There are a number of indicators that show the California economy is on its way back — recovering at a slow rate.

The state has recovered all the jobs lost during the recession and employment figures continue to grow. California has gained 1.5 million jobs over the past five years and unemployment has declined from more than 12 percent to 7.2 percent. Consumer spending has increased and thus state and local government revenue has rebounded.

Low inflation, interest rates and declining fuel prices contribute to consumer confidence and most economists predict good times ahead for the next couple of years. Good news for the pest control industry...and good news for a growing PCOC membership.

There are, however, some things to be concerned about in California’s $2 trillion economy. For instance, as I hear when visiting our PCOC districts, the recovery is very geographically based: concentrated in coastal communities. Much of inland California still experiences double digit unemployment. The Public Policy Institute of California, notes that despite a sharp decline in the state’s unemployment rate, it still has the nation’s third highest.

There is much that still needs to happen before we can declare that the economy is rebounding significantly....but it is a start which will hopefully pick up steam during 2015.

Happy New Year!

SHOP FOR PCOC SCHOLARSHIP?

Every year, PCOC's Scholarship Fund has helped support college students of industry members. This year, the scholarship committee will look for eight students to help, and their goal is to continue to grow, so they can pay out more money and help more students. Here is a way you can help without paying anything extra.

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at http://smile.amazon.com/ch/68-0397779, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to the PCOC Scholarship Fund. This special link makes sure that 5 percent of your purchases go direct to the PCOC Scholarship Fund.

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APPLICATOR EXPIRATION DATES – NEW LEGISLATION

With the passing of Senate Bill (SB)1244, effective January 1, 2015, all applicator licenses now expire on June 30 on the third year from the date of issuance. Previously, applicators renewed every three years on the same date their license was issued. This change is to allow the licensing renewal of applicators to coincide with field reps and operators.

During this transition, current applicator licenses will have their renewal dates extended from their current date of renewal to the following June 30. New expiration dates only apply for licenses with expiration dates after January 1, 2015. Click HERE to see the official announcement.

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PCOC DIRECTORY 2015 CORRECTION

Green Dog Pest Service

Deanna Kjorlien

25041 Wagner Way

Hemet, CA 92544

Deanna@greendogpestservice.com

www.greendogpestservice.com

In the 2015 Directory, their website address is shown as www.greendogpestservices.com and www.thegreendogpestservices.com. Both versions of the web address are incorrect. Please add the correction to your current 2015 directory.

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NEW IPM IN SCHOOLS ONLINE COURSE — FREE

Link to Course:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/training/school-and-child-care-ipm.html

A new course is available for all pest control licensees. The course is free and was developed by UC Berkeley, UC IPM, with input and review by DPR and Pest Control Operators of California. This course is intended for pest management professionals (PMPs) who provide, or would like to provide, pest management services in schools and child care centers. This course will help PMPs provide IPM services in schools and child care centers, comply with the Healthy Schools Act, and expand their business.

Two CEUs include:

DPR: 1 hour "Laws" and 1 hour of "Other"
Structural Pest Control Board: 1 hour of "Rules and Regs" and 1 hour of "IPM"

Please contact Asa Bradman if you have any questions:

2015

Hyatt Regency — Sacramento, Calif.

AZPRO Great Western Conference — March 30-31, 2015
Carefree Resort & Conference Center— Carefree, Ariz.
FLIER

Catamaran Resort – San Diego, Calif.

Hyatt Regency — Monterey, Calif.

In addition to increased weight, those who sit for long periods of time face an increased risk of premature mortality, heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes. They also tend to have poorer posture than those in non-sedentary jobs. Sitting for long periods can also cause back pain.

What's so risky about sitting? When you sit for long periods of time, your lower spine has to support the weight of the upper body. A normal spine has an "s" curve shape that helps distribute the weight throughout the spine. Sitting incorrectly can straighten the curve at the lower (lumbar) region, which puts more pressure on the sitting bones and the spongy disks between the vertebrae. Over time, this can result in compression of the disks. The disks serve as shock absorbers between the vertebrae. When they are compressed or damaged, the vertebrae can rub together, causing pain and damage.

Sitting for a long period of time — even in the proper position — will still strain your muscles. This causes fatigue, which will make it harder for you to maintain a correct seated position.

Beyond the back, sitting is bad for the other muscles as well. When you're sitting, the muscles in the lower body aren't contracting regularly, as they're designed to do while walking. This can lead to muscle degeneration. The regular contraction of muscles through walking also aids circulation. When you're sedentary, blood can pool in your legs. This results in problems ranging from swelling to blood clots.

NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, created an internal pilot program to explore the use of sit and stand work stations to reduce sedentary work. According to NIOSH, benefits of more frequent standing include:

• Decreases amount of time spent in sedentary work
• Relieves pressure on the lower back, buttocks and legs, and may help reduce compression of the spine from long periods
  of sitting
• Burns more calories than sitting

Possible benefits include:

• Improved energy levels
• Improved cognition
• Increased circulation and better blood flow to the brain and other organs
• Better energy balance and weight management
• Improved bone density
• Better sleep

Back injuries can occur suddenly or gradually. Caution employees to be alert for any of these body sensations that could indicate a back sprain or strain injury:

• Aching
• Sharp pain
• Dull pain
• Pain that comes and goes
• Hot, inflamed feeling
• Tingling
• Unusual tightness
• Unusual muscle weakness or fatigue

Corrective action can help prevent a minor injury from escalating into a major one. Solutions vary with the situation, but can include encouraging the employee to get medical attention, providing a properly designed and fitted workstation, referring the employee to a physical therapist for a strengthening regime, and/or encouraging employees to take regular walking or stretch breaks while on the job.

For more suggestions on improving workplace safety, please contact the PCOC Insurance Program department of EPIC (formerly The Leavitt Group) at (877) 860-7378 or, email us @ ProPest@epicbrokers.com.