- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
UC ANR Statewide IPM Program, Writer/Editor, (530) 750-1237
Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner. If you work in agricultural, turf, landscape, or structural settings, you are probably at your busiest. If you handle pesticides as part of your work, you most likely wear some sort of personal protective equipment (PPE). However, do you know if you are wearing the right type for the job that you do? Wearing the appropriate PPE, taking it off the right way, and correctly cleaning it prevents unnecessary pesticide exposure to yourself and others. Learn the steps so you don't expose your family members or those around you to pesticide residues by viewing a brand new online course on Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment from the UC Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM).
The course is approved by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) for 1.5 hours in the Laws and Regulations category. This course is designed for all pesticide handlers with the goal to provide them with information on pesticide labels and the California Code of Regulations (CCR) to help them select, wear, remove, and dispose of or store PPE.
In California, all pesticide handlers (applicators, mixers, loaders, those who transport pesticides, or those who fix application equipment) are legally required to wear PPE. However, in order to get the most protection from PPE, it must be used correctly. Violations involving the incorrect use of PPE were the second most commonly reported type of agricultural-use violation in 2017 as reported by DPR (PDF).
The new PPE online course opens with a scenario describing a real example of an accident reported to DPR that led to an incident of pesticide exposure because the correct eye protection was not worn. The content that follows is divided into six instructional modules, highlighting types of PPE, how to select it, and when certain items should be worn. Answer short questions about the different types of PPE. Open pesticide labels to learn how to select the right PPE and learn when certain items should be worn. Short how-to videos and animated sequences demonstrate the proper way to put on or remove items such as gloves, coveralls, respirators, and eyewear. You must pass a final test with 70% or higher to receive your certificate of completion and continuing education hours.
If this is the year to renew your license with DPR, get a jumpstart on it. Take this new course and all the other UC IPM online courses to refresh your knowledge and get the CEUs you need. There is a $30 fee for taking Proper Selection, Use, and Removal of Personal Protective Equipment. You are welcome to view the content for free on YouTube, but without the activities, final exam, and continuing education credit. For more information about license renewal, visit DPR.
- Author: Ben Faber
7th VENTURA COUNTY SPRAY SAFE EVENT
MARCH 20, 2018
VENTURA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS
I. Registration (7:30–8:30 a.m.)
II. Opening Session (8:30–8:55 a.m.)
1. Welcoming Remarks and Introductions — Brian Benchwick, Chairman, Ventura County Spray Safe Planning Committee
2. Ventura County Spray Safe Overview — John Krist, Chief Executive Officer, Farm Bureau of Ventura County
3. The Importance and Value of Compliance — Eric Lauritzen, Policy Advisor, California Department of Pesticide Regulation
III. Morning Speakers (8:55–10:10 a.m.)
- How Water Quality Regulations Address Pesticide Use and Safety— Jenny Newman, TMDL Unit Chief, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board
- Understanding the Pesticide Registration Process — Debbie Stubbs, Regulatory Product Manager, Syngenta Crop Protection
- Protecting Schools Near Farms — Colleen Robertson, Principal, Somis School
IV. Station Training Sessions(10:15 – 11:50 a.m.) Attendees will be divided into four groups, which will rotate through the stations, with 20 minutes per station and 5 minutes of move time per rotation.
1. Improving Water Quality Through Pesticide BMPs — Nancy Broschart, Farm Bureau
2. Drift Avoidance and Safety — Kevin Miskel, Aspen Helicopters; Danny Pereira, Rio Farms
3. Spray Rig Calibration — Marianna Castiaux, California Strawberry Commission
4. Field Inspection and Worker Safety Compliance — County Agricultural Commissioner
V. Buffet Lunch (11:50 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.) — Marshall's Bodacious BBQ
VI. Closing Session (12:45 – 1:30 p.m.)
1. Speaker Introductions — Brian Benchwick
2. Statewide Regulatory Perspectives and Issues — Brian Leahy, Director, California Department of Pesticide Regulation
3. Closing Remarks — William Terry, Vegetable Grower, Terry Farms
Attendance is free, but advance registration is
required. Fax (805) 987-3874 or email
spraysafe@farmbureauvc.com
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- Author: Cheryl Reynolds
UC Statewide IPM Program
November has arrived, and before you know it we'll be ringing in 2018! For those who hold a license or certificate from the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), and have a last name starting with the letter M through Z, this is your year to renew.
