- Author: Sarah Risorto
- Author: Lisa Blecker
- Author: Tammy Majcherek
We are in the midst of a new and changing era of Worker Protection Standards (WPS). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) recently published the revised WPS, which is meant to increase protections for agricultural fieldworkers and pesticide handlers from pesticide exposure when they're working in farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses. The changes are already affecting California agriculture!
What major regulatory changes have already gone into effect?
Several changes are required to have been in place as of January 2, 2017. These include:
- All 417,000 fieldworkers in California must attend annual pesticide safety training.
- Records of all fieldworker pesticide safety trainings must be kept on file for 2 years.
- Fields must be posted when the restricted entry interval (REI) exceeds 48 hours.
- “Application-exclusion zones” must be implemented to prevent the entry of anyone into areas up to 100 feet from pesticide application equipment.
- Instructors previously qualified via a DPR-approved Instructor Training programs (Train the Trainer) are qualified to train through 2017. If you wish to be qualified to train fieldworkers and handlers after December 31, 2017 using this qualification, you must complete an updated, DPR-approved Train the Trainer workshop.
Now is the time to make sure these changes are put in place!
What major regulatory changes are still in store for us? When will they happen?
The regulatory changes that must be in place by January 2, 2018 include:
- Additional training topics for fieldworkers and handlers have to be added to the curriculum.
- Handlers have to suspend an application if anyone enters the application exclusion zone.
Who do these changes affect?
Many people who work in the California agricultural community will be impacted by the WPS revisions. These include fieldworkers, pesticide handlers, farm labor contractors, private and in-house safety trainers, growers, farm managers, licensed pesticide applicators (private and commercial), pest control advisors (PCAs), and crop consultants, to name a few.
How do I know if I am qualified to train?
If you attended one of the DPR-approved Train-the-Trainer programs you are qualified through 2017. However, if you wish to continue training after the end of the year, you must complete a DPR-approved Instructor Training Program, which includes the 2018 training topic requirements.
If you maintain certain licenses/government designations, including PAC, QAC, QAL, PCA, and certain County Biologist licenses you are qualified to train. UCCE Advisors are also qualified to train.
How can I get qualified as a trainer?
To become a trainer, take an Instructor Training program that is approved by DPR for 2018 topics. The University of California Pesticide Safety Education Program (part of the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, UC IPM), in partnership with AgSafe, will offer multiple workshops this spring that cover the new federal requirements for fieldworker and handler training. You can reserve your spot now. At the end of the training you will be a certified pesticide safety instructor.
If I am currently qualified, how can I make sure I stay up to date on all the new requirements?
If you are currently qualified as a trainer because you maintain a California PAC, QAC, or QAL, or if you are a PCA, you can attend an Instructor Training Program this spring to learn about the new WPS requirements and additional training topics. While a certification may qualify you, an Instructor Training Program will prepare you to train! Register today!
WPST2Spring2017
- Author: Tammy Majcherek
Register today, then help spread the word and share this with your networks!
Join us for FIT+ (Forestry Institute for Teachers PLUS), a two-day workshop that provides training in K-12 environmental educationand special access to guest experts and unique California sites. All participants receive Project WET certification and a FREE K-12 curriculum guide. In addition to water and forestry topics, locally relevant topics may include watershed conservation, fire ecology, urban forestry and more! The training is designed for formal and non-formal educators who work with youth.
With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the recent publication of California's Blueprint for Environmental Literacy, and the impending implementation of Next Generation Science Standards, Project WET is a valuable resource for bringing environmental education into the classroom and for bringing students outside. The award-winning curriculum guide, recommended by NSTA, provides flexible and interdisciplinary activities for all K-12 grade levels and subject areas, supporting current and emerging learning standards. Project WET makes a great addition to any educator's toolkit!
FIT+ sessions are coming up in October (Yuba County), November (San Luis Obispo County), and January (Orange County). Scroll down to view the flyer or open the attached PDF and register at www.forestryinstitute.org/education.
Please share this event with your colleagues—we welcome both graduates and prospective participants of our Forestry Institute for Teachers!
- Author: Tammy Majcherek
UC Cooperative Extension, collaborating with various organizations such as OC Vector, Target Specialty Products, Univar, Orkin, Bell, BASF, Syngenta, and WECO to name a few, hosted the inaugural West Coast Rodent Academy at the South Coast REC demonstration landscapes.
The three day workshop on urban rodent management provided attendees an opportunity to develop skills in staged, real-life scenarios and lectures providing them with a better understanding of rodent ecology and integrated pest management strategies.
- Author: Tammy Majcherek
While your landscape plants will fair pretty well with intermittent rain storms, your potted plants may have a tendency to dry out. It's not too late to purchase a rain barrel or two. Take advantage of the rain, by capturing it (even if it is only drizzle, you will be surprised at what you will collect), and using it to water those thirsty container specimens saving a few dollars while you are at it too.
- Author: Tammy Majcherek
During the expo, there was plenty to do for both kids and adults while enjoying their time at the Center, guests were able to sit in on a presentation or two to learn how you go about removing turf, or maybe find out about new water-wise plant varieties, or about new irrigation products. If not engaged with one of the speakers, they might even talk to one of the many exhibitors on hand, catch a 'hands-on demonstration', or taste the wonderful fruits of the season grown at South Coast REC courtesy of the REC's extension program and project researchers.
It was truly a great day - smiling faces everywhere you turned. If you didn't make it this year, be sure to save the date for next year - September 30, 2017!