Pest Management Documentation

Another major part of pest management documentation is the map of the pest control devices utilized at your facility. Every single device the pest management professional uses—glueboards, insect light traps, mechanical traps, bait stations, pheromone traps, among others—both inside and outside the plant must be included in the map. Third-party auditors compare the device map with the actual placement of those devices in the facility, and if the two do not match, audit scores often decline. Avoid this by ensuring your map is updated whenever a new device is installed or an old device is removed.

In addition to these items, your documentation must also include pest sighting logs, pest trend logs, and corrective action reports.

Pest sighting logs. Every time you or a member of your staff see a pest, it is imperative to fill out a pest sighting report to record when and where the pest was spotted.

Pest trend logs. Once you’ve filled out enough pest sighting reports, you can establish pest activity trends over time. The pest trend log should document these trends, which is why it’s important to fill out pest sighting reports every single time.

Corrective action reports. Whenever the pest management professional makes recommendations for improvements to your pest management program, you should follow through on the instructions. The corrective action reports detail each recommendation made by the pest professional and whether the facility complied with the recommendations. If your facility does not comply, points could be taken from the final audit score.

In addition, auditors will check for copies of the pest management professional’s liability insurance, license, and the training certification of the individual who is actually conducting the service at your facility.

To make it easy for your pest management professional to keep all of this information updated after each service, place all of these documents into a logbook that is kept on-site for the auditors to access easily. In the event of unplanned or unannounced audits, this logbook is instrumental in helping the facility achieve a high score, even if you are not able to prepare fully.

For added security, hold monthly or quarterly meetings with your pest management professional to review and update the documentation and pest management program. With all of these documents in place, a high audit score can be ensured for your facility no matter when the auditor comes knocking.

Dr. Siddiqi is director of quality systems for Orkin, LLC. A board certified entomologist with more than 30 years in the industry, he is an acknowledged leader in the field of pest management. Dr. Siddiqi can be reached at [email protected].