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School Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
School Pesticide Safety
The Louisiana legislature finds that the exposure of school children to pesticides poses known and, as of yet, unknown risks to their health and well-being. Providing controls on the application of these pesticides will help to ensure the safety and well-being of children in the state.
The ABCs of the School Pesticide Safety Law
Basic Pesticide Safety Requirements for Schools:
- An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan shall be submitted to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry on August 1 on an annual basis. The plan shall be available for review, upon request, by the commissioner and the general public, during normal school hours, at each school, in the business office. The annual IPM plan shall include, but not be limited to the following: SCHOOL IPM PLAN (by August 1)
- School name, mailing address, physical address, telephone number and contact person;
- Name and license # of company(s) and certification # of applicators, if contracted;
- Name and certification number of certified commercial applicator(s) of school system;
- Brand name and EPA registration number for each pesticide to be used;
- List for each pesticide to be used:
- Pest to be controlled,
- Type of application to be used,
- Location of application,
- Restricted use pesticide (RUP) or general use pesticide (GUP);
- Proposed location and date for non-certified applicator training;
- Other methods of pest control.
- Records of applications shall be maintained by the school and submitted with the annual IPM plan to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and shall contain:
- Certified applicator #, or if contracted – business name and certified applicator #;
- Product/brand name of pesticide;
- EPA registration number;
- RUP or general use pesticide;
- Application date;
- Type of application;
- Location of application;
- Size of area treated;
- Rate of application;
- Total amount of pesticide applied;
- Applicator name, if different from the certified applicator.
- If a school employee is applying any pesticide (including Roundup or Wasp Spray) in, on, or around school structures and grounds, he/she shall be a certified non-fee commercial applicator in Category 7D (Non-Fee School Employee) or under the direct supervision of a 7D certified non-fee commercial applicator. Schools have the option to contract all pesticide applications with pest control companies.
- If school system employees are applying pesticides, then the law requires systems with less than 10 schools to have at least one employee certified as a commercial applicator in Category 7D and school systems with 10 or more schools to have a minimum of two certified applicators.
- School employees certified in Category 7D shall annually train all persons (maintenance and janitorial staff) applying pesticides under supervision in the proper handling, storage, use, application and disposal of pesticides.
- Pesticides shall be applied for general pest control inside school buildings or restricted use pesticides to buildings or grounds only during periods when students are not expected to be present for normal academic instruction or organized extracurricular activity for at least (8) eight hours after the application.
- A hypersensitive student registry shall be maintained at each school. This registry shall contain the names of students whose parents have submitted a written statement to the school stating that the student is hypersensitive to pesticides, accompanied by written verification of the hypersensitivity by a licensed physician.
- Additions to the pesticide products to be used or other deviations from the submitted annual integrated pest management plan shall be forwarded in writing to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry at least twenty-four hours before any pesticide application. Notifications can be faxed to (225) 925-3760 to the Director of Pesticide and Environmental Programs.
SUBMIT IPM PLAN (Downloadable School IPM Packet Below) TO THE LDAF OFFICIAL LISTED BELOW: