PestCert Membership Requirements

PestCert accreditation is open to businesses in the pest management industry that agree to the accreditation standards and maintain appropriate standards in three areas:

  • Employee accreditation - all pest management employees must undertake a minimum of 80 Continuing Professional Development training units in any given year.
  • Vehicle and minor storage accreditation - vehicles which are used in the conduct of pest management are required to be assessed against a checklist or code of practice.
  • Storage areas and facilities - for storage areas and facilities which hold below 1000 litres or kilograms of pest management chemicals at any one point in time, refer to the vehicle and minor storage checklist.  For sites which hold greater than these quantities at any one time, PestCert recommends separate accreditation.

As a PestCert accredited member, you will need to undertake the following activities:

1. Induction Requirement

All existing and new PestCert members must complete the free online PestCert Induction program. The induction course takes around 1½ - 2 hours and must be completed by at least one member of the firm within 12 months of membership.
 
To complete the induction, go to website - www.pestlearn.com, select Create New Account and follow the prompts. Once you have created an account, a confirmation email will be sent to you. Click on the link in the email to confirm your account and go back to www.pestlearn.com, then follow the online prompts to complete the course (under “Course Categories” select the 3rd option, “PestCert”).

2. Continuing Professional Development

In accordance with the PestCert Rules of Accreditation, PestCert endorsed businesses must acquire a pre-determined number of Continued Professional Development (CPD) points for each pest management service technician employed in the business (the current benchmark is 80 CPD points per annum). Generally CPD points remain valid for 36 months from the date of attainment and plural points may be added over a 36 month period (e.g. 80 points per year equals 240 points over a (3) three year period). The AEPMA have also widened the scope of activities available to collect CPD points. Visit the Events and Training page for further information.

An accredited business is eligible to discount the number of points for each field service worker if they undertake or have aspirational elements of the PestCert Management System or have obtained ISO certification and have third party external audits. 

In recognition of the location of some individual firms and the inability to obtain relevant CPD training, a PestCert member firm may alternatively submit a training program drawn up by a registered training organisation confirming the firm has in place ongoing training suitable to its needs.

3. Auditing 

A pest management organisation which seeks to be PestCert accredited must be externally audited at least once every three years.

PestCert administration has also agreed that if you are already externally audited to an ISO system or equivalent then it is possible for the existing auditor to sign off on the PestCert Accreditation Scheme. This means no additional costs to the business.

AEPMA reserves the right to request more frequent audits if there is sound evidence that the integrity of the PestCert program is being undermined by an accredited organisation. Please refer the PestCert Auditing Manual.

4. PestCert Management System

The requirements of the PestCert Management System are grouped into four sections: quality management, vehicles and equipment, chemicals and environment, and animal welfare. Each section describes the outcomes required and the practices necessary to ensure compliance.

Essential elements of the PestCert Management System must be complied with by all participants in the system. Businesses should also work towards the Aspirational Elements, fulfilling the aim of continuous improvement.

5. Other

Maintaining up-to-date versions of external documents is essential. PestCert accredited organisations must have current copies of all relevant PestCert documents on site.

These documents include:

Each Accredited organisations will also need to maintain current copies of Australian Standards and / or Codes of Practice relevant to their activities.

Examples of these documents include (but are not limited to):

  • A Code of Practice for the Control of Bed Bug Infestations in Australia
  • AS3660: Termite Management
  • A Code of Practice for Pest Management in the Food Industry in Australia and New Zealand
  • A Code of Practice of Prior to Purchase Timber Pest Inspections