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September 2017
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Member News
New information from Department of Pesticide Regulation in regards to applying to Agriculture Continuing Education hours, click here. Chief Executive Officer's Notes
Chris Reardon 
Upcoming Events
PCOC Golf Tournament – September 21, 2017 Schedule of Events that day: 11:00 AM Check In Board of Directors Meeting – September 22-23, 2017 Schedule of Events for Friday, September 22: 10:00-11:00 AM Loss Prevention, Branch II & III Claims (CE Hours TBD) Schedule of Events for Saturday, September 23: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM Board of Directors Meeting
PCOC Golf Tournament – December 7, 2017 Board of Directors Meeting – December 8-9, 2017 Pest Ed 2018 – January 16 & 18, 2018 Legislative Days & Board of Directors Meeting - April 16-18, 2018 CAPMA Monthly Insurance/Safety Tip
How Investigations Can Improve Safety
Serious sleuthing after a workplace accident can help you discover the cause of a specific injury and also expose workplace hazards. A successful investigation uncovers:
Discovering these facts requires a prompt and thorough investigation. Interview witnesses and other workers performing similar jobs or using the equipment to determine the direct causes of the accident. What were the indirect causes? What is the history of mishaps or near-misses in that department or among equipment users? What were actual and expected production levels when the accident occurred? Let witnesses use their own words and repeat their stories back to them to ensure understanding. What Details Will You Need? The information you’ll need includes: was the employee performing their regular job when the injury occurred? Were they involved in maintenance, repair or an infrequent task? Were they helping another worker (or vice versa) when the accident happened? Was the employee properly trained to perform the job and operate the equipment? Was the employee doing the job correctly? What were other workers doing at the time? Were “human” factors involved in the incident, such as fatigue, overtime, stress? What does the injured worker and his or her co-workers think about the “safety culture” in the workplace and management’s commitment to it? What Makes a Successful Investigator? Successful interviewing requires a calm, sympathetic, systematic approach. Showing a caring attitude and permitting affected workers to “clear the air” can help the information-gathering process. Investigators can build trust and obtain more accurate information when they’re straightforward about their role and their expectations. To determine causes of an accident, a good investigator looks for gaps in information and facts that point away from a logical conclusion. In addition to determining what caused the accident in question, they will be able to provide recommendations for preventing similar accidents. For tips on accident investigations, please contact the PCOC Insurance Program Department of EPIC at (877) 860-7378 or, email us @ ProPest@epicbrokers.com. Also check out: www.pcocinsurance.com Paul Lindsay 
District News
September SAN GABRIEL DISTRICT – September 19 @ 6:30 PM SANTA CLARA DISTRICT – September 20 @ 6:30 PM VENTURA DISTRICT – September 20 @ 7:00 PM SANTA BARBARA DISTRICT – September 21 @ 6:30 PM DIABLO VALLEY DISTRICT – September 26 @ 6:30 PM SAN FERNANDO VALLEY DISTRICT – September 27 @ 6:00 PM CENTRAL VALLEY DISTRICT – September 28 @ 6:00 PM
October SAN BERNARDINO/RIVERSIDE DISTRICT – October 4 @ 6:00 PM VINTAGE COASTAL DISTRICT – October 5 @ 7:00 PM SHASTA DISTRICT – October 10 @ 4:00 PM SAN DIEGO DISTRICT – October 10 @ 5:30 PM ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT – October 12 @ 6:00 PM SOUTHERN VALLEY DISTRICT – October 12 @ 6:30 PM MONTEREY DISTRICT – October 17 @ 6:00 PM BIG VALLEY DISTRICT – October 18 @ 4:00 PM LOS ANGELES / SOUTH BAY DISTRICT – October 19 @ 6:00 PM Legislative Update
This month the Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB) took a position on two bills, AB-710 (Wood) and AB-1687 (Bloom). AB-710 would require all Boards and Commissions, in the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), to hold at least one (1) board meeting in rural California. The intention of this change is to encourage people in these rural communities to go to the meetings. If this bill were to pass, the licensees would incur a greater cost to attend the meetings because they would travel further and some people would opt out of attending for that very reason. The bottom line, there are not enough licensees in the rural areas to make the meeting location change practical. The SPCB staff are working on a draft letter to submit to the author’s office. The draft letter, that was reviewed at the SPCB meeting, goes over the negative impact on human health, if proper rodent control methods are not continued. It goes on to say that there is a potential impact if untrained or unlicensed applicators are conducting treatments. This letter will be submitted to the author’s office. These actions demonstrate that the SPCB will take a stance on issues when consumer protection is potentially compromised. Licensees of the SPCB are encouraged to attend the meetings, as they are open to the public with opportunities to participate. Check the SPCB website for meeting dates, times and locations. www.pestboard.ca.gov Darren Van Steenwyk, BCE
Did You Know???
ATTENTION ALL OPERATORS, FIELD REPS AND APPLICATORS:Division 19, Title 16, California Code of Regulations has been amended to add Section 1960 and now requires all licensees due to expire on June 30, 2016, or after, who have never been fingerprinted, to complete the fingerprint (Livescan) process as a condition of renewal. Please click here to see the full notice and the form needed. PLEASE NOTE: LICENSING WILL BE CONSIDERED EXPIRED IF THE PROCESS IS NOT COMPLETED.New Members
PCOC Leadership Lens
NPMA BenefitsAs a member of PCOC, you’ve got the benefits of a full NPMA membership in your corner. There are many benefits to membership, and we’re listing 10 of them here:
With NPMA membership and benefits accessible when you join PCOC, you’ll have a wealth of advantages at your fingertips. Speaking of NPMA, this year’s NPMA PestWorld convention is right around the corner. B’MORE PESTWORLD 2017 will take place in Baltimore, Maryland on October 24 - 27. Below are some important links to help you get started:
Hope to see you in B’more! Nicole Keefe Frequently Requested Information
*NEW* NPMA LOGIN FOR JOINT MEMBERSHIP LOGIN: Email or Personal ID PASSWORD: npma
Frequently Asked For Websites
Department of Food & Agriculture California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) DPR on Facebook DPR on YouTube (see "playlists" for videos pertaining to new surface water regulations) DPR on Twitter DPR LinkedIn Healthy Schools Act Structural Pest Control Board Find Your Legislator |
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It’s been a hot summer in Northern California so we’re looking forward to the cooler weather within the next few months. What remains hot are key issues such as, rodenticides, pyrethroids and fumigation use in California. We are getting ready for our Board of Directors meeting in San Diego at the end of September, and we plan on updating all of you on the status of all these important issues. This year's legislative session will end soon and we will provide the latest standing on key bills that may effect PCOC. San Diego is a great place to kick off our meetings, so we look forward to seeing you all there!
