Agricultural Safety and Health

WORKER PROTECTION STANDARD
AND AGRICULTURAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

Technical Support & EPA/WPS Compliance Assistance for Farm Employers and Workers

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Worker Protection Standard
and Agricultural Safety and Health

Penn State Worker Protection Standard Program

The Penn State Worker Protection Standard Program provides technical and compliance assistance to agricultural producers and their employees in understanding and complying with the requirements of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Worker Protection Standard. Links to university-based, state, and national agricultural safety and health programs are available.

The goal of the program is to address the needs of all farm workers, with a special focus on migrant farm workers and Anabaptist populations.

EPA Worker Protection Standard Technical and Compliance Assistance

This state-funded program is:

Designed to help growers, farm workers, and farm worker advocates gain an understanding of, and comply with, the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Worker Protection Standard (WPS)
Managed by the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health in collaboration with the Penn State Pesticide Education Program
Funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry

We help by:

Providing Worker Protection Standard (WPS) training to growers and their employees
Offering handler and worker WPS training
Conducting WPS evaluations on site to help growers comply with the WPS
Assisting growers’ groups with their concerns

Contact:

Joni Davis
Worker Protection Standard Specialist
106 Ford Building
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
(814) 863-8656
WPSprogram@psu.edu Facebook

Joni Davis B.S.

Worker Protection Standard Specialist

Joni Davis B.S.

Worker Protection Standard Specialist

Joni helps agricultural producers and their employees understand and comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Worker Protection Standard (WPS). The program places special emphasis on Plain Sect communities throughout the state and migrant and immigrant farm workers.

Joni offers technical and compliance assistance through:

on-site visits to farms, orchards, greenhouses, and nurseries;
presentations at agricultural producer meetings and conferences; and
the development of safety training materials.

Before joining PORH, Joni worked for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, most recently at the Department of Agriculture on the Spotted Lanternfly team where she provided compliance assistance to businesses within quarantine areas. She also was a Law Enforcement Ranger for State Parks with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. These positions allowed Joni to develop strong communication skills and the passion for helping people.

Joni earned a B.S. in Horticulture and Landscape Contracting from Penn State. She and her husband live in Clearfield and have four adult children.

Linda M. Fetzer, M.S.

Extension Associate, Penn State University Ag Safety & Health Program

Linda M. Fetzer, M.S.

Extension Associate, Penn State University Ag Safety & Health Program

(814) 865-4582

258 Ag Engineering Building University Park, PA 16802

Linda has been an Extension Associate through Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences since 2001. She is responsible for project management of the PA AgrAbility Project, coordination of the Northeast Ag Safety and Health Coalition through the Northeast Center, and participates in outreach, evaluation and social media for the Worker Protection Standard through PA Office of Rural Health, Safety in Agriculture for Youth (SAY) Project and Penn State Ag Safety and Health Program.

Linda holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Messiah College, and a master’s degree in Agricultural and Extension Education from Penn State. She lives on a farm in Centre Hall, PA with her husband and son.