Section 830.410  Examinations

a)         Examinations for certification as structural pest control technicians are divided into two classifications:  General Standards Examination (General Use Pesticides) and Sub-category Examinations (Restricted Use Pesticides).

b)         General Standards (General Use Pesticides).  All applicants shall take the general standards examination.  The examination will test each applicant's general knowledge in the following areas:  label and labeling comprehension; safe handling, storage and disposal of pesticides; environmental awareness; types of equipment; application techniques; pests and pesticide formulations; protective clothing and equipment; symptoms of pesticide poisoning; and Illinois laws and regulations related to structural pest control.  Individuals who successfully pass the general standards examination shall be entitled to use or oversee the use of any general use pesticide in accordance with the Act or this Part, provided that the individual meets the requirements of Section 4 of the Act.

c)         Sub-category Examinations (Restricted Use Pesticides).  Any individual who satisfactorily passes the general standards examination and meets the requirements in Section 5B of the Act may take a sub-category examination.  The individual shall satisfactorily complete at least one of the eight sub-category examinations listed in subsection(c)(4) with a minimum score of 70 percent before the applicant will be awarded a technician's certificate to use or oversee the use of restricted pesticides within the appropriate sub-category.

1)         Any person using or overseeing the use of restricted pesticides while performing commercial structural pest control shall be examined in each sub-category listed in subsections (4)(A) through (D) and (H) for which the person performs structural pest control.

2)         Any person using or overseeing the use of restricted pesticides while engaging in non-commercial structural pest control shall be examined in one of the sub-categories listed in subsection (c)(4) for which the person performs structural pest control on behalf of the registrant.

3)         A person who is examined in the sub-categories listed in subsections (c)(4)(E) through (G) shall not engage in commercial structural pest control using restricted use pesticides unless he or she is examined in one or more of the sub-categories listed in subsections (c)(4)(A) through (D) and has complied with the licensure requirements for commercial structural pest control locations in the Act and this Part.

4)         The sub-category examinations for restricted pesticides are as follows:

A)        Insects, Rodents and Other Pests – includes the use or supervision of the use of restricted pesticides other than fumigants for the prevention and control of:

i)          insects, mites, ticks and other related pests, but does not include termites and other wood destroying organisms;

ii)         rats and mice; and

iii)        upon consent and permit from the Illinois Department of Conservation, protected mammals (bats, squirrels, skunks, etc.) and other protected animals (snakes, etc.).

B)        Termites and Other Wood-Destroying Organisms – includes the use or supervision of the use of restricted pesticides other than fumigants in, on or under a structure, for the prevention or control of termites and other wood-destroying organisms.

C)        Birds – includes the use or supervision of the use of restricted pesticides for the prevention and control of pest birds such as English house sparrows, pigeons and starlings in, on or around structures.

D)        Fumigation – includes the use or supervision of the use of restricted fumigants for the control of pests in commercial and non-commercial pest control locations, including but not limited to rail cars, trucks, ships, airplanes, docks and warehouses, and involves general, spot, tarpaulin chamber, vehicle and in-transit fumigation.

E)        Food Processing, Manufacturing and Storage – includes the use or supervision of the use of restricted pesticides, excluding fumigants, for the prevention and control of insect and rodent pests associated with the manufacturing, processing, packaging or holding of food products for ultimate consumption by man or animals when the products are not served or offered for sale directly to the ultimate consumer.

F)         Institutional and Multi-unit Residential Housing – includes the use or supervision of the use of restricted pesticides excluding fumigants for the prevention and control of insect (excluding termites and other wood destroying organisms) and rodent pests in, on or around nursing homes, hospitals, public housing facilities, state institutions and similar structures.

G)        Public Health Pest Control – includes State, federal or other government employees using or supervising the use of restricted pesticides in public health programs for the prevention and control of pests having medical and public health importance other than mosquitoes.

H)        Wood Products Pest Control – includes the use of restricted use pesticides (i.e., creosote, pentachlorophenol and inorganic arsenical formulations) to control or prevent wood degradation by wood-destroying organisms, which include, but are not limited to, insects, and the fungi or bacteria that cause surface molding, surface staining, sap staining, brown rot, white rot, dry rot and soft rot.  Certification in this sub-category is limited to those individuals who work in non-commercial wood treatment plants, or for commercial businesses whose function is to treat existing structures or structural components.

(Source:  Amended at 39 Ill. Reg. 11821, effective August 7, 2015)