PEST CONTROL
the lard-based solution. It is also much more effective and faster than other methods, meaning that the deceased mouse should be found close to the bait for proper disposal.
3
Cut out clutter: Move storage away from walls where possible and
remember that less clutter means fewer places to hide. Seal holes in the exterior of the building with wire wool, caulk, metal kick plates or cement. Rodents are also known to enter buildings through damaged drains, so it’s important to make sure that these are well maintained and checked regularly.
4
Employee education: There are online courses available which
teach staff the basic elements of pest control, including the biology of the animal, which will help them to recognise the signs of rodent activity or other pest infestations. This can turn employees into an army of eyes and ears around the facility, helping to spot the signs of a pest problem.
is taken to keep pests at bay. There are four elements of a proactive pest control prevention strategy that will ensure the likelihood of an infestation is kept to a minimum.
1
Early detection: Pest control firms now offer non-toxic monitoring
blocks. These ensure early stage detection of a rodent infestation, while keeping undesirable toxic substances off-site. Also, keep an eye out for droppings (rats excrete dark, pellet- shaped droppings up to 14mm, whilst mouse droppings are typically 5mm and spindle shaped), smears along walls and skirting boards, rodent footprints and chew marks.
2
Remove sources of food: The simple step of ensuring that food
and waste is properly sealed and stored can make a big difference. Mice are traditionally hard to control as they can take food from up to 70 different sources in one night. RapidPro Riddance (which contains the rodenticide alphaclorose), is exclusive to Rentokil and will quickly kill a mouse, after just a single feed of
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
Of course, effective daily cleaning is essential in preventing pest infestations taking hold, as is ensuring any waste is properly disposed of. The vast areas that have to be kept clean, combined with the high footfall of visitors passing through (many of whom are unwell), means that keeping hospitals hygienic can be a very challenging task.
SYSTEMATIC DEEP CLEANING Hospitals have extensive infection control teams which ensure that wards are kept spotless and compliant with hygiene legislation. However, there are other areas in the facility where a visit from a specialist deep cleaning team is beneficial. These include hospital kitchens, communal spaces and waiting areas which are likely to experience high footfall. For this reason, it is recommended that these spaces are deep cleaned at least twice a year to complement day-to-day cleaning routines, as well as following a pest infestation or infectious outbreak.
Before a deep clean, hospitals should undertake a consultative process that factors in the specific dynamics of the site, weighs risk against cost and efficiency, and also considers environmental factors such as the design of the building, the footfall
pattern, isolatable areas and any specific target pathogens. This will help to determine the depth and frequency of the in-house cleaning regime. It will also guide how and when to implement specialist deep cleans to enhance everyday infection control measures.
“While pests will
always be drawn to a hospital’s warm
and dry environment, facilities managers
can put measures in place to ensure every step is taken to keep pests at bay.”
Following a hygiene health check or swabbing programme, manual infection control cleaning resources can be targeted in zones that have registered high microbiological readings. The areas of lesser concern are then treated with Ultra Low Volume (ULV) disinfectant fogging, to sanitise high-footfall areas and busy spaces. Fogging is a technique which enables treatment of large areas in a short space of time, generating a visible mist of tiny droplets of disinfectant, measuring 5-50 microns in diameter. This process also ensures that hard- to-reach areas where particles and bacteria can accumulate are treated. Studies show that application by ULV significantly reduces the number of potentially harmful pathogens.
FINAL WORDS To combat outbreaks of infectious diseases and the presence of rodents which would be a risk to the health of patients and staff, hospitals should partner with a specialist cleaning provider as well as a pest control specialist. Together they will be able to develop and implement a regular hygiene maintenance routine and a comprehensive contingency plan to quickly deal with any issues that may unexpectedly arise.
www.rentokil.co.uk Tomorrow’s Cleaning | 71
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