The Spanish Translation Guide for Pesticide Labeling serves as an essential resource for accurately translating crucial human health and safety information on pesticide labels from English to Spanish. This guide is vital for ensuring that workers, particularly those with limited English proficiency, can readily access and understand safety instructions, thereby minimizing pesticide exposure risks, protecting the environment, and facilitating appropriate responses in case of exposure incidents.
Driven by the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5), enacted in December 2022, amendments to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) now mandate Spanish translations for specific sections of end-use pesticide product labels, wherever translation examples are available within the Spanish Translation Guide. This legal requirement necessitates that these Spanish translations be present directly on the product container or easily accessible via a scannable link or other electronic methods featured on the label. For a deeper understanding, refer to the Introduction to Bilingual Labeling.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initially developed the Spanish Translation Guide in 2019, responding to stakeholder feedback highlighting the critical need for bilingual pesticide labeling to safeguard pesticide handlers, applicators, and farmworkers, many of whom are primarily Spanish speakers. Crafted in universal Spanish, the guide aims to maximize comprehension across diverse Spanish-speaking communities. It offers pesticide registrants a reliable tool to maintain translation accuracy and consistency on product labels, streamlining the process of incorporating Spanish language information.
A revised and enhanced version of the Spanish Translation Guide was launched by the EPA in December 2024, superseding the initial 2019 edition. This update, informed by extensive stakeholder input, expands upon key areas, including:
- Regulations for restricted use pesticides.
- Clarification of misuse statements.
- Refinement of first aid and precautionary statement label language.
- Detailed guidelines for personal protective equipment (PPE) label statements.
- Introduction of new sections addressing engineering controls, environmental hazards, and physical or chemical hazards.
- Comprehensive storage and pesticide container disposal instructions.
It’s important to note that each section included in the Spanish Translation Guide represents a mandatory labeling component that must be fully translated to comply with section 3(f)(5) of FIFRA. The Spanish Translation Guide is designed to complement, not alter, the approved English labeling language.
According to PRIA 5 stipulations, starting in 2025, pesticide registrants are obligated to translate all relevant sections of their pesticide end-use labels, as outlined in the Spanish Translation Guide, into Spanish, ensuring these translations are “true and accurate.” The updated guide introduces new sections requiring translation, such as environmental hazard statements. Registrants who have already translated these new sections and verified their accuracy are not required to revise them. Similarly, there’s no need to modify existing English statements to align with the English phrasing in the Spanish Translation Guide. The EPA generally permits pesticide label translations into any language, provided an EPA-accepted English version exists and the translation maintains truth and accuracy. Many pesticide manufacturers, particularly those producing homeowner-use products, already provide fully translated Spanish labeling. However, a significant number of products still have labels available only in English.
PRIA 5 mandates the EPA to notify registrants within 10 days of any updates to the Spanish Translation Guide. The Federal Register Notice announcing the 2024 second edition is accessible in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0521 at www.regulations.gov.
The December 2024 Spanish Translation Guide update does not alter the PRIA 5 implementation deadlines. Future updates to the guide will necessitate registrants to incorporate translations for all required sections according to the PRIA 5 timelines, which vary based on product type (agricultural vs. non-agricultural).
- For agricultural use pesticide labels, updates must be implemented within one year of the updated Spanish Translation Guide’s publication date or the latest EPA-approved label date, whichever is earlier.
- For antimicrobial and non-agricultural use pesticide labels, the update timeframe is two years from the publication date of the updated guide or the latest EPA-approved label date, whichever is earlier.
The Spanish Translation Guide for Pesticide Labeling can be accessed and downloaded via the following links:
Further details on PRIA 5 requirements and bilingual labeling implementation deadlines can be found at the EPA’s website for Bilingual Labeling Questions & Answers.
Additional Spanish translation resources related to pesticides are available through the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative.
