Cholinesterase Monitoring: Grower's Perspective and Medical Providers PDF Version

(Part of Pesticide Issues Conference)

Jeff Lutz
Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center


Understanding the Rule

  • Tracking and record keeping
  • Workforce training & education
  • Identification of covered products and tolerances
  • Small farm disadvantage
Finding a Provider
  • Assurance of provider understanding of rule
  • Rural area difficulties
  • Using DOT, Occ. Med., Respirator rule providers?
  • Certified-trained medical provider list not available to growers
Medical Provider Issues
  • Can growers have on-site visits and streamline the draw process?
  • Will providers do “mass draws” as is done with Respirator questionnaire?
Unknowns are a problem
  • Growers are suspect of Medical Providers; will ChE depression become claim?
  • Will state lab have timely results?
  • Will testing result show problem?
  • Will lab report to provider generate WISHA inspection?
  • Will natural fluctuations in ChE result in false positives?
Who pays
  • Additional grower costs for testing
  • Perceived versus actual exposure problem
  • Legislature mandated dollars for testing
  • Currently lab is only cost deferred
The Jury’s Still Out
  • Annual review of rule needed
  • Governor’s commission needs “current” data
  • Rule should sunset if results show little or no exposure
  • Will shift in threshold result in more positives?
  • Will natural ChE fluctuations cause false positives-negatives?

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Reviewed for NASD: 06/2006