Re: cholinesterase monitoring

[Guest guest]

Where can I find information about cholinesterase

monitoring?

On Tue, 29 Apr 2003 11:30:11 -0400

<sdavis@...> wrote:

> Cholinesterase monitoring will soon be coming to the pesticide handlers of

> Washington State. The requirement that pesticide handlers receive such

> protection was ordered by the Washington State Supreme Court in a case

> called Rios v. Department of Labor & Industries. Efforts to enact such a

> rule appeared to be in jeopardy when the growers went to the state

> legislature and asked for a 3 year delay. The legislature has rejected

> that call for delay. Instead, the growers and workers reached and

> agreement that will cause cholinesterase monitoring to begin in January 2004.

>

> The worker/grower agreement proposes that farm workers who handle covered

> pesticides (Category 1 and 2 organophosphates and carbamates) for 50 or more

> hours in a 30-day period will receive monitoring beginning 1/15/04; and

> workers who handle those pesticides for 30 or more hours in a 30-day period

> will receive monitoring beginning 1/15/05, unless the 2004 data clearly

> indicates that the threshhold for coverage should be higher or lower. The

> agreement also has provisions for 1) protection against employers

> discouraging workers from participating in the program, 2) income and

> seniority guarantees for workers who are removed from handling activities

> due to overexposure, and 3) recordkeeping of hours handling covered

> pesticides. The legislature is likely to fund part of the costs of

> monitoring for the first 2 years of the program. After that, it will be the

> sole responsibility of the growers.

>

> Jeff of the Washington State Labor Council, Guadelupe Gamboa of the

> United Farm Workers, and Dan Ford of Columbia Legal Services represented the

> workers in the negotiations. Griselda Vega of Columbia, Matt Geyman of the

> Heller Ehrman Law Firm, and Grant Cope and Todd True of Earthjustice Legal

> Defense also represented the workers.

>

> This is an important victory for farmworkers. Congratulations are due to

> Dan Ford of Columbia Legal Services, Lupe Gamboa of the United Farm Workers

> of America and all who worked on this agreement.

>

>

> Farmworker Justice Fund

>

>

>

>

> To Post a message, send it to: Groups

>

> To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to:

-unsubscribe

>

>

[Guest guest]

Congratulations! This is a great step forward. I wonder if the issue of

baseline measurements before exposure was addressed? If workers only start

getting tested after they've accumulated 50 hours of exposure, then their

baseline levels will already be lower than their personal normal would be, and

it will be harder to demonstrate the level of decline in cholinesterase levels

that would show an unsafe level of exposure.

Keep up the good work.

Rust, MD, MPH

Deputy Director,

National Center for Primary Care

at Morehouse School of Medicine

720 Westview Drive, SW

Atlanta, GA 30310

Voice: 404-756-5740

Fax: 404-756-5767

>>> sdavis@... 04/29/03 11:30AM >>>

Cholinesterase monitoring will soon be coming to the pesticide handlers of

Washington State. The requirement that pesticide handlers receive such

protection was ordered by the Washington State Supreme Court in a case

called Rios v. Department of Labor & Industries. Efforts to enact such a

rule appeared to be in jeopardy when the growers went to the state

legislature and asked for a 3 year delay. The legislature has rejected

that call for delay. Instead, the growers and workers reached and

agreement that will cause cholinesterase monitoring to begin in January 2004.

The worker/grower agreement proposes that farm workers who handle covered

pesticides (Category 1 and 2 organophosphates and carbamates) for 50 or more

hours in a 30-day period will receive monitoring beginning 1/15/04; and

workers who handle those pesticides for 30 or more hours in a 30-day period

will receive monitoring beginning 1/15/05, unless the 2004 data clearly

indicates that the threshhold for coverage should be higher or lower. The

agreement also has provisions for 1) protection against employers

discouraging workers from participating in the program, 2) income and

seniority guarantees for workers who are removed from handling activities

due to overexposure, and 3) recordkeeping of hours handling covered

pesticides. The legislature is likely to fund part of the costs of

monitoring for the first 2 years of the program. After that, it will be the

sole responsibility of the growers.

Jeff of the Washington State Labor Council, Guadelupe Gamboa of the

United Farm Workers, and Dan Ford of Columbia Legal Services represented the

workers in the negotiations. Griselda Vega of Columbia, Matt Geyman of the

Heller Ehrman Law Firm, and Grant Cope and Todd True of Earthjustice Legal

Defense also represented the workers.

This is an important victory for farmworkers. Congratulations are due to

Dan Ford of Columbia Legal Services, Lupe Gamboa of the United Farm Workers

of America and all who worked on this agreement.

Farmworker Justice Fund

To Post a message, send it to: Groups

To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to:

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