PCOC INSURANCE: BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

In the 1980s an insurance market crash threatened to put many pest control operators out of business. PCOC leadership reasoned that there had to be a better way to protect the pest control industry, so they rose to the challenge and created an insurance committee and hired key insurance professionals to help solve the problem. In 1989 the PCOC insurance program launched, offering the most comprehensive insurance program to the pest control industry at competitive rates. Many insurance programs have gaps in their coverages — protections you thought you had but find out is not there when it comes time to pay a claim.

The PCOC insurance program was created by Pest Control Operators and insurance professionals for Pest Control Operators specifically. The brokers of this insurance program are familiar with our industry and are directly involved with PCOC to keep in step with industry trends, enabling them to anticipate and meet risk management needs that are specific to our industry. In other words, they are not just a generic brokerage putting your company into a cookie cutter policy that treats your company like just another service industry.

Along with providing a wide range of coverages, the PCOC insurance program also has an abundant amount of resource information they offer to their clients in regards to risk management such as workers’ safety, ladder safety, fall protection, personal protective equipment, driving hazards, and a host of other industry related topics to help you protect your company. They even email weekly safety tailgate meeting information.

And remember, this program is only for PCOC members.

PESTICIDES ARE CRITICAL TO PROVIDING A SAFE, RELIABLE FOOD SUPPLY

One of the issues we run into as advocates for the pest control industry is emotional-based decision making. Many well-meaning people lose sight of the benefits of pesticide use, especially in agriculture and wish to ban all substances without even looking into scientific research or solutions.

This month, I read an article in the Sacramento Beewritten by Brian R. Leahy, director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. He briefly talks about the benefits of pesticide use to the food industry in a thoughtful and well-articulated manner.

Excerpt:

"Many Californians think of pesticides as something only farmers use. They don’t realize that pesticides touch many other areas in their lives. We all reap the benefits of pesticides. They are part of the complex processes required to deliver safe food, water and health care, yet some consumers are reluctant to accept the risks required to create those benefits. When something seems foreign to us and we don’t understand its benefits, it becomes vulnerable to attack by seemingly well-meaning people and organizations." (Read whole article)

NPMA QUALITYPRO OFFERS FLEET MANAGEMENT TOOLBOX

FAIRFAX, VA—The National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA’s) QualityPro has launched the Fleet Management Toolbox. The Pest Management Fleet provides a unique and important opportunity for companies to generate value far beyond the basic purpose of carrying equipment, supplies and pest management technicians to customer sites. From vehicle inspection logs to projected operating cost analysis for today’s most popular fleet vehicles, QualityPro’s Fleet Management Toolbox gives professionals the resources they need to maximize fleet effectiveness.

The QualityPro Fleet Management Toolbox is available online for QualityPro member companies at www.qualityprotools.org.

PCOC’s PEST ED 2015 – EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE

The dates for the upcoming Pest Ed 2015 have been booked. We are looking at January 13 in Montebello for Southern California and January 15 in Sacramento for Northern California. We will have more information in later NewsBriefs and in upcoming events on the website in the next few months as we continue to set up speakers. Come join us for an all-day event that provides an abundance of continuing education credits, good food, and updates on the latest materials and equipment from some of the top vendors in the state.