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Information for Pesticide Applicators...
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Certification and training programs
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FIFRA requires that applicators using pesticides classified as restricted-use must be certified. Certified applicators must demonstrate competency by meeting the standards for use and handling of pesticides. The New England State Lead Agencies for pesticides (SLA's) have the primary responsibility for certification of pesticide applicators in their respective states and applicator certification and training programs are conducted by all states in Region 1. The Cooperative Extension Service together with the SLA's conducts training for pesticide applicators in each of the New England states. The EPA and SLA's, in cooperation with the Cooperative Extension Service, develop and distribute training materials to certified applicators. By ensuring proper pesticide use through pesticide applicator certification and training, EPA and the SLA's are helping to protect pesticide applicators, workers, the general public, and the safety of our nation's food supply and environment.
| Integrated Pest Management (IPM) |
IPM is a knowledge-based, systematic approach to pest control which requires evaluation of control (or management) alternatives including biological, cultural, chemical, host plant resistance, and other methods (tactics) before choosing the best method, or combination of methods, to reduce a pest population below threshold levels. Informed decisions about pest control are made by using scientific information about crop systems, ecology, biology of target pests and site specific information such as monitoring data (scouting or sampling) for crop damage or pests.
Farmers and others use IPM. About three fourths of the total volume of conventional pesticides used in the U.S. are used in agriculture, and early IPM research and initiatives centered on major crop systems. Subsequently IPM methods have been developed for pest control in other settings including schools, households, turf, and ornamentals.
EPA has supported IPM since the first days of the Agency. Early national IPM initiatives, which were co-sponsored by USDA, the National Science Foundation and EPA, were centered on major crops including cotton, soybeans, alfalfa, citrus fruits, pome fruits and stone fruits and focused mostly on insect pests.
In 1995 EPA created the Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division (BPPD) to encourage use of less risky alternatives to conventional pesticides and pest control methods. BPPD has supported these goals by promoting Integrated Pest Management, registering biological pesticides and by implementing the reduce use/risk initiative.
IPM is an important non-regulatory part of the overall pesticide program in Region 1. During the past several years, the Region 1 pesticide program has developed outreach material, sponsored conferences and supported state IPM programs and activities. Many of the regional activities have emphasized homeowner and urban IPM use because of the importance and interest in non-agricultural pesticide use in New England. Region 1 has concentrated much of its effort on consumer use of pesticides for household and lawn care pest control. Among the outreach activities in this area are the production and distribution of two brochures, "Pesticides in Your Home" (targets household pesticide use) and "Pesticides in Your Garden" (targets lawn care pesticide use).
Turf IPM Links:
- Integrated Pest Management - Univeristy of Connecticut
- Landscape Nursery and Urban Forestry - UMass Extension
Comprehensive IPM Links:
PPE - Personal Protective Equipment |
The federal government (OSHA) requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce employees' exposures to hazards when engineering the administrative controls are not feasible or effective in reducing these exposures to acceptable levels. Employers are required to determine all exposures to hazards in their workplace and determine if PPE should be used to protect their workers.
The following links provide additional information on PPE, how to select proper PPE for a given task, etc.
PPE Program
for Pesticide Applications
Links to commercial sources for PPE
Disclaimer: Links to Web sites outside the US EPA Web site are for
the convenience of the user. The Standards of Ethical Conduct do
not permit the US EPA to endorse any private sector Web site, product,
or service. The US EPA does not exercise any editorial control over
the information you may find at these locations. These links are
provided consistent with the intended purpose of the EPA Web site.
Gempler's
Leonard Safety Equipment
ABCSafetyMart
Linden Safety Supply Company