This project is conducted for reforestation pesticide handlers, a workforce that is largely Latino, faces significant language barriers to accessing label information, and has limited organizational and safety training support. According to U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification data from 2015 to 2021, Oregon has seen a significant increase in H2B forestry guest worker visas, compared to the other states in the country, with Jackson County having the most of H2B workers in the state. Forestry Services workers have been traditionally underserved, yet Oregon OSHA and PNASH have stood out in their efforts to serve this hidden workforce.
Over 2024, our aims are to:
Aim 1: Develop bilingual (Spanish and English) labels and education resources for 40 commonly used products applied in vegetation management for reforestation.
Aim 2: Deliver pesticide label education for Spanish and English-speaking reforestation pesticide handlers in partnership with Oregon Pesticide Education Program (PSEP) and Oregon OSHA (OROSHA).
This service project builds on past work and provides new resources to meet Oregon pesticide safety trainer and supervisor needs. It will also serve as a model for bilingual label accessibility, a new requirement from the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) of 2022 and identify future needs for the forestry services industry.