COVER STORY DIVIDE AND CONQUER During his 30 years in pest control, Paul Bates, Managing Director
of Cleankill Environmental Services, has experienced relationships with cleaning companies that have been a real partnership and
others where it has been a constant battle, he explains why contracts should be separate, but staff should work together.
When it comes to pest control, Facilities Managers should never rest on their laurels. A mouse can get in through a gap the width of a pencil, cockroaches can be brought in on cardboard packaging, fleas may be picked up on public transport, pigeons will make the most of those wonderfully designed architectural ledges on the outsides of buildings and flies will just fly in.
It goes without saying that getting your contractors to work together is essential for the smooth running of your premises. One of the many reasons Facilities Managers should ensure that cleaning staff and pest control companies work closely together is so that pest infestations are identified as early as possible. It is vital that these two important services are not ‘bundled’ together to avoid conflict and complications.
A good, simple example is emptying bins in offices in the evening rather than early morning. Foodstuffs put in bins by office staff during the day and not emptied until the next morning feed pests throughout the night. Remains in a crisp packet are a tasty meal for mice and apple cores in a bin provide a nice breeding ground for fruit flies.
Cleaning staff in general should be made more aware, through training, about the hazards of pests. For instance, if they are cleaning where there is evidence of mice, the urine from the rodents won’t be visible and cleaners could unknowingly contaminate nearby areas by spreading bacteria.
The best advice is to arrange for your pest control contractor to train all cleaning staff to be vigilant and report any problems or
24 | TOMORROW’S FM An ideal entry point for a rat
suspected issues immediately. This is particularly important in food production, storage and serving areas where staff should be on the lookout for droppings or other signs such as damaged packaging. Cleanliness is key as is storing foodstuffs in sealed containers and pest-proof store rooms.
No establishment can ever be guaranteed pest-free. Modern building features like stud partitioning, breeze blocks, false flooring and service voids often create the perfect harbourages for pests.
German cockroaches can hide behind doors, in kitchens, behind and under cookers, sinks and kitchen units. They also like to live around water pipes and radiators, particularly where pipes pass through walls, inside cupboards, under tables and behind wall tiles. In kitchens and catering areas they can be found inside plugs and sockets. Bedbugs will live happily in any available cracks and crevices.
Some pest control companies, such as Cleankill Environmental Services, will offer to train cleaning staff to be their ‘eyes and ears’ and stop early warning signs. For instance, there might be an unexplained increase in the number
of flies in a room, which could simply be cluster flies, or the insects may indicate that there is a dead rodent in the void under the floor.
Experienced pest controllers can often identify a type of pest by smell as many pests leave behind distinctive scents. Cleaners should be trained to report unusual smells and also new noise; large cockroach infestations can result in scratching noises being heard.
The presence of rats around a premises poses an immediate risk of contracting Leptospirosis. Left unchecked, an infestation will increase in size and extent and, once established, rats will explore their surroundings with enhanced confidence.
There is the added risk of people being bitten by different types of insects and mammals and stress caused by the physical presence of pests.
Occasionally, we’ve had calls about female staff being bitten below the knee and it has turned out not to be insects but microscopic fibres from the carpets that have caused a reaction by penetrating the skin, or static electricity causing pores to shut and giving a similar reaction to insect bites. In these cases we’ve been able to advise the cleaning company to use an anti-static spray.
Giving staff formal pest awareness training is a win-win for facilities managers and cleaning contractors. This includes specialist cleaners like window cleaners who need to be made aware of the hazards caused by bird droppings, particularly pigeon waste.
Bundling pest control and cleaning services together in one contract,
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