News Briefs
Pest Control Operators of California
September 2011
I don't know about you but I was in favor of the term limit ballot initiative that was passed by voters in 1990. At the time, I believed that there were many legislators who had been in Sacramento for far too long (starting with Willie Brown!). That legislators had nothing to fear from the voters and were becoming complacent and not listening to reason. I also thought that we could return to a more "citizen" legislature – where becoming an elected official would not become a career for political science majors. It would reduce the number of lawyers in the legislature. Finally, that term limits would produce a more moderate elected body.
Boy, where did we go wrong! A new report by the Center For Government Studies says that term limits "have failed to achieve its original purposes and has triggered additional problems as well." – Duh!
The report found that term limits has brought more men and women with local government experience to the Capitol, that most of them pursue political careers elsewhere after being "termed-out" and that legislators are more dependent on lobbyists and staff than they used to be. In addition, I would add, that the activity known as "nesting" has become prevalent: legislators start running for another office as soon as they are elected.
There is a measure pending on the ballot that would substitute the current six years in the Assembly and eight years in the Senate with a single twelve year limit on all legislative service. If term limits are so terrible, why not scrap them altogether? Indeed, given the chance, voters probably would return the legislature to a part-time body according to the latest USC/LA Times poll.
I'm not sure all the blame can be laid on term limits because there are other things that play in to the dysfunctional elected government that we have. Gerrymandering of legislative districts and political action "reform" have also contributed.
I believe that truly restoring effective governance to California will require a complete systemic overhaul to align our policy making process with twenty-first century reality. Let's hope we see some action soon!
Board of Directors Meeting
Hilton Palm Springs
Palm Springs, CA
2012
Board of Directors Meeting
Seascape Beach Resort
Aptos, CA
April 24-25
June 1-2
June 21-23
September 28-29
December 7-8
Pursuant to the Africanized Honeybee Certification Renewal authorized by the PCOC Board of Directors, all persons and companies who completed their required update are now the only persons/companies listed on the PCOC website and are the only persons/companies legally able to perform Africanized Honeybee control work.
PCOC is now offering new Africanized Honeybee Certification classes for all those persons who wish to become certified. The schedule is as follows:
Sacramento - October 26, 2011, Chatsworth - December 13, 2011, Montebello - December 14, 2011, Temecula - December 15, 2011
All of these classes will be limited seating (60 persons only) and registration will be guaranteed only for the first 60 persons for each class and no walk-ins will be allowed. Each class approved for 6 hours CE for Branch II Technical and Certified Applicator hours. Each class is also approved for 2 hours Rules & Regulations and 4 hours other for DPR QAL & QAC licensees.
Registration forms will be sent in the mail shortly and registration information will be on the PCOC website at http://www.pcoc.org/. Cost will be $150.00 for all PCOC members and their employees and $175.00 for non-members. Lunch is included in the registration fee. You will also be able to receive a reduced rate for each hotel the night before each class. Mention PCOC when you register at each location.
See below for complete information regarding the Africanized Honeybee Certification Program as approved by the PCOC Board of Directors.
Africanized Honeybee Certification Renewal
Attention: All PCOs Certified To Control Africanized Honeybees
The Board of Directors of the Pest Control Operators of California has approved a program for the renewal of the Africanized Honeybee Certification program/course.
Effective immediately all persons who have previously completed the AHB course must comply with the following conditions:
(1) All certified licensees must perform a check in with PCOC to update their status, ie: Employer, mailing address and license status with either or both the SPCB and DPR. This check in process will be done through the PCOC website online and will begin May 1, 2010 and must be completed by June 30, 2011. Anyone who does not complete the check in process will be dropped from the AHB database maintained by PCOC. Staff will have the flexibility to accommodate licensees who fail to check in during this time period because of extenuating circumstances such as active duty overseas or other similar situations.
(2) After the initial check in, certified licensees will be sent an email annually to the email address they have established in the system (the licensee will be able to go online at any time and update their profile and contact information, including their email address) reminding them to check in to confirm their contact information and status as an active (or inactive) certified licensee.
(3) Thereafter every six (6) years certified licensees would be required to retake the full certification course.
(4) Thereafter every three (3) years (in between the six year renewal) every certified licensee will be required to take an one (1) hour online class on the PCOC website. The AHB subcommittee will create and post a 1-hour class annually, which will be available to all AHB certified Licensees to take each year. Some classes will focus on updates on a particular nuance of AHB management; other classes may focus on updates on the AHB movement, stinging incidents, new technologies and other timely issues.
(5) AHB Licensees who last took the full AHB Certification course prior to 2009 will have to take the full AHB Certification class by the end of 2014. This allows a full four years to accommodate these licensees to get into the system of retaking the full AHB Certification course every six (6) years.
AHB Certified Licensees who last took the full AHB Certification course in 2009 or later will have to take the full AHB Certification class within six (6) years of when they last completed the class.
