News Briefs

Our primary goal as an association of pest control professionals is to protect the pest control industry in California. You have heard me say this before but it bears repeating: we live in one of the most highly taxed and regulated states in the nation and the industry is constantly under attack.

That is why what we are doing next month is so important. PCOC's Leg Day, March 24-25, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sacramento. This is YOUR opportunity to influence how elected officials feel about pest control. This is so critical because they will be voting on issues which affect our industry. The power of seeing a constituent walking into a legislator's capital office is huge. Legislators respect the fact that you have taken the time from your business to come to Sacramento.

PCOC Legislative Day 2015 is almost here. To register, please go to www.pcoc.org and look under the events tab to get a registration form with an agenda and to get a link for hotel reservations. This day is so important because it allows our industry to speak directly to our legislators, informing them of our issues. This is our chance to show we have a strong voice, so the more attendees the better.

District chairs should be on the lookout for an invitation to a Google document Jim Steed and I will be putting together to allow each district to input their legislative appointments. This will greatly help prevent miscommunications and allow us to make sure we are able to contact every legislator in some fashion. If you do not have a Google account, we will include instructions on how to best utilize this tool to benefit the industry. We thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you at the capital in March.

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A recent story from one of our members came across my email. A home in Imperial County was recently sold only using a report from a home inspector. The home inspector told the buyers that the mud they were seeing was mud someone had sprayed on the wall because they thought it looked cool. The home is infested with subterranean termites and will cost the new homeowners around $2,300 to correct.

As we all know in the pest control industry, it is so vitally important – especially for the buyer’s protection – to get a WDO inspection. Home inspectors are neither licensed nor allowed to comment about the presence or absence of wood destroying insects. If you have similar cases, please feel free to email them to me, josh@pcoc.org. I will be saving them to build a case file to help stress the importance of a WDO inspection. I will also be keeping the sources of these stories anonymous.

Click HERE to see the picture.

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February 17

Candidate 1 (Benjamin Hottel): 8 am presentation

Candidate 2 (Frederique de Lame): 11:30 am presentation

Candidate 3 (Bal Gautam): 3 pm presentation

February 18

Candidate 4 (Siavash Taravati): 9 am presentation

Candidate 5 (Znar Barwary): 1 pm presentation

All presentations will be in a large meeting room at UCCE Los Angeles (ask Keith Nathaniel, kcnathaniel@ucanr.edu, for specifics); venue info:

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Link to Course:

The course is free and was developed by UC Berkeley, UC IPM, with input and review by DPR and Pest Control Operators of California.

 

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:

Asa Bradman, PhD, MS

Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health (CERCH)

School of Public Health/UC Berkeley

1995 University Ave Suite 265

Berkeley, CA 94704

Phone: 510-643-3023 Fax: 510-642-9083

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Darrell Ennes passed away on Friday, February 6, 2015. Darrell was President of PCOC 2008-2009. Current Legislative Committee Chairman. A legend in the industry, he will be greatly missed.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Darrell on Friday February 20 at 1 PM, at the Eagles Lodge, 215 Scott Street, Folsom, CA 95630.

Hyatt Regency — Sacramento, Calif.
FLIER

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

Catamaran Resort – San Diego, Calif.

Hyatt Regency — Monterey, Calif.

When you think of air pollutants, you probably think of smog, auto exhaust and industrial emissions. But often indoor air can have more pollutants than outdoor air.

Since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970, outdoor air quality has improved along many measures. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is another story altogether. Since the late 1970s, buildings have been built more air-tight to conserve fossil fuels, creating virtually air-tight buildings. The World Health Organization has estimated that as many as 30 percent of new and remodeled buildings worldwide contain enough pollutants to make workers ill. This means any contaminants indoors become trapped, and often concentrated.

Health experts are finding more links between air quality and health conditions such as asthma and allergies. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has found that the most likely sources of IAQ complaints are poor ventilation, poor thermal conditions (too hot or too cold), relative humidity (too high or too low), poor ergonomic layout of office space, emissions from office machines, copiers, and other building contaminants.

Improving indoor air quality takes two steps: source reduction and improved ventilation.

Source reduction requires finding sources of indoor pollution and eliminating, reducing or containing them. Steps you can take include:

• Banning smoking and the use of e-cigarettes indoors (if your state or municipality doesn't already ban workplace smoking)
• Disposing of trash and garbage promptly and properly
• Working with your building manager to reduce or eliminate applications of chemical pesticides and herbicides, both inside and outside the building
• Selecting furnishings and finishes with minimal or no off gassing. Common off gassing culprits include carpeting, furniture and other items made with particleboard or other composite materials, paints and varnishes.
• Working with cleaning services to ensure cleaning supplies are nontoxic.
• Reducing exposure to radon (which varies depending on soils and geography of your area) by installing vapor barriers.
• Checking sources of combustion, such as furnaces, stoves, heaters, etc. for release of carbon monoxide. Many municipalities now require buildings to have carbon monoxide alarms in addition to smoke alarms. As CO is colorless and odorless, a monitor or alarm can save lives.
• Checking office supplies for toxicity and fumes. Glues, solvents, toners and other common substances can release harmful fumes into the air. You can find substitutes, minimize their use or make sure workers using these substances do so in a well-ventilated area with eye and nose protection, if necessary.

Improving ventilation. In modern commercial buildings with sealed windows, indoor air quality depends on your HVAC system. To provide optimum ventilation:

• Do not block air vents or grilles
• Have a professional HVAC service evaluate your system for airflow, filtration and dampness. Dampness in the ducts can allow mold to grow, which can release spores into the air throughout the building.
• Pay attention if more than one worker complains of eye, nose or and throat irritation; coughs; headaches; fatigue; nausea or muscle pain, particularly if those symptoms disappear or improve when they leave the office. These symptoms could indicate an indoor air quality problem.

For more information on dealing with indoor air quality and other workplace environmental problems, please call the PCOC Insurance Program professionals of EPIC Insurance Services at 877-860-PEST or email us at propest@epicbrokers.com.