Courses

What You'll Learn at a ChemCert WA Course

ChemCert WA training courses assist you to manage risks associated with chemical use, and to understand your obligations in the areas of duty of care, quality assurance and environmental management. On a practical level you’ll learn how to improve your integrated pest management programmes, to better choose the right chemical for the job and to apply it more accurately. Care is taken to ensure that you understand how to calibrate spray equipment, and to how to ensure safe working conditions for your workers, your family and yourself. You’ll also be shown the importance of on-farm policies and procedures and the value of record keeping.

ChemCert WA Courses

Using Chemicals Safely An entry level programme designed for students, apprentices and people who use chemicals under supervision.
Risk Management in Pesticide Use Essential chemical-use training for owner-managers and workers. This is ChemCert’s core course.
Reaccreditation Course To maintain ChemCert accreditation after 5 years and bring chemical users up to date on best practice in risk management in farm chemical use.
Spray Application and Risk Management in Grain Production and Spray Application in Vineyards Both specialist courses to broaden chemical management skills of people spraying in broad hectare grain situations and on vineyards. These courses are ideal for reaccreditation.

Using Chemicals Safely

“Using Chemicals Safely” is an introductory chemical safety programme that has been welcomed by employers who want basic chemical use training for staff who are just entering the workforce or current employees who apply chemicals under supervision.

The course has also been taken up by a number of WA Agricultural Colleges and Agricultural High Schools, and ChemCert expects interest and uptake from TAFE Agricultural and Horticultural Apprenticeship courses as well as employers wanting to train casual and itinerant farm workers. Larger organisations may use the course as part of routine induction for employees.

This one-day course is nationally accredited at AQTF Level 2 and is seen as a practical pathway to introduce people to the basics of safe chemical use. Further training is needed to bring course participants up to AQTF Level 3 to be eligible for ChemCert accreditation.

Major points of the course are reinforced by a 30-minute video and participants receive a 140-page manual written in plain language. During the day discussions and activities check understanding and participants can refer later to manual items including a glossary of terms, summary of key points and model answers.

The course addresses the learning outcomes required under the nationally endorsed units of competency:

RTC 1701A Follow basic chemical safety rules
RTC 2706A Apply chemicals under supervision.

Topics covered include pest control, chemical labels, transport and storage, personal protective equipment, preparing application equipment, preparing chemicals for use, the application process, clean up and keeping chemical records.

Course attendees receive a Statement of Participation from ChemCert WA.

COURSE DETAILS:

Duration: 1 day
Eligibility: Open to anyone
Cost: $165 per person
Includes: Resource manual, morning and afternoon tea

“Using Chemicals Safely” is available through ChemCert WA’s network of accredited trainers for groups of 12 or more. In-house courses may be available on demand.

Risk Management in Pesticide Use

ChemCert WA’s basic course assists participants to identify hazards in chemical use and to put in place risk controls. Emphasis is on domestic and export trade requirements, resistance, sustainable environmental practices, health of chemical users and the public, practical procedures for chemical use tasks, regulatory requirements and record keeping.

Competency-based course
Covers competencies contained within Australian National Training Framework Training Packages. Course content covers some competencies at AQTF Level 4 with assessment on:

RTC3704A Prepare and apply chemicals
RTC 3705A Transport, handle and store chemicals

Assessments
Designed to amass evidence of the participant’s knowledge, skills and attitudes in relation to the competencies. Assessment techniques include written questionnaires, self assessment, structured activities.

Resource Manual
Comprehensive reference manual to take back to the farm.

Qualification
Competent participants receive a Statement of Attainment from Curtin University or the participating Registered Training Organisation and an identifying ID card from ChemCert WA.

ChemCert Accreditation
ChemCert accreditation is for 5 years, after which ChemCert WA recommends reaccreditation through the Reaccreditation Course or a Specialist Course.

COURSE DETAILS

Duration: 2 days
Eligibility: open to anyone
Cost: $425 per person or $415 each for two or more people from the same production unit
Includes: Resource manual including assessments morning and afternoon tea

Reaccreditation Course

This one-day course is designed for ChemCert reaccreditation and is an essential update for primary producers in all aspects of chemical use. It covers new information in environmental safety, personal and occupational health and safety, legislation, spraying and calibration techniques, residues and resistance to chemicals.

During the course there is the opportunity to review best practice principles and changes in controls on chemical use, take a fresh look at environmental management techniques and identify procedures to minimize risk to chemical users and to comply with regulatory requirements.

Competent participants receive a Statement of Reaccreditation from ChemCert WA.

COURSE DETAILS

Duration: 1 day
Eligibility: Participants must have completed the Basic Course or an equivalent qualification or they will receive a Letter of Attendance that does not constitute accreditation
Cost: $299 per person or $289 each for two or more people from the same production unit
Includes: Resource manual including assessments, morning and afternoon tea

Spray Application and Risk Management in Grain Production

Designed for WA Broad hectare farmers, this course reviews best practice in spray application technology in grain crops. Current issues and future directions in farm chemical management are discussed with emphasis on the management of risk, IPM programmes, techniques to reduce drift and the requirements of Quality Assurance and domestic and overseas markets. There are practical demonstrations to show the latest application techniques and a review of calibration procedures.

Livestock and grain producers are encouraged to attend this programme as there is an additional module and small manual available detailing livestock chemical use issues.

Competent participants receive a Statement of Reaccreditation from ChemCert WA.

COURSE DETAILS

Duration: 1 day
Eligibility: Participants must have completed the Basic Course or an equivalent qualification or they will receive a Letter of Attendance that does not constitute accreditation
Cost: $299 per person or $289 each for two or more people from the same production unit
Includes: Resource manual including assessments, livestock workbook, morning and afternoon tea

Spray Application in Vineyards

Community expectations are that viticulture is practiced in a manner which does not pose risks to the environment and people. This course assists people who apply insecticides, fungicides and herbicides in vineyards to do the job efficiently, effectively and safely. Current best practice principles in pesticide management are reviewed with particular emphasis on the unique requirements of vineyards. Spray drift management is another major issue covered in the course, along with regulatory obligations and record keeping.

This course offers a practical update on techniques and also provides ChemCert reaccreditation. Competent participants receive a Statement of Reaccreditation from ChemCert WA.

COURSE DETAILS