In an agricultural plant production operation, who must supervise the handling of organophosphate pesticides?

Employers are required to supervise the handling of organophosphate pesticides due to their potential risks and toxicity. In agricultural operations, the employer holds the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that safe practices are followed to protect employees, the environment, and consumers. This supervision includes proper training for workers, ensuring compliance with safety protocols, and implementing guidelines established by regulatory agencies.

Field supervisors, co-workers, and regulatory agencies play important roles but are not tasked with the overarching responsibility of supervision. Field supervisors may oversee daily activities, and co-workers may assist each other, but ultimately, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that all safety measures and regulations are adhered to when handling pesticides. Regulatory agencies provide the framework and regulations that guide safe practices but do not directly supervise individual operations. Thus, employers are crucial in overseeing the practices related to organophosphate pesticide handling to mitigate risks.