NOM-003-STPS

NOM-003-STPS is one of the Normas Oficiales Mexicanas (NOM) dealing with occupational safety and health. In its current version, NOM-003-STPS-1999, it specifically regulates the safety and hygiene conditions for agricultural activities that involve the use of phytosanitary inputs or pesticides and plant-nutrition inputs or fertilizers. It was issued by the Secretariat of Labour and Social Welfare (STPS) and first published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) on 28 December 1999.

Scope and legal basis

NOM-003-STPS-1999 is grounded in Mexico's Federal Labour Law and applies throughout the national territory to workplaces where pesticides or fertilizers are stored, transported or handled in connection with agricultural activities. Unlike more general workplace standards, it focuses on the specific chemical and toxicological risks faced by agricultural workers who apply these products in the field.

The standard defines key terms it relies on, including:

• Phytosanitary input or pesticide: any substance or mixture intended to prevent, repel, control or destroy organisms harmful to plants, such as insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, acaricides, molluscicides, nematicides and rodenticides.
• Plant-nutrition input or fertilizer: any substance or mixture providing nutrients for crops that has toxic, irritant or corrosive properties, such as anhydrous ammonia, phosphoric acid or sulphuric acid.

Main requirements

1. Hazard information and training: the employer must inform and train workers about the risks of the products they handle and the safe procedures for their use.
2. Personal protective equipment: workers handling or applying these chemicals must be provided with appropriate protective equipment for the task.
3. Hygiene measures: employers must provide soap and clean water so workers can wash and shower; eating, drinking and smoking during handling are prohibited, and hands must be washed after working with chemicals.
4. Signage and re-entry control: areas treated with pesticides must be marked, and access controlled, to prevent exposure.
5. Records and documentation: the standard requires records that demonstrate compliance and facilitate labour inspections.

Why it matters for companies and workers

Complying with NOM-003-STPS-1999 is a legal obligation for agricultural employers, but it also reduces occupational illness, poisoning incidents and the associated costs. For workers, it ensures access to adequate protection and safe handling practices, lowering the risk of acute and chronic exposure to agrochemicals.

Inspection and enforcement

The STPS is empowered to carry out inspections and verify compliance. Where breaches are found, it can impose fines and, in cases of serious risk, order the temporary suspension of activities. Meeting the standard can also support broader occupational health and safety management systems such as ISO 45001.

Challenges and opportunities

Applying the standard can be more demanding for small and medium-sized agricultural producers, which may face budget or technical-knowledge constraints to adapt facilities and train staff. Government guidance and advisory programmes exist to support adoption. Larger agribusinesses, with dedicated occupational health and safety teams, can act as references and spread good practice along their supply chains, contributing to a stronger preventive culture.

This standard sits within Mexico's wider framework of environmental and occupational regulation, alongside instruments such as the LGEEPA and the broader system of Normas Oficiales Mexicanas.

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