“The Label is the Law,” a statement you probably have heard over and over again.
However, this is a simple as it gets. When you purchase or use a pesticide you enter
into an agreement that you will use this tool according to its label. However as
custom applicators you are being contracted out to go on other people’s property to
use this tool. Communication between you and your customer is important, in fact it
can be state law.
Having an idea from your records or from your customer of sensitive areas around
the application site is important. Arial applications require at least 24-hour notice
before the application. Although it is the landowner’s responsibility to notify any bee
keepers who have requested pre-application notification, it is your responsibility to
let the customer know that you are applying a pesticide that is “Highly Toxic to
Bees,” and in enough time for them to do this.
The Worker Protection Standard requires that your customer notify their workers
orally or by signs of fields that have been treated. They are also required to post
information about the applications that occur on their farms. For a customer to do
this, they will need to know that you are applying and what. At the time of application
any important safety information has to be provided. An example of this might
be the Restricted Entry Interval. Provide any specific safety information that might
be on the label just before or just after application.
Finally, record keeping is the responsibility of the applicator. However, there is
information that has to be given to the customer after application. You have 30 days
after application to provide after application information. Most companies provide
this in their bill of sale or invoice of service. These include: Applicator or business
phone number; applicator license number; the crop; commodity or site to which the
pesticide was applied; specific location of application; date; start and stop time;
pesticide brand name or product name or chemical name; EPA Registration Number;
amount applied; Post-application precautions (pre-harvest interval, REI, irrigation
restrictions, etc.); copy of pesticide label or notice that they can get one on request.