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Warning Signs for Pesticide Usage

Pesticides can be a necessary evil to save plants or halt the spread of disease. Unfortunately, the same toxins in pesticides that kill insects can have harmful effects on human health. For this reason, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a list of requirements for pesticide warning signs.

  1. Signs Must Be Bilingual

    • Because many agricultural workers speak Spanish as their native language, the EPA requires warning signs to be in both English and Spanish. The words "DANGER -- PELIGRO," "PESTICIDES -- PESTICIDAS" and "KEEP OUT -- NO ENTRE" must be clearly visible on warning signs. If there is an alternative foreign language that is spoken by many of your workers, that language may be used instead of Spanish.

    Design Requirements

    • The sign must feature, in the center of the sign, a circle with an upraised hand on the left and a stern face on the right. The inside of the circle must be red, the hand and face must contrast with the red color, and the remainder of the sign must also be a contrasting color. The size of the hand design must be at least two times the height of the smallest lettering on the sign, and the face must be only slightly smaller than the hand. Additional information, such as the date of pesticide application and name of the pesticide, may be present on the sign, as long as it doesn't detract from the main words and imagery.

    Size Requirements

    • Warning signs must be at least 14 inches by 16 inches, and lettering must be at least 1 inch high. In smaller areas where such a large sign can't be accommodated, such as farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses, a smaller sign may be used.

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