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Tip of the week: Educate pest control contractors about the hospital environment

Hospital Safety Connection, February 27, 2008

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If there comes a point when your hospital needs to call in a professional pest control contractor--or if you want to further develop a current relationship--communication is key.

So says Greg Baumann, senior scientist and technical director for the National Pest Management Association.

To start, lay out specific needs and wants, and be sure to educate contractors about special considerations in each area of the hospital in which they will work--down to what pest-control methods they can employ, Baumann says.

For example, a hospital might have flies in the surgical wing, which is a sensitive area for contractors to work in.

"A pest management provider is not going to know what goes on in every single area of the hospital, so the safety manager needs to specify if any special care must be provided," Baumann says. "Maybe you can't use ladders, maybe you have to dress a certain way, maybe you can't use certain products. The key is to work together."

Look for more advice about pest control in the upcoming April issue of Briefings on Hospital Safety.

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