CUSTOMER SERVICE NO-NOs
1) Employees are having a bad day and their bad mood carries over in conversations with their customers. (Everyone has bad days, but customer service employees need to keep theirs to themselves.)
2) Not returning phone calls or voicemail messages, despite listing your phone numbers on your website and/or in ads and directories. (Call customers back as soon as you can, or have calls returned on your behalf.)
3) Employees put callers on hold without asking them first, as a courtesy. (Ask customers politely if you can put them on hold: very few will complain or say "No!")
4) Employees put callers on speakerphone without asking them first if it is okay. (Again: ask first, as a courtesy.)
5) Employees eat, drink or chew gum while talking to customers on the phone. (A telephone mouthpiece is like a microphone; noises can be easily picked up. Employees need to eat their meals away from the phone.)
6) You have call waiting on your business lines, and employees frequently interrupt existing calls to take new calls. (One interruption in a call might be excusable; beyond that, you are crossing the "rude" threshold. Do your best to be prepared with enough staff for peak calling times.)
7) Employees forget to use the words, "please" "thank you", and "you're welcome". (Please use these words generously.)
8) Employees hold side conversations with friends or each other while talking to customers on the phone, or they make personal calls on cell phones. (Don't do either of these.)
9) Employees provide a lot of words grounded in company or industry jargon that many customers don't understand.
10) Employees request that customers call them back when the employees aren't busy. (Customers should never be told to call back. Request the customers number instead and call them back in a timely manner.)
11) Employees rush through calls forcing customers off the phone at the earliest opportunity. (Politely suggest that you've got the information you need and that you need to move onto other calls.)
12) Employees obnoxiously bellow, "What's this in reference to?" effectively humbling customers and belittling their requests. (Screen techniques can be used with a little more warmth and finesse.)
Visit http://www.naylornetwork.com/cpc-nwl/assets/endorsed%20programs2.pdf to view the full article online.
Approximately 30 million workers face occupational exposure to noise levels that could damage hearing. Workers' compensation will pay claims for loss of hearing, if it is caused or likely caused in the course of work. When faced with a hearing loss claim, employers might question whether workplace exposure, or just old age, caused the hearing loss.
It's true that most people's hearing gets worse as they get older. But for the average person, aging does not impair hearing before at least age 60. However, people who are exposed to noise and do not protect their hearing begin to lose hearing at an early age.
For example, by age 25, the average carpenter has the same hearing as someone who is 50 years old and has worked in a quiet job. Of the 28 million Americans with some degree of hearing loss, about one-third can attribute their hearing loss, at least in part, to noise.
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) results when loud noise damages nerve cells of the inner ear. NIHL can occur with a single exposure to an extremely loud noise, such as an explosion, or with repeated exposure to sounds at various volumes over an extended period of time. NIHL is 100 percent preventable, but once acquired, hearing loss is permanent and irreversible.
Is there an easy way to tell if you might have a noise problem? First, if you have to raise your voice to talk to someone who is an arm's length away, then the noise is likely to be hazardous. Second, if your ears are ringing or sounds seem dull or flat after leaving a noisy place, you probably were exposed to hazardous noise.
What Are Employers' Responsibilities?
Sound levels are measured in units called decibels (dB). To give you some examples, the rustle of leaves measures 10 decibels, normal conversation about 60 decibels; city traffic noise can reach 80 decibels. Sounds of less than 80 decibels, even after long exposure, are unlikely to cause hearing loss.
OSHA requires employers to accurately identify employees exposed to noise levels at or above 85 dB averaged over eight working hours. You do this by testing and mapping noise levels. The employer must notify each employee who is exposed at or above the action level of the results of the monitoring. Employers that have any workers whose noise exposure meets or exceeds these levels must develop a hearing conservation program for them. (Employers whose workers do not meet this threshold can develop a voluntary program.) To satisfy OSHA requirements, this program must include annual monitoring, audiometric (hearing) testing, hearing protectors, training and recordkeeping.
Noise Not the Only Risk Factor
Exposures to chemicals and other substances can also cause hearing loss. Combined exposures to noise and chemicals can cause more hearing loss than exposure to either agent alone. Vibration and extreme heat are also potentially harmful to hearing when combined with noise. Some of the more common substances associated with hearing loss are:
Tobacco
Toluene - found in paints, thinners, rubbers and printing operations
Styrene - found in plastics, rubbers, resins, insulating materials
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PASSWORD: PCOC
PCOC website password for 2011–2012 effective July 1, 2011: "npma"
Department of Fish & Game
www.dfg.ca.gov
Department of Food & Agriculture
www.cdfa.ca.gov
Department of Pesticide Regulation
www.cdpr.ca.gov
Find Your Legislator
www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
Healthy Schools Act
www.schoolipm.info
Structural Pest Control Board
www.pestboard.ca.gov
