Would you know the difference between rat droppings and those of a mouse or the different locations you would find house flies and flesh flies?
If you work in the food manufacturing industry and are audited by the British Retail Consortium, it is an essential part of the Global Food Standard that “employees shall understand the signs of pest activity and be aware of the need to report any evidence of pest activity to a designated manager.”
Whilst pest control programmes must be carried out by trained and competent personnel, such as our highly trained and experienced technicians, companies also need to commit to training their own staff to a high level.
The most robust pest prevention and management solutions occur when companies educate their staff to work in partnership with their external pest control team. This enables any potential issues to be quickly identified by staff who are using the facilities day to day. When pest control technicians arrive to deal with the infestation they will then have a good briefing on the problem they are dealing with and will be able to manage it effectively, minimising disruption and risk.
“It is essential that staff working in the food manufacturing industry are educated on the problems pests can cause, such as disease, fear, financial loss and reputation damage,” said Martin Harvey.
“Employees working alongside external pest control teams on proofing and hygiene strategies can lower the risk of problems for a company.
“It is important that staff have a wide ranging understanding of the different types of pests that could affect their business and the hygiene, housekeeping, habitat and environmental management strategies they can employ to minimise risk.
“Here at Harvey Environmental Services, we run courses for our clients and potential clients to help their staff gain a basic understanding of pests and the potential impact to their business. This helps businesses to comply with auditing requirements, including those of the BRC and helps to keep food manufacturing premises pest-free.”
To enquire about a pest control briefing for your business, call us on 01282 866554 or email enquiries@harveyenviro.com
