California pesticide regulators are alerting growers and farm labor contractors to recurring gaps in workplace safety after releasing a new summary of the state’s most common pesticide-related violations in 2024. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s annual roundup, drawn from field inspections and county investigations, highlights continued noncompliance in areas ranging from labeling requirements to recordkeeping and worker protection.
Improper pesticide use — specifically, applications that conflicted with product labels or permit conditions — remained the most frequently cited violation under food and agricultural codes. DPR notes that misapplications can include treating unlisted crops, applying without required buffers, or failing to follow equipment or timing instructions. The agency has long emphasized that “the label is the law,” and improper use often leads to enforcement actions by county agricultural commissioners.
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Safety requirements for fieldworkers and handlers accounted for several other high-ranking violations. Inspectors repeatedly found missing or incomplete personal protective equipment, as well as cases where PPE was damaged, improperly stored or not used as required on the label. Regulations mandate that employers provide and maintain all required equipment and ensure it is used correctly.
DPR also reported gaps in hazard communication postings, particularly for safety leaflets and application-specific information that must be displayed before workers enter a treated field. The report lists examples of employers failing to provide start-and-end application times, restricted-entry interval information or safety data sheets. Those materials must remain accessible for two years.
Training deficiencies continued to surface in 2024. Some employers lacked documentation verifying handler training within the last two years, while others did not update trainings to reflect newly introduced pesticides. State rules require training in a language employees understand and in a setting free of distractions.
Other common violations included service container mislabeling and operating as a pest control business without registering with the county agricultural commissioner. DPR also cited missing emergency medical care postings at worksites, a requirement intended to expedite treatment in the event of a pesticide-related illness.
