Pest control
If the pest control contract is separate, the pest control technician can raise any issues about landscaping or cleaning with the care home manager. If the technician works for the same company as the landscaping and cleaning staff, it would be difficult to criticise colleagues. It is far better to let pest controllers be
your ‘critical friends’. They will sometimes become unpopular with other contractors but it is their job to solve pest infestations and these can sometimes require changes in, for instance, the working practises of cleaning staff such as emptying bins at night rather than in the morning.
Prevention first All pest control providers should focus on preventing pest problems from happening in the first place. Cleankill’s way of working is Exclusion, Restriction, and Destruction (as a last resort). ‘Exclusion’ means that staff look at where pests are entering a premises and make sure any entrance points are blocked. ‘Restriction’ means creating unfavourable conditions for pests by keeping everything clean and tidy, and ‘Destruction’ means the chemical and physical elimination of pests. If an unexpected problem does occur such as a wasp nest or an invasion of ants or flies, your pest control staff should understand how essential it is to provide a calm reassuring service and how important it is to act quickly to limit any danger and distress to residents and staff. Communication is critical and your
provider needs to take the time to talk with care workers on site to explain what has happened and let them know that everything is under control. As with all premises, pests will always be looking for ways to invade – particularly if there is an easy-to-reach food source. For instance, sweet liquid spillages and dropped biscuits attract a range of pests and residential care homes with paved areas outside are particularly attractive to garden ants who will happily form a trail through open patio doors.
Key advice n Act promptly to prevent an infestation from spreading to other areas.
n Check your proposed contractor belongs to a recognised trade association such as the British Pest Control Association.
n Obtain RAMS (Risk Assessment Method Statement) documentation prior to treatment.
September 2024
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
Pest control should always be a priority for care home managers
n Ask the contractor to provide COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) sheets for any chemicals used on site.
n Obtain a copy of the contractor’s Public Liability Insurance.
Choosing a pest control company Do not assume that the big brands offer the best value or service – it can be the opposite. With shareholders wanting better returns, the larger companies can put a lot of pressure on their salespeople who then become focused on their targets rather than the problem they are trying to solve for the customer. Some will take any opportunity to they can to sell extra items or services that you might not need.
Consider using smaller regional companies which are usually large enough to afford to invest in good training, accreditations, and the latest products and services, but do not have the huge overheads and marketing costs associated with national brands. They are normally privately owned. With any pest control contract, you should carefully examine any hidden costs and extras that may be charged alongside the charges for regular site visits. Do compare the original contract with what you are actually being charged. Pricing should be completely
transparent and there should be communication after every visit so you know what has been done and why. There should be justification for any extra costs on top of the regular pest prevention contract. All Cleankill technicians use iPads so instant reports can be sent to customers and there are no surprises. We will always check with the customer if there is something we need to do that is outside the scope of the original agreement. Accreditations and standards are also something that should be checked. The European Standard for Pest Control is EN 16636 Certification (CEPA Certified). This is independently assessed by qualified and experienced auditors with an in-depth working knowledge of the industry. Also critical is British Pest Control Association membership and accreditations, including Achilles; Alcumus SafeContractor; Altius Assured Award & CDM; Avetta; BS EN 16636:2015; CHAS - Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme; CHAS Premium Plus; Constructionline; EXOR; ISO 9001 Quality Management; ISO 14001 Environmental Management, Safe4Site and SafePQQ.
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