Pesticides on Farms: Limited Capability Exists to Monitor Occupational Illnesses and Injuries
PEMD-94-6
Published: Dec 15, 1993. Publicly Released: Jan 21, 1994.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed federal and state efforts to monitor occupational illnesses resulting from exposure to pesticides on farms, focusing on whether federal and state monitoring systems provide sufficient information on pesticide-related illnesses in the farm sector.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress may wish to encourage EPA to increase its efforts to develop better pesticide monitoring capabilities by determining: (1) where greater monitoring efforts are needed, given the diversity that exists across the nation in the types of health effects and circumstances of exposures; (2) what methods are most effective and appropriate for monitoring pesticide illnesses; (3) what resources would be required to design, implement, and maintain monitoring strategies; and (4) what types of technical and other assistance should be provided to selected and other organizations to implement improved monitoring systems. | EPA worked on a collaborative effort with NIOSH to develop a strategy to monitor occupational pesticide exposures. However, no budget resources have been devoted to this effort. |
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Topics
Agricultural industryEnvironmental monitoringstate relationsHealth hazardsMedical information systemsOccupational health standardsOccupational safetyPesticidesReporting requirementsOccupational diseases