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Pesticide Safety Education

Pesticide Safety Education (PSE) in Virginia is a statewide educational program with an overall goal to protect the environment and public health from improper pesticide use through applicator and public education. The primary target audience includes certified and non-certified pesticide applicators of all kinds, farmworkers, and the general public. Most of the program activity involves training support for a group of approximately 21,000 pesticide applicators who seek training in order to comply with federal and state pesticide certification and licensing requirements. Program efforts are coordinated with other states, state and federal pesticide regulatory agencies, agricultural organizations, manufacturers of pesticide chemicals and alternative control technology, application equipment and engineering control companies, and other related cooperators.

Virginia PSE Program Details: The program is supported by Extension agents and specialists from across the Commonwealth. In 2007, Extension agents from over 90 Virginia localities dedicated their time and resources to this program. That group is responsible for holding over 300 annual training meetings and field days designed to benefit pesticide applicators across Virginia and the region. The agents train applicators, develop training media and programs, answer public inquiries, and advise the public on proper and safe pesticide use and the selection of proper pest management strategies including non-chemical alternatives to pesticides.

The statewide Extension PSE program is administered by Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs (VTPP). The specialists and staff of VTPP, and specialists from other departments, develop program media, training manuals, speak on statewide and regional workshops, and support Extension agents and specialists through professional development workshops and on-going web-based instruction and support. VTPP faculty work very closely with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) and the Virginia Pesticide Control Board to make sure the training in Virginia is coordinated with enforcement policy in order to implement an effective and relevant PSE program. All pesticide applicator training manuals and exam questions are approved by the Virginia Pesticide Control Board prior to publication. The Board also funds the program through VDACS on a contractual basis.