The state of Indiana is doing its best to stall the rumor mill – or at least put a stop to pesticide myths. A new Internet-based program designed by Kelly Registration Systems (KRS) will ensure that personnel in retail establishments that sell pest control products are equipped with the knowledge to provide accurate and helpful recommendations.
“A misguided recommendation could result in the product being completely ineffective,” noted Dave Scott, pesticide administrator for the Office of the Indiana State Chemist, in a press release. “More important, improper advice and use of a pesticide could lead to human or environmental harm. For these reasons, the Indiana Pesticide Review Board adopted regulations to address this problem.”
Pesticide parameters in Indiana now require all retail establishments selling pesticide and garden products to be licensed as consultants. Sales associates must be made to knowledgeably disseminate product information. With the KRS online training program, education is neither time-consuming nor costly. Furthermore, the online training will eliminate a paper trail of educational documents since results are immediately relayed to the Office of the Indiana State Chemist, the release pointed out.
Retailers can pay registration fees online with their credit cards, and the program will issue them a registration certification and completion awards to associations who satisfy training requirements.
What’s more, retailers can personalize their training programs or select a program that satisfies the following requirements:
- Importance of pesticide labeling
- Safety in use and handling of pesticides
- Identifying target pest organisms
- Proper pesticide storage and disposal
- Proper pesticide application rate and timing
- Employee and customer safety
Sound advice from retailers promotes safe pesticide use and spreads the facts to consumer homeowners. “We understand the importance of pesticide safety in this country and wanted to help Indiana with their precedent setting program,” said Tom Johnsons, KRS marketing and communication director, in the press release. “The online registration and training program’s features make it simple for retail establishments to comply with the regulations, help assure the effectiveness of the products sold and add value to their customer service by ensuring the accuracy of key pesticide use-related information.”
The author is Managing Editor – Special Projects for Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at khampshire@lawnandlandscape.com.