Free online resources from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension put safety in the hands of Spanish-speaking agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. The Extension Farm Labor Education programs are part of UF/IFAS Extension Online Learning.
For the first time, the Worker Protection Standard Train the Trainer (WPS TTT) certification course is available online in both English and Spanish as part of the Farm Labor Education program. This course provides the WPS TTT certificate that is required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to train agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. The program also provides a free, self-paced, online review option that allows participants to download the “How to Comply” WPS documents.
In addition, the Farm Labor Education program offers farm safety videos. These training videos are designed to comply with safety standards and enhance agricultural worker learning experiences. Videos promoting safety with tractors, ladders, citrus harvesting and more are also available in Spanish.
“This is the first-ever online and EPA-approved Worker Protection Standard Train the Trainer certificate for Florida, which we have developed in partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS),” said Cesar Asuaje. Asuaje is a UF/IFAS regional specialized Extension agent in farm and pesticide safety based in Palm Beach County.
“Given COVID restrictions that prevented traditional in-person group trainings over the past seven months, the opportunity to earn the FDACS-approved WPS Train the Trainer certificate through the online platform is timely,” added Asuaje. “With the crop season up and running, it is also the time when the agricultural community is challenged with getting their workforce trained for the upcoming growing season, which makes the timing of this online WPS training opportunity particularly relevant.”
More information is available at the UF/IFAS Extension Farm Labor Education site, or contact Asuaje at 561- 233-1727.
Source: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
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