Best Practices in Keeping Pest Documentation

No longer will simply scanning barcodes on bait stations or noting basic sanitation issues cut the mustard. The devil is in the details and today’s service order must be heavy on the details.

Pest management technicians now include greater detail sharing who, what, where, when, and why of their service. They detail who they spoke with, what pest-conducive conditions were present, and what corrective actions were taken.

A good service order will always detail what product was used, how it was used (i.e. crack and crevice, spot treatment, bait station application, etc.), and where in the facility (i.e. a crack and crevice treatment in the shaker room corner) it was applied.

The comments section of today’s service order allows facility managers to visualize the services provided and keep track of the progress of their overall pest management program.

Content Rules the Day

It is not enough to just capture data today. It is about capturing the right data. Data that will help predict pest trends and allow pest professionals and QA managers to develop a proactive response—is what really matters.

When pest control companies pull together documentation for a facility, technicians concentrate on pest thresholds, pest vulnerable zone (PVZ) inspections, and corrective actions.

By collecting data in these three critical areas, pest control companies can accurately portray—often in real-time—the current condition of the facility’s pest management program.

Pest thresholds. A strategic pest threshold paired with corresponding corrective action plans is the foundation of a proactive pest management plan. Collecting and monitoring data on pest thresholds identifies established action thresholds and provides a specific recommended response to a situation. If a threshold has been exceeded, the action plan provides a step-by-step game plan on how to react to the pest activity.

PVZ inspections. PVZs are areas in a facility that require additional inspection because of the likelihood of increased pest pressure. Pest pressures tend to be heightened in areas that have historically seen pests, such as those determined by trending reports, or areas that are at a higher risk for infestations because of their business function, such as receiving and production areas. PVZs are barcoded in the area and scanned for verification while performing the inspection and, of course, all findings are documented.

Corrective action. If a pest-conducive condition (i.e. damaged door sweep or opening in the roof) or pest activity, like rodent droppings or fly larvae in a drain, is observed, corrective action must be taken by either the pest management vendor and/or the facility.

Documenting the corrective action that was taken accomplishes several tasks:

• It creates a “paper trail” for tracking who was responsible for carrying out the corrective action;
• It details what actions were taken and when; and
• It outlines the results of the corrective action, something auditors pay close attention to when completing their audits.

The Big Picture

Continuously documenting specific and prescriptive comments allows QA managers and pest professionals to conduct a deeper dive into the real reasons behind a pest threat.

Detailed documentation also helps create a level of transparency and accountability. Using the latest in handheld and digital technology (i.e. using a satellite map from Google Maps to identify where the bait stations are located) allows pest professionals to share information instantaneously with not only the local facility management, but also corporate QA contacts located across the country.

In the post-FSMA era, something that is not written down simply didn’t happen in the eyes of an auditor, inspector, or the court. Establishing and following proactive documentation protocols will not only keep your facility compliant and improve efficiency in operations, it will protect your brand and your bottom line.