|
Questions and Answers
about the Grower Pesticide Safety Course (GPSC)
Who
Needs to Take the Grower Pesticide Safety Course?
If you are an Ontario grower (farmer) and want to purchase and use
Schedule 1, 2 or 5 pesticides on the land you farm, you must be a
Certified Grower. There must be at least one Certified Grower for
each farm operation.
You are a grower (farmer) if you:
- use farm land for agricultural or forestry
production, and
- that land is classified as farmlands property under the Ontario
Assessment Act.
OR that land is not classified as farmlands property under
the Ontario Assessment Act but you are involved in the
application of pesticides for the purpose of agricultural or
forestry production. The agricultural or forestry commodity being
produced is for market and not solely for consumption by you or by
members of your household. The agricultural or forestry production
is not done as a hobby or for recreational purposes.
You may own, rent, lease or share
crop the farm land you use or you may be employed on the farm land.
To become a Certified Grower, you
must:
- attend a one day Grower Pesticide
Safety Course and
- successfully complete the Grower
Pesticide Safety Course and
- be at least 16 years of age and
- meet the above definition of a
grower.
Back to Top
What
are Schedule 1, 2 and 5 pesticides?
The Ministry of the Environment classifies all pesticides sold in Ontario into one of
six Schedules (groups). Schedules 1, 2 and 5 pesticides are more
dangerous, and you must be trained before you can buy and use them
on farmland.
This includes a lot of the common
herbicides, fungicides and insecticides that Ontario farmers use. It
also includes some rodenticides and insecticides that livestock
producers use. Find out which Schedules of pesticide products you
use. Ask your pesticide vendor, check OMAF production
publications, or click www.opac.gov.on.ca.
Back to Top
Does
a GPSC certificate cover all types of pesticide application?
No. For example, the GPSC
certificate does NOT allow someone to:
- spray as a business
- spray in public areas - golf
courses, parks, cemeteries, playing fields, trailer parks etc.
- spray lawns or houses
- spray municipal ditches or
roadsides or rights-of-way
If someone wants to do any of these
jobs, they need to have a Ministry of the Environment exterminator
licence. Our "sister" office at Ridgetown provides
the home-study courses and exams for this program. If someone needs
more information about the required MOE licensing category training
materials and examinations, please click Ontario
Pesticide Training and Certification or call 1-888-620-9999.
Back to Top
Does
a GPSC certificate allow someone to sell pesticides?
No. If someone wants to sell
pesticides they must have a Pesticide Vendor Licence. They can click
Vendor
Training for more information or call 1-866-683-6737 or
519-674-1580 (Outside Ontario Only).
Back to Top
Can
anyone take the Grower Pesticide Safety Course?
Yes. Anyone is welcome to
take the course, but anyone who does not farm cannot use a GPSC
certificate to purchase and use Schedule 1, 2 or 5 pesticides. A
person must meet the definition of an "agriculturist"
under Regulation 914 of the Pesticides Act before they can use their
certificate to purchase and use Schedule 1, 2 or 5 pesticide
products.
You are a grower (farmer) if you:
- use farm land for agricultural or forestry
production, and
- that land is classified as
farmlands property under the Ontario Assessment Act.
OR that land is not classified as farmlands property
under the Ontario Assessment Act but you are involved in
the application of pesticides for the purpose of agricultural or
forestry production. The agricultural or forestry commodity
being produced is for market and not solely for consumption by
you or by members of your household. The agricultural or
forestry production is not done as a hobby or for recreational
purposes.
You may own, rent, lease or share
crop the farm land you use or you may be employed on the farm land.
Therefore, someone who lives in town
or on a rural lot may attend the Grower Pesticide Safety Course for
their own information - but they cannot use their certificate to
purchase and use Schedule 1, 2 or 5 products - in their home, on
their lawn, on their apple trees, on their vegetables or flowers
etc.
Back to Top
What
is the exam like? What is the exam pass mark?
All GPSC exams are open book
- the questions are multiple choice and short answer style.
The pass mark is 75%. The GPSC exams
offered at the exam-only sessions are exactly the same as the ones
offered at the course.
Back to Top
Who
has to take the full one day course, and who can just sign up
for an exam-only session?
Growers must take the full
one day course if:
- they are certifying for the first
time
Growers may choose Recertification
by Exam-Only if:
- they have a current GPSC certificate
or if they have previously held a GPSC certificate. These growers may study
the book at home and write the exam at an exam-only session.
Back to Top
When
growers sign up for an exam-only session, what registration
information do we need?
When growers call to
register for an exam-only session, we need to know:
- that they understand that if they
fail the exam at an exam-only session, they must attend a
one day course and re-take the exam
Back to Top
What
is the course fee, and who is it payable to? When is it
collected?
The course fee is $105.00,
payable to "University of Guelph". The fee is paid to the
instructor on the day of the course or exam.
Back to Top
Which
Manuals are used in the course?
Manuals have coloured covers. This "Grower Pesticide Safety Course
Manual" will be used in the course.
Click Pick
Up a Manual for a list of locations that keep a supply of
manuals. Growers should pick up a manual before attending the course
or exam writing session. The price of the manual is included in the
course/exam fee.
Back to Top
Why
does someone have to attend again, if they fail the exam at an
exam-only session?
Our Steering Committee feels
that it is important that growers prepare ahead to write the exam
and that they take it seriously. Growers should be aware that if
they choose the exam-only option and they fail that exam, they must then
take the one-day course again and re-write the exam.
Back to Top
If
growers fail the exam at a one day course, do they have to
repeat the course? Do they have to pay again?
No. There is no charge to
try the exam again, if someone first attempts the exam at a course.
These growers must contact OPEP (1-800-652-8573)
to arrange to try the exam again. They can try the exam again two
more times during the next six months, free of charge. They do not
have to come back and sit through the course again, but they are
welcome to do this free of charge, if they want to.
Back to Top
Who
can pick pesticides up at the dealer?
The Certified Grower must
negotiate the purchase of the pesticide. However, someone else from
the farm (spouse, other family member, farm employee) may pick up
pesticides and transport them directly back to the farm. The person
who picks up does NOT need to be a Certified Grower or have a
Trained Assistant card, but must transport the pesticides safely and
according to the Regulations of the Pesticides Act and the
Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act.
Back to Top
Do
Agricultural Assistants need to be trained?
As of January 1, 2000 all
assistants to Certified Growers must be trained through an MOE-
approved course, to handle Schedule 1, 2 and 5 pesticides.
There are two ways to become a
Trained Assistant:
- attend a GPSC for a fee of $105 and not write the exam, or
- attend an on-farm training
session offered by a qualified TA Instructor
Click Agricultural
Assistants for more information.
Back to Top
|
