Notice Regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

NPMA has received information indicating that certain personal protective equipment (PPE) items are in short supply. With the critical need for N95 respirators in the health care field, there are few if any “dust/mist” type respirators or particulate filters (N, P, or HE) available in the marketplace, as of April 2020. Some distribution outlets are predicting back-orders with delivery-dates in June, July, or later. 

• Pesticides may not be applied without the label-required PPE. 
• Home-made masks are not sufficient substitutes for label-required respirators/masks. 
• No exemption or relaxation of the requirements has been made by EPA. 
• Users may need to select alternative products or practices, if required PPE is not available. For example, re-usable gloves can be washed and re-used in the absence of disposable gloves. 

Recommendations:

• Review product labels to identify key products that require respiratory protection. 
• Evaluate existing inventory and/or availability of PPE. 
• Seek alternative products or practices if PPE is not obtainable. There may be a very similar product available with different label requirements.