University
of CaliforniaUniversity
of CaliforniaSteve's
Selected Notes from Ag-Busnet -- November, December 2001
Contents:
DPR Exam Schedule 2002
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has issued the 2002 statewide schedule of examinations for applicants seeking a "Qualified Applicator Certificate (QAC)." Click on "Examination Schedule".
Not only are certificate holders qualified to apply restricted crop protection materials (pesticides), they are also deemed "qualified" to provide pesticide safety instruction for non-certified applicators (at the end of the hose) and for field workers before they enter work areas defined as "treated" fields.
A Pesticide Question
A Tulare County reader aware of my interest in human (and environmental) pesticide safety regulations asks ... "Hi Steve:
I'm doing some work for the Xxxxxx Commission rebutting some restrictions being proposed by EPA for Guthion. I am interested in seeing data regarding incidents of farm worker poisoning due to this pesticide in xxxxxxx for the past several years in California by county. Can you get me this information? Thanks for any help."
Let's see. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation does tabulate (human) injuries and illnesses "definitely, probably, and possibly" linked to pesticide exposure, and when possible, identifies the active ingredient involved. To my knowledge, no breakdown by crop is available in published form.
For example, the 1999 Click on "Illnesses/Injuries Reported by Physicians in California with Confirmed Relationship to Pesticide Exposure, Summarized by Pesticide(s), Type of Illness and Degree of Relationship". Other years can be pinpointed by searching the DPR web site (keyword injuries).
Active ingredient for the insecticide Guthion is azinphos-methyl. From 1996-1999, I observe that only one (systemic) injury statewide was "possibly" linked to azinphos-methyl. As an aside, though, this man-made chemical is, according to one product MSDS, "extremely toxic to fish and wildlife."
Dairy Safety Paycheck Stuffer
Yesterday, a California dairyman expressed, by phone, "concerns" about Cal/OSHA, and asked if I had any dairy-specific safety material. While still waiting for him to stop by for a packet of free printed resources, this is to offer, for those of you interested, a 2-page Word document entitled "Dairy Worker Safety" in English and Spanish. Could make a suitable paycheck stuffer for dairy employers. You may request by email to Yolanda Murillo, Assistant, at ymurillo@ucdavis.edu.