Boom Sprayer Training (leading to City & Guilds PA2 Award)

Boom Spraying (PA2)

Location: To be announced

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The Law regarding use of Pesticides

The Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012 requires everyone who uses Plant Protection Products (PPPs) authorised for professional use, to have a spray operator certificate. In addition, anyone purchasing PPPs authorised for professional use must ensure that the intended end user has a certificate.

Background

Background information including Regulations, Codes of Practice and recognised awards can be found at:

The Voluntary Initiative

HSE/Pesticides

Qualification guidance can be found at on the City & Guilds website

In Scotland training material is based on the Scottish Code of Practice for Pesticide Use 2006. This can be found on the Scottish Government website

In England & Wales refer to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Code of practice for using plant protection products.

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Testing of pesticide application equipment (PAE)

All pesticide application equipment applying professional plant protection products must be tested. The requirements are contained in the Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012 – Sustainable Use Directive (SUD).

All types of PAE must be tested to certain timescales depending on the age of the machine and further information can be found HERE on the frequency of testing required. The legislation relates to all sectors, agriculture, horticulture, amenity and fruit but for anyone applying a professional pesticide, the equipment must be tested. Application equipment that does not require an NSTS test are knapsacks, handheld and pedestrian equipment. These need to be inspected by a competent person, repairs made as required and a record kept. For knapsack sprayers a checklist is available HERE to use and record the results.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Scottish Quality Crops (SQC). From 1st August 2022 SQC require all sprayers that are more than 1 year old and a boom width over 3 metres must be tested annually.  

Red Tractor Crops and Fresh Produce Schemes currently require annual testing of boom sprayers over 3 metres and micro-granular applicators applying nematicides. All other machines use the timescales as set out in the SUD.

Red Tractor Livestock Schemes require all application equipment to be tested using the SUD timescales, annual testing is not required.

A list of approved examiners can be found on the NSTS website or speak to your local sprayer dealer.

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Pesticide Refresher courses  

Lantra has produced a suite of approved Pesticide Refresher courses which are suitable for those employed within the agriculture or horticulture industries with responsibility for the storage, handling and application of pesticides. These courses will confirm your knowledge of health and safety legislation enabling you to work safely and effectively out in the field. The courses are for existing holders of certificates of competence and provide evidence of operatives CPD.

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