Moving from Evidence to Collaboration and Action: Identifying and Addressing Causes of Pesticide Over-Exposure in Washington State Agricultural Employees

Agricultural workers continue to be over-exposed to pesticides despite regulations and ongoing interventions by worksites and governments. Creative efforts to explore the circumstances and causes of pesticide exposures and illnesses are needed. Inter-agency collaboration within government and with research institutions can greatly enhance the prevention of over-exposure of agricultural workers to pesticides. State departments of health, agriculture, and labor, as well as universities, that collect data related to occupational exposures to agricultural pesticides can bring this information together to better inform prevention activities.

We present a case study of a new collaboration between Washington State Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, and staff from the Division of Occupational Safety and Health of the Department of Labor and Industries to facilitate evidence-based decisions. The agencies pooled and reviewed data collected during pesticide illness disease surveillance, enforcement of Worker Protection Standard regulations, statewide biomonitoring of certain pesticide handlers, and scientific research to identify causes and circumstances of pesticide over-exposure. The analysis of these datasets presented unique challenges because they described different subgroups of agricultural workers and most datasets did not include controls.

The inter-agency group's goal is to reach consensus on trends, prevention strategies, and the design and implementation of an implementation plan. Prevention efforts may be targeted to specific audiences within the agricultural community, including handlers, supervisors, and growers. This analysis is intended for use in prioritizing education, outreach, and policy considerations.