Training farmworkers about pesticide safety: Issues of control

Farmworkers experience a lack of control over the conditions of their work environment. In trying to reduce the effects of exposure to pesticides, mos t health care providers give instructions to farmworkers about how to prote ct themselves. Outreach programs that target farmworkers focus on health ed ucation and recommend washing hands, wearing appropriate clothing, and avoi ding direct contact. The research reported in this paper shows that farmwor kers in North Carolina perceive many of these preventive measures to be out side their control. The ability of farmworkers to engage in safe practices depends on their capability to communicate with their employer, have positi ve work relationships, and the availability of protective equipment. The pe rceptions of control identified in this paper are issues that service provi ders and policy makers should consider to provide programs that will effect ively promote pesticide safety and healthier farmworkers.