Pest Control Hampton Roads Virginia Beach: Pest Control 101
Healthcare professionals managing medical facilities, long-term care clinics, mental or physical rehabilitation centers, or emergency medical centers face a lot of challenges to make sure that they meet the best and highest level of sanitation while doing their jobs caring for the people of this country.
Since pests pose a lot of health threats through the contamination of surfaces, medical equipment, and supplies, as well as the spread of bacteria, making sure that facilities remain, many individuals consider pest-free as the biggest challenge in managing these facilities. As the size of these establishments increases, so do risk factors for pest infestations – bigger kitchens, more bathrooms, more edibles being served, and more visitors.
These factors include the conditions of the country’s population living in or closer to the establishment, as well as the organizational intricacies of decision-makers. The best possible way to prevent this issue is to know and understand how these animals gain access, what pests are invading the structure, where the infestation started, and how to prevent this problem.
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Risk of entry
Healthcare establishment pest issues can happen because of pests that enter from the surroundings, those already inside the structure, and pests brought into the building by staff or visitors through clothing, flowers, edibles, and other items. While it may be pretty hard to stem the entry of these animals by visitors, educating workers about prevention inside the facility can reduce issues.
First things first, professionals need to implement exclusion steps to stop these animals from entering their immediate surroundings. For instance, entry doors need to be closed at all times and should be designed to minimize or prevent the entry of insects and other flying pests. Likewise, other openings like windows should be screened and closed off to avoid points of entry.
Professionals working at these facilities also need to remember that colder weather can push a lot of these animals indoors. It usually happens through the loading dock doors or utility openings and through the vegetation like trees or shrubs planted close to the establishment. Trimming plants around the building can prevent rats and other rodents from having access to upper levels, roofs, and windows.
Poorly maintained plumbing systems also can attract animals like flies and cockroaches looking for moisture. Any pipes with condensation or leaks can be a bit problematic, same as kitchen drains and clogged bathrooms. Fixing these issues can stop rodents, flies, and cockroaches from using the system to spread throughout the building.
Another easy access point for these animals is through food deliveries. That is why establishing proper protocols regarding the flow of food throughout the building is an important part of the overall pest management plan. For instance, food service workers should inspect every food delivery entering the facility for actual signs of pests like droppings or damaged edibles.
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Cardboard boxes in which the food is delivered need to be broken down or removed from the facility after use. Additionally, stored edible items need to be appropriately kept on shelves, off the floor, and away from the building walls. People working in the kitchen should inspect stored edible items at least twice a month. They need to report any signs of pest infestation to management professionals.
Additionally, kitchen workers need to make sure that their workstations, such as places under appliances and shelves, are free of edible debris and moisture. The rule of thumb is the facility should be squeaky clean. Finally, problematic animals like bedbugs can be transported on clothing, in purses and bags, and through the laundry collection.
Educating housekeeping and laundry workers is very important when it comes to spotting issues before a severe infestation takes over. While these places have the highest risk of infestation in a healthcare facility, the following places are also considered hot spots and need proper maintenance:
- Break and locker rooms
- Laundry rooms
- Janitorial closets
- Food service areas
- Snack and coffee bars
- Restaurants
- Food carts
- Vending machine areas
- Bedside furniture in patient and staff rooms
- Sink areas and floor drains
- Intensive care wards
- Kidney dialysis rooms
- Surgical suites
- Trash dumpsters
- Autopsy rooms
- Loading docks
Problematic animals
While there are a lot of reasons why secondary infections can happen in these types of work environments, common pests carry various bacteria on their bodies. These things can indirectly or directly impact patients either through contamination of supplies, surfaces, and equipment in a different part of the facility or through personal contact; that is why companies need to hire experts like Hampton roads pest control to inspect their facilities for pests. The following pests pose the highest health risks in healthcare facilities:
Cockroaches
These animals spread nearly thirty-three different types of bacteria, six types of parasitic worms, as well as at least seven types of human pathogens.
As carriers of diseases, cockroaches usually carry different bacteria like Salmonella and Escherichia Coli on their bodies, which not only contaminate people’s edibles, prep surfaces, and cooking utensils and equipment, but also compromise sterile environments of delivery and operating rooms, as well as the cleanliness of patient and examination rooms. These animals also are responsible for expanding the severity of indoor allergy and asthma symptoms, especially in kids and elderly individuals. Common areas infested by cockroaches include:
- Break and locker rooms
- Laundry areas
- Janitorial closets
- Restaurants
- Snack bars
- Food service areas
- Vending machine areas
- Floor drains
- Sinks areas
- Food carts
- Autopsy and kidney dialysis rooms
- Intensive Care Units
- Garbage disposal places
- Loading docks
Rodents
These animals can enter facilities through almost any cracks or openings larger than a coin. Once inside, they can cause structural damage as they can chew through cardboards, wallboards, plaster, wood, and electrical wiring (this increases the possibility of fire).
Additionally, rats defecate constantly. It can easily contaminate edible and prep surfaces. Healthcare facility professionals need to inspect for rat droppings, especially in areas like storage areas situated near walls and cafeteria pantries. Rats usually are found in garbage disposal areas, loading docks, food carts, food service areas, and laundry quarters.