§ 170.509 - Decontamination and eye flushing supplies for handlers.

§ 170.509 Decontamination and eye flushing supplies for handlers.

(a) Requirement. The handler employer must provide decontamination and eye flushing supplies in accordance with this section for any handler that is performing any handler activity or removing personal protective equipment at the place for changing required by § 170.507(d)(9).

(b) General conditions. The decontamination supplies required in paragraph (a) of this section must include: at least three gallons of water per handler at the beginning of each handler's work period for routine washing and potential emergency decontamination; soap; single-use towels; and clean clothing for use in an emergency. The decontamination and eye flushing supplies required in paragraph (a) of this section must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Water. At all times when this section requires handler employers to make water available to handlers for routine washing, emergency decontamination or eye flushing, the handler employer must ensure that it is of a quality and temperature that will not cause illness or injury when it contacts the skin or eyes or if it is swallowed. If a water source is used for mixing pesticides, it must not be used for decontamination or eye flushing supplies, unless equipped with properly functioning valves or other mechanisms that prevent contamination of the water with pesticides, such as anti-backflow siphons, one-way or check valves, or an air gap sufficient to prevent contamination.

(2) Soap and single-use towels. The handler employer must provide soap and single-use towels for drying in quantities sufficient to meet the handlers' needs. Hand sanitizing gels and liquids or wet towelettes do not meet the requirement for soap. Wet towelettes do not meet the requirement for single-use towels.

(3) Clean change of clothing. The handler employer must provide one clean change of clothing, such as coveralls, for use in an emergency.

(c) Location. The decontamination supplies must be located together outside any treated area or area subject to a restricted-entry interval, and must be reasonably accessible to each handler during the handler activity. The decontamination supplies must not be more than 1/4 mile from the handler, except that where the handler activity is more than 1/4 mile from the nearest place of vehicular access or more than 1/4 mile from any non-treated area, the decontamination supplies may be at the nearest place of vehicular access outside any treated area or area subject to a restricted-entry interval.

(1) Mixing sites. Decontamination supplies must be provided at any mixing site.

(2) Exception for pilots. Decontamination supplies for a pilot who is applying pesticides aerially must be in the aircraft or at the aircraft loading site.

(3) Exception for treated areas. The decontamination supplies must be outside any treated area or area subject to a restricted-entry interval, unless the soap, single-use towels, water and clean change of clothing are protected from pesticide contamination in closed containers.

(d) Emergency eye-flushing.

(1) Whenever a handler is mixing or loading a pesticide product whose labeling requires protective eyewear for handlers, or is mixing or loading any pesticide using a closed system operating under pressure, the handler employer must provide at each mixing/loading site immediately available to the handler, at least one system that is capable of delivering gently running water at a rate of least 0.4 gallons per minute for at least 15 minutes, or at least six gallons of water in containers suitable for providing a gentle eye-flush for about 15 minutes.

(2) Whenever a handler is applying a pesticide product whose labeling requires protective eyewear for handlers, the handler employer must provide at least one pint of water per handler in portable containers that are immediately available to each handler.