What does the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) aim to achieve?

The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a critical regulation designed to shield agricultural workers from the potential hazards associated with pesticide exposure. Its primary goal is to minimize the risk of harm to workers who handle or may come into contact with pesticides, ensuring their health and safety while they perform their duties in agricultural environments.

The WPS establishes specific requirements for agricultural employers, including the provision of safety training, access to information about pesticide applications, and necessary protective equipment. By implementing these measures, the WPS plays a significant role in reducing incidents of pesticide-related illnesses and ensuring that workers are informed about the risks and safety protocols associated with pesticide use.

The other answer choices do not accurately reflect the focus of the WPS. While maximizing crop yield and enhancing pesticide effectiveness are important goals in agriculture, they are not the primary aims of the WPS. Promoting organic farming methods is also not within the scope of the WPS, which is fundamentally concerned with worker safety in relation to conventional pesticide use. Thus, the emphasis on protecting agricultural workers from pesticide exposure encapsulates the core mission of the Worker Protection Standard.