Solar Panel Installation Workers Exposed to Pesticides During Two Agricultural Applications - Michigan, August 2023 and May 2024.

Persons who work near farmland are at risk for exposure to pesticides applied on adjoining agricultural areas. Michigan regulations allow solar panel placement on farmland and open areas near farmland. Nonagricultural workers, including construction workers installing or maintaining solar panels, working in open areas on or adjacent to farmland might be exposed to pesticides yet have little knowledge of the possible health effects. Reports to Michigan's state pesticide surveillance program from hospitals, emergency departments, the state's poison center, and emergency service companies identified two separate events, the first in August 2023 and the second in May 2024, when workers installing solar panels experienced illness after pesticide exposures. In these two events, a total of 10 solar panel installation workers reported symptoms temporally related to nearby agriculture pesticide applications. Pesticide applicator adherence to product label instructions is critical to preventing bystander exposure. Increasing awareness of the potential for pesticide exposure among nonagricultural workers near farmland might reduce risk. Employers of nonagricultural workers who are working in rural areas should be aware of agricultural activity surrounding their worksites and should consider contacting farmers to determine pesticide application schedules so that nonagricultural workers can be advised to avoid the area or wear protective equipment during application times. Local poison control centers can provide guidance on management of acute exposures.