In today’s Food Industry, your Pest Management Professional (PMP) is a critical part of your food safety plan. Yes your pest program is a critical part of food safety; but when you’re subject to Third Party Food Safety audits, much more is needed to achieve perfect scores. Knowing what constitutes a sound Pest Management Program that will exceed modern food safety standards is half the battle. Choosing the right company to deliver on the needs of your facility will help ensure a safe food production environment.
Program requirements fall under the principle of Active Program Management. Here are some guidelines to ensure that your current Pest Management Professional is providing the critical services that will protect your customers and your business.
Technician Training
Service Technicians require experience and training on how to effectively service food facilities and the stringent requirements with respect to paperwork, food safety and Third Party Audit standards. Verify that your Service Technician has formal, certified training on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) such as QualityPro Food Protection certification through the National Pest Management Association. Ask to see your PMP’s established service procedures for food facilities or organic food facilities if required.
Documentation
Your on-site documentation binder must include everything Third Party Food Safety auditors require including business credentials such as Service Technician licenses and training certificates, insurance, device floor plans for the facility, up to date MSDS and Product labels for pesticides, service reports, Approved Chemicals Lists, Pesticide Usage Logs, etc. When was the last time you reviewed yours?
Corrective Action Plan
A Corrective Action process ensures appropriate action is taken and documented when problems are identified by your Pest Management Provider. This can be a paper Corrective Action Log but is often built into your electronic reporting systems for easier management. An Auditor requires verification that structural, sanitation or pest problems are corrected quickly.
Electronic Reporting of Pest Activities and Trending
Electronic reporting uses barcodes inside the pest management devices in your facility to verify each device is serviced during each visit. Services are reflected on one report and findings are tied to specified locations. Filtering can be performed to identify chronic issues in the facility with respect to sanitation, structure or pest concerns, right from your desk.
Advanced Technical Support
You may not think often about pest control...unless you have a need. And then you really have a need! Investigate the depth of your Pest Management Provider’s expertise; their Quality Assurance department, local Branch Management, Technician training and emergency response programs. They can also provide other support such as staff training, detailed facility audits, and software support.
The abilities of the Pest Management Industry have greatly advanced to meet the needs of our Food Industry Clients. Be sure to investigate the opportunities to maximize the Pest Management Program at your facility to ensure compliance with Third Party Food Safety Audit standards.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
