Project Be Smart Be Safe: Bringing pesticide right-to-know information to farmworkers

Project Be Smart, Be Safe was a two-year right-to-know pilot project conducted by Farmworker Justice and Campesinos Sin Fronteras. Using peer educators, it provided information to lettuce harvesters about the long- and short-term health problems associated with the specific pesticides used on lettuce. Farmworkers, who suffer an estimated 12,000-20,000 pesticide poisonings annually, are not protected by OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard. Instead, they receive cursory pesticide safety training once every five years. Key project components included: 1) developing an interactive, culturally appropriate right-to-know curriculum and training six volunteer community health workers (CHW); 2) having CHWs provide outreach and right-to-know education to 2,000 lettuce workers on the specific health risks they face and practical ways to protect themselves and their families; 3) developing and distributing a low-literacy, pocket-sized crop booklet with pictures and simple words covering hazard information; 4) reinforcing the safety message through social marketing; 5) educating 50 growers about the long-term hazards posed by the pesticides they use, and 6) evaluating the project's impact. Through focus groups and pre- and post-test surveys with a convenience sample of 200 workers, the project demonstrated increases in some safety behaviors (e.g., self reports that they always washed hands before eating at work increased from 53% to 86%), positive response to crop booklets, and enhanced credibility of CHWs during the PSA campaign. Growers learned that some pesticides they use on lettuce are associated with increased risk of cancer. Results will be used to urge EPA to adopt Hazard Communication protections for farmworkers.