DPR is urging license and certificate holders to mail in applications now to avoid late fees and to allow enough time for processing so that you can receive your new license or certificate by the beginning of the new year. Renewing early gives DPR time to notify you if you are short any continuing education (CE) hours and allows you time to complete any additional CE courses without having to retest.
If you need more hours to complete your renewal application and don't have time to attend an in-person meeting, then check out the online courses available from the UC Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM).
The following UC IPM and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources online courses have been approved by DPR and are available whenever and wherever you want to take them.
Laws and Regulations
- Proper Pesticide Use to Avoid Illegal Residues (2 hours) $40.00 charge
- Providing Integrated Pest Management Services in Schools and Child Care Settings (1 hour Laws and Regulations and 1 hour Other)
Other
- Citrus IPM: California Red Scale (1 hour)
- Citrus IPM: Citricola Scale (1 hour)
- Citrus IPM: Citrus Peelminer (1 hour)
- Citrus IPM: Citrus Red Mite (1 hour)
- Citrus IPM: Cottony Cushion Scale (1 hour)
- Citrus IPM: Forktailed Bush Katydid (1 hour)
- Pesticide Application Equipment and Calibration (1.5 hours)
- Pesticide Resistance (2 hours)
- Tuta absoluta: A Threat to California Tomatoes (1 hour)
- Urban Pesticide Runoff and Mitigation: IPM – Pesticide Properties (1 hour)
- Urban Pesticide Runoff and Mitigation: Impact of Pesticides - Urban Pesticide Runoff (1 hour)
- Urban Pesticide Runoff and Mitigation: Water Quality and Mitigation: Bifenthrin and Fipronil (1 hour)
- Urban Pesticide Runoff and Mitigation: Herbicides and Water Quality (1 hour)
For those of you with last names A through L (or those of you who want to get a jump on your CE hours), look for new online courses from UC IPM coming in early 2018.
View the list of all DPR-approved online or in-person courses. For more information on the license and certification program and renewal information, visit the DPR website.
For more information about pest management and other training opportunities, see the UC IPM website.
- Author: Ben Faber
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- Author: Stephanie Parreira
UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), poisoning is the number one cause of injury-related death in the United States, and 1073 people in California were poisoned by pesticides in 2014 alone. Each year since 1962, National Poison Prevention Week has taken place during the third week of March, to raise awareness about avoiding these tragedies. No one wants their workers or family members to experience illness or death from pesticide exposure, so the UC IPM Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) would like to bring special attention to preventing pesticide poisoning this week. The program also published a new edition of The Safe and Effective Use of Pesticidesin 2016, which contains a wealth of pesticide safety and hazard prevention information for people who work with pesticides.
Both agricultural and household pesticides can poison people if they are not properly handled. In agriculture, poisoning most often results from pesticide mixing and loading, and the most harm occurs due to spills, splashes and equipment failure. In the home, many pesticide poisoning incidents involve children swallowing pesticides, including garden products, disinfectant cleaners, or other chemicals used to control pests.
One of the most important things you can do to prevent pesticide poisoning is to follow the instructions on the pesticide label. Labels address critical information about how to use a pesticide safely, including the kind of personal protective equipment (PPE) you should wear to prevent overexposure, how much of the product to apply, the minimum time you must wait to enter the area after applying the pesticide (the restricted entry interval), and the minimum time that must pass between application and harvest (preharvest interval).
Labels also include important signal words such as “Danger,” “Warning,” or “Caution” that indicate how acutely toxic the chemical is to humans, as well as directions to avoid pesticide contamination of sensitive areas such as schools and hospitals. These instructions are meant to protect anyone who is at risk of being exposed to hazardous pesticide residues. It is essential to thoroughly read and understand the pesticide label before working with the pesticide, and to carefully comply with label instructions throughout the process. The UC IPM guide to Understanding Pesticide Labels for Making Proper Applications can help you do this, and is available in both English and Spanish.
If you apply pesticides in or around your home, be sure to store them properly and keep them out of the reach of children. Keep in mind that even mothballs may look like candy to very young children. It is illegal and unsafe to store pesticides in food or drink containers, which can easily fool people into consuming them and being poisoned. According to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, these mistakes caused 62 incidents of child poisoning from pesticide ingestion in California in 2014, and 47 of those cases involved children under six years of age.
To learn more about poisoning and how to prevent it, consider visiting the following resources:
Center for Disease Control and Prevention Leading Causes of Death Reports
National Poison Prevention Week website
National Pesticide Information Center
UC IPM online course: Proper Pesticide Use to Avoid Illegal Residues