Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
HSRB
Review
of
Worker
Exposure
Study
Protocols
Elliot
Gordon
Chairman
of
Administrative
Committee
June
29,
2006
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Three
Defining
Characteristics
1.
AHETF
monitors
workplace
exposure
under
normal
agricultural
product­
use
conditions,
in
contrast
to
clinical
toxicology
studies.

2.
AHETF
studies
address
USEPA,
PMRA
and
Cal­
DPR
regulatory
data
requirements
and
utilize
consensus
derived
regulatory
exposure
monitoring
methods
and
standards.

3.
Individual
studies
are
part
of
an
integrated
industry
task
force
effort.
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Workplace
Exposure
Monitoring
°
AHETF
studies
monitor
professional
farm
workers
who
mix,
load,
and
apply
pesticides
(
their
normal
job
activities)
in
standard,
agricultural
settings
at
appropriate
times
during
the
year.

°
Products
handled
in
AHETF
studies
are
widely
used
USEPA­
registered
products.

°
Study
participants
comply
with
all
product
label
requirements
and
the
USEPA
Worker
Protection
Standard
(
WPS).
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Workplace
Exposure
Monitoring
°
An
Institutional
Review
Board
reviews
and
approves
all
AHETF
protocols
prior
to
initiation
of
work.

°
The
informed­
consent
document
is
issued
by
the
IRB.
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Regulatory
Data
Requirements
and
Methods
°
AHETF
data
are
generic
rather
than
product­
specific.
These
studies
are
conducted
to
satisfy
USEPA,
California
(
DPR)
and
Canadian
(
PMRA)
occupational
exposure
data
requirements
as
a
replacement
for
PHED.

°
AHETF
develops
the
testing
program
and
protocols
in
consultation
with
the
Joint
Regulatory
Committee
comprised
of
USEPA,
USDA,

PMRA,
Cal­
DPR,
and
AHETF.

°
AHETF
has
conducted
or
initiated
14
exposure
studies.
In
addition,

IRB
has
reviewed
and
approved
the
5
protocols
currently
before
you.
Approximately
40
additional
studies
will
be
conducted
over
the
next
several
years.
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Protocol
Review
Process
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Regulatory
Data
Requirements
and
Methods
°
North
American
regulatory
agencies
will
use
the
data
in
risk
assessments
applicable
to
crop
protection
products
and
uses.

°
AHETF
studies
conform
to
established
Agency
and
OECD
guideline
methods
and
procedures.
These
have
evolved
for
over
40
years
and
incorporate
advances
in
both
science
and
ethics.
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Pesticides
can
be
mixed,
loaded
and
applied
in
numerous
ways
that
account
for
differences
in
equipment,
product
formulations,
crops
and
regions.
The
Task
Force
has
focused
on
33
use
scenarios.
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Integrated
Task
Force
Program
°
The
Task
Force's
purpose
is
to
develop
a
comprehensive,
integrated
database
rather
than
a
series
of
stand­
alone
studies,
which
PHED
reflects.

°
Data
from
multiple
studies
populate
the
Task
Force
database
of
33
use
scenarios.
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Integrated
Task
Force
Program
°
AHETF
performs
statistical
analyses
on
data
within
a
scenario,
not
on
data
from
the
individual
studies
that
comprise
the
scenario.

°
AHETF
uses
standardized
protocols;
they
are
identical
except
for
study­
specific
work
activity,

equipment,
location,
and
timing.
Agricultural
Handlers
Exposure
Task
Force
Summary
°
AHETF
study
schedules
are
time
sensitive
and
would
benefit
from
an
expedited
HSRB
review.

°
AHETF
is
interested
in
working
with
the
HSRB
and
USEPA
to
develop
ways
to
streamline
this
new
review
process.

 
e.
g.,
Generalized
Study
Protocols
