Using pesticides – Non-certified assistants

Overview

The supervision and training of non-certified assistants is the responsibility of certified pesticide applicators. They may supervise up to 6 assistants at any time. These may be any combination of non-certified and authorized assistants.

Requirements and restrictions

Non-certified assistants must be at least 16 years of age. They must be 18 to apply Schedule 1 pesticides. To understand what a Schedule 1 pesticide is, see:

• Part one - Pesticide management regulations

Non-certified assistants are not allowed to apply pesticides with labels stating “For Use by Certified or Authorized Applicators.”

Training

Non-certified assistants do not require formal training or an examination, but they must be trained by a supervising applicator.

Training checklist

The supervising applicator must complete a training checklist with every non-certified assistant they supervise:

• prior to any pesticide application
• whenever the pesticide or the pesticide rate, equipment, calibration or site changes
• at least once yearly after that

The checklist is available at the end of the Environmental Code of Practice for Pesticides.

Supervision

There are 2 types of supervision required:

Direct supervision

This applies to all pesticide applications specified in Section 5(11) of the Environmental Code of Practice for Pesticides. The certified applicator must be physically present at the site throughout the entire application.

Daily supervision

This applies to all other applications. The certified applicator must be physically present at least once a day at the application site to conduct a site visit to check the applications conducted by each assistant. If the assistant needs to change the pesticide, application rate, equipment and calibration, then the applicator must conduct another site visit.

The applicator must conduct a number of checks when conducting a site visit. The required checks are specified in section 5(8) of the Environmental Code of Practice for Pesticides.

Applicator’s responsibility

The certified applicator is responsible for the non-certified assistants’ pesticide-related activities. They must be readily available to physically assist the assistant and must remain in radio or telephone contact at all times.