At a glance
We use data from the SENSOR-Pesticides Program and the National Poison Data System to keep workers safe from work-related pesticide exposures.
About this program
The Pesticide Illness and Injury Surveillance Program was developed to examine over-exposure to pesticides in the workplace.
We use this knowledge to prevent these exposures from happening. This kind of surveillance also serves as an early warning system for any harmful effects not detected by pesticide manufacturer testing.
Data sources
We use two data sources to monitor the trends in pesticide-related illnesses and injuries that occur on the job:
- SENSOR-Pesticides (Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risk-Pesticides) program data
- National Poison Data System (NPDS) data
SENSOR-Pesticides data
The SENSOR Program builds and maintains occupational illness and injury surveillance within state health departments.
One of the conditions supported under SENSOR is acute occupational pesticide-related illness and injury. This is referred to as the "SENSOR-Pesticides" program. Using cooperative agreement funds from NIOSH and the EPA, health departments conduct surveillance on acute occupational pesticide-related illnesses or injuries.
States participating in the SENSOR-Pesticides program receive federal funding and/or technical support.
- California
- Illinois
- Michigan
- North Carolina
- Texas
- Washington
- Florida
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oregon
If your state's health department wants to participate in the SENSOR-Pesticides program, please contact us.
Chart these data!
The SENSOR-Pesticides Program is recognized nationally as providing critical information for occupational and public health:
- Influenced federal regulations: In September 2015, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revised the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) meant to reduce pesticide exposures among agricultural workers. This was the first major WPS revision in 20 years. SENSOR-Pesticides findings are extensively cited in the revised rules.
- Improved pesticide applicator training and certification: In December 2016, EPA revised regulations for pesticide applicator certification and training to ensure the competent use of "restricted use" pesticides (RUP). Findings from SENSOR-Pesticides are extensively cited in the announcement. This was the first major revision to these regulations in 40 years.
- Safer pest control in schools: After a SENSOR-Pesticides journal article on the national incidence of pesticide poisoning at schools was published, five states passed laws requiring schools to control pests using methods with the least possible health hazards.
- Improved pesticide product labels: Findings by SENSOR-Pesticides led to label changes for countless pesticide products to enhance clarity and improve safety. They also lead to state laws in California, Florida, and North Carolina to provide greater protection from pesticide hazards.
National Poison Data System (NPDS)
Besides the SENSOR-Pesticides Program data, we also use NPDS data for acute pesticide illness and injury surveillance.
In the United States, poison control centers receive phone calls reporting instances of poison exposure to adults and children. These centers serve all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Every phone call received is documented in the National Poison Data System (NPDS). The NPDS data are updated regularly.
We use NPDS data to track acute work-related pesticide poisonings, which is one of 25 Occupational Health Indicators tracked by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE)A.
Resources
MMWR pesticide-related articles
MMWR is a CDC weekly scientific publication containing data and reports on specific health and safety topics. View selected pesticide-related MMWR articles in NIOSHTIC-2, a database of occupational safety and health publications funded in whole or in part by NIOSH.
Pesticide-related journal articles
- View selected peer-reviewed, pesticide-related articles in NIOSHTIC-2.
- View the NIOSHTIC-2 database full search results on pesticides.
NIOSHTIC-2 is a database of occupational safety and health publications funded in whole or in part by NIOSH.
- Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health protects the health and safety of workers in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing (AgFF) sector.
- Pesticides and Reproductive Health
- EPA Pesticides
- National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) is an EPA-funded resource that provides information on pesticide toxicology, environmental chemistry, product-specific information as well as recognition and management of pesticide poisoning.
- EPA Pesticide Poisoning Handbook
- American Association of Poison Control Centers contains an updated list of local and regional poison control centers.
- EPA's National Strategies for Health Care Providers: Pesticides Initiative identifies and implements strategies for educating health care providers on how to recognize, diagnose and manage pesticide-related health conditions.
- The Occupational Health Indicators were defined by the Occupational Health Surveillance Work Group that consists of NIOSH staff and state occupational health professionals working under the support of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE).