PEST CONTROL
all client jobs, is preventative. This work includes routine inspections, monitoring, proofing, hygiene advice and ongoing contract services designed to identify risks early and prevent infestations from occurring in the first place.
While this represents a smaller share of total jobs, its economic and societal value is disproportionately high.
The value of pest proofing and prevention
Despite its contribution to the economy, the sector’s real value lies not in responding to infestations once they occur, but in preventing incidents which could otherwise lead to closures, financial loss or hygiene failures.
If pest control ceased to exist tomorrow, pest issues wouldn’t just rise, they would escalate rapidly – and recent regulatory changes which have narrowed the range of pest management options available to professionals have prompted concerns across the industry around the ‘shrinking toolkit’.
Currently, pest professionals are undertaking prevention work across homes, businesses and key spaces such as schools and hospitals as part of the wider public health infrastructure, rather than simply responding once harm has already occurred. They are actively helping to prevent disease and support environmental safety, maintaining hygiene standards and managing wildlife hazards.
Where an infestation has taken hold, pest professionals such as BPCA members have the skills, knowledge and experience to tackle the problem safely and effectively.
BPCA member businesses are endorsed by the Government via the TrustMark quality scheme, as they must carry the correct insurances and are trained and qualified technicians who are assessed to the British Standard in pest management EN 16636, and follow BPCA’s Codes of Best Practice.
Prevention is better than cure
A clear understanding of pest risk provides an additional level of protection for both clients and cleaning operatives, allowing early signs of activity to be detected and tackled swiftly, which also reduces potential exposure to pests and the pathogens some species may carry.
The BPCA’s ‘Pest Awareness for Cleaning Operatives’ training course is a 20-minute online session, designed to give cleaners the knowledge they need to help prevent pest issues and recognise early signs of infestation.
The course sets out the vital role cleaning operatives have to play as the first line of defence in pest management, why pests need controlling and signs of pest activity. An overview of health, safety and legislation relating to pest management is included, along with advice on preventing and reporting pest problems, and the role of the professional pest technician.
There are no prerequisites for participants to take the online course, which they can access at any time from a computer or mobile device, and a certificate is available to download on completion.
56 | TOMORROW'S CLEANING
Larger contractors providing pest management services can access the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH)/ BPCA Level 2 Pest Management Award, which gives operatives the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills required to operate safely and effectively as a public health pest control technician.
Covering techniques for managing common pests, this industry standard qualification is delivered by experts in pest management and teaches participants how to identify infestations and different methods of control. Learners must complete 60 hours of online learning over six weeks, and can then take part in a five-day residential week with classroom learning and exam.
The course fulfils the legal requirement relating to the training control technicians as set out in the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. Topics in the syllabus include:
• Legislation relevant to public health pest control • Storage and transport of pesticides •
Biology, behaviour and control of rats and mice
• Control of other vertebrate pests, including birds, rabbits, foxes, squirrels, moles and feral cats
• Public health insect pest biology and control, including cockroaches, ants, wasps, flies, biting insects and stored product insects (SPIs)
• Pesticide application equipment • Pesticide formulations and active ingredients
Alternatively, the BPCA also offers an online learning only- option, which participants can access for 12 months.
The value of pest control According to the No Small Matter report, pest control is estimated to help businesses avoid an average £2,000 in direct costs, with a further saving of £700 in cases with early intervention – which is often the result of a report from a cleaner who has spotted signs of pest activity.
The report also found around 32% of client jobs involve either significant infestations or emergency response, where disruption is already occurring or risks are acute, while around 26% of clients could face legal action or an enforcement notice in the absence of pest control.
Despite its importance, pest management remains widely perceived as a reactive and problem-focused service, rather than key to protecting public health, which can obscure the technical skill, environmental judgement and public health responsibility involved in the role.
The BPCA remains committed to strengthening professional skills and training pathways which enhance workforce capability and support the long-term sustainability of the sector, helping to position its members as a core part of the UK public health and environmental infrastructure.
www.bpca.org.uk
x.com/TomoCleaning
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
