Who requires a pesticide certificate?

The material on this page is provided as general information.
For an accurate assessment of your situation, please review the appropriate legislation or consult the appropriate agency (B.C. Ministry of Environment or WorkSafe BC).

In British Columbia, three sets of legislation apply to persons using pesticides.
The requirements are slightly different depending on the location of application:

For a workplace and farms
For landscapes, public land and similar situations
For specific pesticide products

For a workplace and for farms:

In a workplace registered with the Worker’s Compensation Board, all employees must hold a certificate to handle, mix or spray pesticides of moderate or high toxicity.  This requirement applies mostly to agriculture and private forestry operations.

The Worker’s Compensation Board issued the Occupational Health & Safety Regulation in 1998.  Regulation 6.77 states:
“The employer must ensure that a worker or applicator who mixes, loads or applies a moderately or very toxic pesticide for use in a workplace or who cleans or maintains equipment used in the operations
(a) is 16 years of age or over, and
(b) holds a valid applicator certificate issued pursuant to the Pesticide Control Act and Regulation.”

For more information about this regulation, or to order a copy, visit the website of the Worker’s Compensation Board
at www.worksafebc.com and follow the links to “OHS Regulation”, then “6.70 Pesticides”.

For landscapes, public land and similar situations:

The use of pesticides should be in accordance with the Integrated Pest Management Act and Regulation, under the authority of the B.C. Ministry of Environment.

The following are examples of situations where the Integrated Pest Management Regulation comes into effect:
- The use of pesticides on landscapes of private land, including golf courses.
- The use of pesticides on public land such as municipalities and school districts.
- The use of pesticides for industrial vegetation control, including on private land.

In general, the provincial legislation stipulates the following:
- An applicator certificate is required to purchase and use restricted pesticides (usually the more toxic pesticides);
- An applicator certificate is required to use pesticides on public land, or for a fee-for-service basis
(such as with landscape maintenance companies applying pesticides on private properties);
- A certified applicator can supervise up to 4 assistant applicators.

The Integrated Pest Management Regulation (B.C. Reg. 604/2004), consolidated 2016) states in Section 46:
“For the purpose of section 5(2) of the Act, the duties that a licensee providing a service using a class of pesticides prescribed in section 15 [pesticides prescribed in relation to a certified individual] must ensure are performed by a certified individual are the following:
(a) be present when the service is provided;
(b) either
(i) perform the use, or
(ii) supervise, in accordance with section 59.3 [supervision requirements], not more than 4 assistant applicators who perform the use. “

The Integrated Pest Management Regulation (B.C. Reg. 604/2004, consolidated 2016) states in Section 59.3:
“A certified individual who is supervising assistant applicators
(a) must not be more than 500 meters from each assistant applicator,
(b) must maintain continuous visual or auditory contact with each assistant applicator,
(c) must review the record kept under section 59.2 [training and training records] in respect of each assistant applicator, and
(d) must not permit an assistant applicator to apply a pesticide unless satisfied that the assistant applicator has completed the course required under section 59.2 (1).”

For specific pesticide products

In present years, wording was placed on pesticide containers of higher toxicity, requiring its use must be by a certified person.
Here are examples with commonly used products:
- Commercial rodenticides.  All products now say “only to be used by certified pest control operators, farmers and persons authorized in government approved pest control programs.”
- Commercial dimethoate (Cygon, Lagon).  The container now says “it is not for use by homeowners or other uncertified users.”
- Commercial Nova (sprayed for powdery mildew).  The label now says “not for use by homeowners or other uncertified users.”

For more information about this regulation, or to order a copy, visit the website of the B.C. Ministry of Environment
at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/pesticides-pest-management/certification-training