Technician Training

Who is a technician? A technician is a person whose job involves the use of pesticides, but who is not a certified operator or qualified supervisor.

The Colorado Department of Agriculture is very specific about the hours of training required for certain classes of pesticide application technicians. The CDA defines 3 classes of technician, with further subdivisions.

Follow the decision tree below to determine what type of technician training you need to provide; click on your choice for more information. Read the Definitions section before reviewing the tables below.

• Technician Training Verification Form

For the following tables, refer to the definitions below.

• Structural I: Includes the categories of Wood Destroying Organism Pest Control, Fumigation, and Residential/Commercial Pest Control
• Structural II: Includes the categories of Outdoor Vertebrate Control, Stored Commodities Treatment, Wood Preservation and Treatment, and Interior Plant Pest Control
• Classroom: Instructional training covering State, Federal, and local laws and regulations
  • Environmental precautions
  • Pesticide use
  • Equipment and calibration
  • Pesticides and their families
  • Pest management
  • Applicator safety
  • Pesticide labels and labeling
  • Host and pest identification
  • Public safety

• Classroom Pest ID: Instructional training covering pest management and host and pest identificaion
• On-the-Job: Training provided while the technician is performing their duties. Some of this training (the number in parentheses) must be provided by a licensed QS or CO who has at least 1 season of pesticide application experience within the last 2 years.
• Discretionary: These hours may be divided between classroom instructional training and on-the-job training as needed.