A broad agricultural standard
NOM-003-STPS-2023 covers land preparation, harvesting, storage, movement and packing, including agrochemicals and machinery where relevant. It was published on 25 January 2024 and entered into force on 25 January 2025, replacing NOM-003-STPS-1999 and NOM-007-STPS-2000. A review focused only on pesticides therefore misses part of its scope. The agricultural risks entry can support initial hazard identification, while this article explains the specific Mexican framework and its wider application.
Identify hazards by activity and location
Employers must document hazards involving agrochemicals, tractors, equipment and tools, height, confined spaces, handling, noise, vibration, sunlight, dust, biological agents and environmental conditions, among others. Findings feed into the safety and health diagnosis. A crop does not necessarily create the same exposure during preparation, application, harvesting and packing: tasks and affected people need differentiation, including movement and maintenance activities that can be missed when assessment focuses only on the main production stage.
Measures, welfare and communication
The standard requires general procedures and measures as well as arrangements for agrochemicals and machinery. It addresses drinking water, sanitary facilities, hygienic meal areas and accommodation where applicable. It also requires preventive talks lasting at least five minutes, at minimum before the start of each working week, without replacing required training. Information should relate to identified risks, with attention to whether people understand instructions and the emergency arrangements relevant to their activities.
Health surveillance and protected groups
Health surveillance for occupationally exposed personnel should respond to the risks. It does not mean giving everyone the same test or diagnosing conditions from a checklist. The standard contains specific prohibitions for people under eighteen and restrictions concerning pregnancy and breastfeeding that require application according to its text. Health and protection decisions need coordination with competent professionals and appropriate confidentiality rather than informal conclusions drawn by operational supervisors alone.
Example: adding a seasonal task
At the start of a campaign involving a different product and equipment, review agrochemical authorisation, information, exposure, machinery, training and emergency response before retaining previous practices. Seasonal duration does not create an exemption from prevention. The plan should connect resources and incident response, without improvising treatment or chemical application operations from an explanatory article. Actual tasks and working conditions remain the basis for the preventive decisions taken.
