The calendar tells facility and QA managers that 2020 is ending and it’s time to prepare for a year-end assessment of their pest management program. Clients should not dread a year-end assessment like a trip to the dentist. Instead, see it as an opportunity to ensure their pest management programs are working and doing what they are supposed to. 

The assessment will include a thorough top to bottom inspection to identify conditions that are conducive to pest activity and identify items requiring corrective action. It will also make sure those items are fixed promptly, correctly and are properly documented.

What do facility and QA managers and their staffs need to do to prepare for a year-end assessment? The following tips will help you prepare and get the most from the process:

Maintain Good Documentation Practices:

If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen. Accurate and detailed documentation is the only way to verify that the proper pest management processes are being followed; when they are being done and what methods are being used. Failure to keep organized, easily accessible – both digital (for remote audits) and printed – documents can lead auditors and inspectors to assume that a corrective action or program requirement did not happen. This will leave your facility vulnerable to a poor or failing audit score.

Have The Right Documentation:

It’s not good enough just to have organized documents but to have the correct documentation. What documents are needed for your assessment and, more importantly, an audit or inspection?

• A written, detailed overview of the current pest management program. What pests are being targeted? What control methods are being used? What are the unique elements of the program?
• Service reports listing details on each service visit including date, time and what service was provided.
• Pesticide usage logs detailing what products were used, where and when they were used, the active ingredient and what type of pests were targeted. If an organic facility is involved, it entails a more detailed documentation process.
• Maps/layouts of where pest control devices – both traditional and electronic – are positioned and what data they are sharing. 
• Pest sighting logs that employees use whenever they see a pest or signs of pests in the facility. Make sure it includes the time, date and location of the sighting.

Review Pest Trend Data:

Data from pest control monitoring devices, pest sighting logs and service reports, will identify trends in a facility that may require corrective action or changes to your pest control program.

Discuss Corrective Actions:

When a recommendation for corrective action is made it should be noted in a corrective action report. This should include details of what actions were prescribed and, more importantly, when the corrective actions were taken and what the result was. Corrective action follow up and resolution is a critical element in virtually every audit schemes.

New Services:

A year-end assessment can also reveal that new services may need to be added to address an issue that has arisen. For example, the coronavirus pandemic has led to commercial facilities adding disinfection services to their programs. Making sure money is allocated to make critical structural repairs include replacing exterior and loading dock doors, installing new screening for HVAC units or bird deterrents such as netting and spikes.

Final Thoughts on Year-End Assessments!

If your business or commercial property is looking for a pest management partner that goes the extra mile to design and deliver comprehensive rodent and pest management programs, call Rottler Pest Solutions at 636-249-1601 for a free quote, consultation or training for your staff.