GAPC Certification Tips

Our weekly email containing tips, advice and reminders that will help you achieve GAPC Certification in 2018. 
This week: Worker Training Requirements and Agrochemical Storage

1. Worker Training Requirements: What training do my workers need? 
Auditors will be looking for documentation that includes topics, source of materials, and signatures of the workers for each required topic (listed below and also found in the Training section of the GAPC Certification Labor Standards). They will also be asking during worker interviews what topics the workers received training on from the grower or other source.
Critical Standards for All Certifications  (Certification requires 100% of Criticals) 
Grower documents training to farm workers on the hazards and risks associated with agrochemicals, safe working practices, emergency response and health surveillance including:
  • Heat Stress
  • Farm Safety, including Farm Equipment Safety
  • Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention (if applicable)
  • Pesticide Safety and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • Green Tobacco Sickness (GTS)
  • Emergency response procedures
  • Recognition of REI
  • Storage, handling, application, and disposal of agrochemicals
  • NTRM Prevention
Grower follows all requirements of state and national regulations and training requirements related to worker protection and agrochemical use.
Additional Standards High Risk  (Certification requires 75% of Additionals) 
Grower documents training to farm workers on:
  • Proper baling and market separation of tobacco
  • For air-cured and fire-cured operations only, grade separation
Make it easy...We have several options to make training and documenting that training easy for growers.
  • Use our record templates to document all of the required training
  • Use our inspection sheets including the NTRM inspection sheet and Barn Safety inspection sheet included in our record packets for training purposes
  • Purchase the Safety DVD's or Tailgate Kits from the GAPC Store
  • Download for free the Worker Training Guides from our website (also available in our GAPC Store)
  • Attend one of the Farm Safety Events (if located near you) and receive the required and needed training documentation at the event (see the 2018 Farm Safety Locations)
2. Agrochemical Storage: What is required?  What will the auditors look for?
Below is a list of Standards that pertain to agrochemical storage, also found in the Agrochemical Management section of the GAPC Crop and Environmental Standards.
Critical Standards for All Certifications (100% Compliance Required)
  • Have a securable, dry pesticide storage area with proper signage  
  • Properly segregate, store, recycle, or dispose of hazardous waste including but not limited to residual  agrochemicals, fuel, oil, grease, paint, and batteries 
  • Ensure that agrochemicals are stored in original manufacturer’s containers with labels attached or on file in pesticide storage room 

  1. Storage area – The key requirements here are that the storage area protect stored agrochemicals from rain and from runoff or ponding of water from outside the structure, and that the area be securable such that unauthorized persons cannot easily enter. Auditors will be looking for a walled or fenced area with a roof and a lockable entrance, situated such that water does not run in from the outside in rain events.
  2. Signage- Auditors will be looking for clearly visible signs indicating presence of pesticides near the entrance.
  3. Hazardous waste storage - Auditors will be looking for these materials to be stored in dry, securable places.
  4. Containers with labels attached- Agrochemicals should always be stored in their original containers, with clear labeling of their contents on the container. If the original label is missing, write the name of the pesticide, the active ingredient, the formulation, and the EPA registration number on the container.

Additional Standards Medium Risk (75% of additionals required)
  • Pesticide storage with impermeable floor designed to retain runoff from spills and leakages 
  • Impermeable floor - typically this will be concrete, but other impermeable materials such as plastic underlayers or plastic tubs are acceptable, as long as they are placed in a way that the contents of a ruptured container will be retained. Lack of an impermeable floor in the pesticide storage area will not by itself prevent certification. 
Additional Standards Low Risk (75% of additionals required)
  • Maintain an inventory of pesticide stocks in storage
  • Have a designated, fenced or otherwise secured storage area for empty pesticide containers pending disposal 
  • Clean, triple rinsed and punctured pesticide containers are not considered to be hazardous waste, but should be stored in a way to prevent easy access and disposed of as soon as practical.  
     
In future emails...  
  • Housing and Transportation
  • What is remediation?
  • Anti-discrimation Policy
  • Appeals Process
  • Audit Results
We will also be answering these questions and posting them online for easy access at: 
http://www.gapconnections.com/growers/faq-certification

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