Safe Use of a Knapsack and/or Lance to Land - PA6a

On this knapsack spraying course you will learn about:

• all the points below
• your legal responsibilities when using these products
• how to work to industry best practice
• the correct PPE to wear to keep you safe
• that the correct application can save you money in the future!

Session one of our PA6a knapsack spraying course has now gone online through blended learning. But do not worry we will talk you through everything you need to do. It is a simple and straightforward way to carry out session one of your PA6a course.

It saves you:

• travelling time
• fuel costs
• an early start if you are not local to the area

Once you have booked and purchased the PA6a you will get an email containing a link to your candidate portal. On the portal, you can view and listen to all the course materials in bite-sized chunks on your own schedule. We will post out the workbook and copy of a clean pesticide label to you, so you can work through the pack alongside the videos.

All the training is done from the comfort of your own home or workplace – how amazing is that!

You will have from your purchase point to the actual course date for session two, to complete the learning materials, to ensure you are ready to take the practical assessment.

Also, a huge bonus for you is that you get to use our knapsacks and measuring equipment at no extra cost.

With regards to the assessment, we will endeavour to do it in the afternoon of session 2, so you only need to travel once. Although we do aim for this we can not guarantee it.

The PA6a knapsack, or handheld lance from a tank such as a 50l tank on the back of an ATV, is one of the many different pesticide application units you can choose to complete.

The PA6a safe use of a knapsack runs over two sessions:

Session one is blended online learning covering the theory, through a workbook and access to fabulous videos in the candidate portal, from home or work:

• types of handheld sprayers
• nozzle choice and how important the correct nozzle is for the job you are doing
• environmental risk assessments
• principles of calibration
• the difference between an overall treatment and spot spraying
• dealing with waste and disposal

Session two is a face to face practical session in Settle:

• carrying out pre-use checks
• completing an environmental risk assessment
• marking out the spraying area
• calibration of your knapsack
• measuring and filling of the knapsack
• completing application records

Many of you are already actively using pesticides. In particular, herbicides to control weed infestations on land you either own or manage. However, knapsack spraying is not about putting a dollop of product in a tank with a bit more for luck. Then waving a lance about in the air, hoping for the best!

Without an application unit such as the PA6a knapsack, you cannot legally apply any pesticides as a professional user.