New Pesticide Training Requirements
for Farm Workers
If you employ workers to handle and spray Schedule 2 or 5 pesticides on your farm, a recent change to Ontario’s Pesticides Act and Regulation 914 could affect you and your employees. Beginning January 1, 2000 all agricultural workers who handle and apply Schedule 2 or 5 pesticides must either be certified through the Grower Pesticide Safety Course, or they must be a Trained Assistant (TA) who works under the supervision of a certified grower. TA training must be renewed every 5 years.
Trained Assistants may mix, load or apply a Schedule 2 or 5 pesticide only while under the supervision of a certified grower. The supervising certified grower must be present on the farm unit, and be easy to contact by the TA. There are a number of duties which a TA may not do. For Schedule 2 or 5 pesticides, Trained Assistants may not:
• purchase, select or recommend the type of product
• select or recommend the rate of application
• select the means of storage or disposal
• calibrate equipment for an extermination, or
• select the means of disposal for empty containers.
If you are a certified grower, you are responsible for all pesticide handling and use on your farm. When you supervise a Trained Assistant, you are still responsible for all pesticide work that TA performs.
The Ontario Pesticide Education Program at Ridgetown College is responsible for developing TA training for Ontario. There is currently one option available for TA training. Assistants may attend a Grower Pesticide Safety Course and choose not to write the exam. OPEP is also considering other training options for assistants. Details will be made available when these options are finalized.