use of portable toilets facilities in the agricultural 

operation 

• Contract/Hire Spanish speaking workers (i.e. Hispanics)

• Willingness to participate in the project trial evaluation
Central Location Project 

Evaluation

• Trial duration time is 30 days

• Engineering Research Team 

in consultation with 

DOACS/UF IFAS research 

members will develop a 

Farmers and 

Workers/Handlers 

Evaluation Survey
Evaluation Survey’s Objective

 To determine farm worker and pesticide handler 

overall pesticide hazard communication 

interpretation on modernized pesticide safety

graphics

 To evaluate Central Location prototypes performance 

by mounting options and climate effects

 To evaluate overall project’s feasibility to the 

Growers

 To gather any project’s improvement feedback
Survey Data Results

• Gather and analyze 

survey data to be 

able to design and 

develop technical 

specifications for a 

Portable Central 

Location 

manufacturing
PCL Prototype Manufacturing 

Description and Estimated Costs

COMPONENT DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COSTS 

PER UNIT

24 IN. X 36 IN.X0.08 IN. PRINTED 

SAFETY POSTER SIGN –

CAPABLE OF POSTING 

MOUNTING

$120.00

24 IN. X 36 IN. X 0.04 PRINTED 

SIGN SURFACE MOUNTING 

ONLY 

$70.00

10 IN. X 13 IN. X 3 IN. WETHER 

RESISTANT DOCUMENT BOX

$31.00

10 FT U CHANNEL POST $15.24
Other Concerns

 Specific information about 

pesticide applicationsDo we need to amend WPS regulation so 

that Restricted entry interval expiration time 

is calculated upon the application ending 

time instead of schedule pesticide 

application time?
Other Concerns

 Agricultural Establishment Central

Posting DistancesIs there a need to amend WPS regulation so 

that pesticide safety information shall be 

posted at an established distance from 

workers’ working site? 
Speaker’s Contact Information

Cesar Asuaje

Regional Specialized Extension faculty

Palm Beach County Extension Office

559 N. Military Trail Rd.

West Palm Beach, FL 33415

E-mail address: crasuaje@ufl.edu
Speaker’s Contact Information

Sonia I. Cotto Febo

FDACS WPS Coordinator

UF/IFAS Pesticide Information Office 

P.O. Box 110710

Gainesville, FL 32611-0710

E-mail address: febos@doacs.state.fl.us
Questions?
Thank you for 

your attention!