Australia's Science Forum

I see on our MY pl@DET thino. a course DV00127

This course fulfils the new compulsory training requiremtnts of the NSW Pesticides ACT 1999 and covers training needed to transport, handle & apply chemicls safely using hand-held & power operated equipment. Training includes the safe disposal of chemicals, decontaminating equipment & interpreting labels and MSDS information. You will receive a statement of attainment & a SMARTtrain crd as evidence of the training. The SMARTtrain qualification remains valid for five years.

I my self have never heard of SMARTtrain before???????

Hi Labbie
For us non DET staff would you be able to let us know more about the course- who's hosting it, etc?
Much appreciated!

Hi Labbie
Did you think is is for GA'S maybe or for us as well???

My SAM sent me the info to this course, and it sounded great until it started talking about pesticides...

A Rhonda Farr said, it is run by the TAFE NSW, and is for labbies & GA. The card in itself is worth $62.00, and is used Australia wide, a lot of it is based on CSIS. Rhonda is going to email me some more information. When it arrives I shall let you know. By the way the first course is full. Perhaps a 2nd one on the 15th Sep.

A few local labbies went to something similar some years back here in Tamworth, run by ATAC, a private training organisation.

While we learnt about safe storage and transportation of chemicals, it was more from a rural or industrial viewpoint, and the majority of the time was taken up in calulating application rates for spraying weeds, etc. It was certainly more relevant for GA's and FA's.

However, you mentioned this one is based on CSIS, so I am very interested to hear more.

This is the blurb - its at Richmond TAFE - and said to bring your own calculator, hat and sturdy footwear..
This course fulfils the new compulsory training requirements of the NSW Pesticides Act 1999. The course covers the training needed to transport, handle and apply chemicals safely using hand-held and power-operated equipment. Included in the course is training on the safe disposal of chemicals, decontaminating equipment and interpreting labels and MSDS information. On completion you will receive a Statement of Attainment and a SMARTtrain card as evidence of this training. The SMARTtrain qualification remains valid for five years from the date it was completed.

I have just goggled it, and I do believe it is more for GA & Farm Assistants. Not really required for us labbies.

I think that this might be the course that we sent our Farm Assistant to. Tried to get the Grounds Staff interested but they reasoned that if they knew how to apply pesticides, someone might expect them to do it!
Still, it could be a nice change to be sitting on the tractor for a day instead of having my head in a smelly Fume Cupboard!

Cheers
Ian

Sure sounds like the one we did. I don't have the certificate here, but I'll look it out at home.

This sounds like the course run for people using pesticides, it has a few different names depending on who is running it. It is also called Chemcert. It is a requirement for anyone applying pesticides as part of their job, so I think that would include grounds staff. I have completed it three times prior to me morphing into a lab assistant.
Although a lot of what I learnt from it that I now use, it isn't designed for the sort of things we handle, so I wouldn't worry about it.
Oh and Ian, pesticides includes insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. I bet your ground staff use glyphosate!

Hi everyone,
This course is for GA's only. I have a new untrained lab assistant working with me, and we enquired about this course. She was told that is is only for GA's, not science lab assistants.
Hope this helps you.
If anyone finds a course on Chemical safety for new labbies, can you please let me know?
Thanks,
Carol.

I'd love to see something developed for 'new' and casual staff working in Science. It's a very timely request.

Any suggestions as to who to talk to to start this ball rolling?

I know there's the Cert IV for Laboratory Technicians currently available through some TAFEs in NSW, but I think there's also a need for a Nationally accredited short course that covers basic laboratory skills and a basic introduction to CSIS would ensure that staff were more aware of the various safety aspects of the job. I am increasingly concerned that casuals are put in these positions without this basic knowledge.

In the past HT's (at DEC schools) were expected to provide any initial training required , but how many these days have the time to provide the intensive induction that is required? Often we are asked to provide this for newcomers, but it is the Chemical Safety Officer's role to do this, not ours.

A shorter, less expensive, readily available course would allow more schools to provide their staff with appropriate basic training.

I fully agreee Liz, But I am sorry to say this "NO ONE GIVES A ____________" We have been crying out for years about courses for horses.

I am working with TAFE to develop a Cert lll for school laboratory staff.....especially for "newbies" or those with no science background.
Will keep you posted with development.
Just remember " Rome wasn't built in a day"

That's great, Smeee

That's wonderful smeee, thank you. Even better that it's being developed jointly through a lab assistant association & TAFE.
A Cert III course would probably run for at least a year, though?

Do you think that there's also a need for a 2 day Induction course to introduce 'newbies' to CSIS and the most basic of skills before being let loose in science. Perhaps a course could be developed and implemented regionally through the RSRGs.
I think I'll raise this concern at our next RSRG meeting, but would really appreciate some feedback from NSW chemtalkers while formulating what to say.

I was sent info about a course called SASS Smartrain Chemical Application Level 2 for Science assistants.
It is being run in March at Ryde TAFE and says it is about chemical safety, decanting chemicals, OH&S.
There seems to be a different one for GA's so this may be just for Labbies.
I have applied so I hope it will be relevant.
Helen

The South western Sydney region, & ME, requested it taloired for Science Labbies. We rung Rhonda Farr, and she has arranged it, first it was ear marked for GA, but on reading the fine details, they managed to fine tune it for us labbies, Please do let us know what you thought of it?

Thanks Helen - that sounds good.

Good for you, Sue, for instigating it - that's just what I'm after!

Can either of you possibly send me the details please. I'm keen to see if we can organise it for our region too.

You'll find me in the DEC Adress Book as Liz Burgess.

Many thanks again,