7 Dangers Of Pest Inspections
When an professional pest control inspector is at a jobsite there are many dangers they may encounter. Pest Control isn’t just about killing bugs — its about investigating. As professionals, they have to put themselves in situations where other service professions may not have to. When inspecting be sure to be wearing personal protective equipment. PPE is just one part of the battle, but sometimes there are still hazards beyond that. Today we will point of some dangers that pest control professionals may encounter during an initial pest inspection.
- During a bed bug inspection it might be wise to wear a thick pair of needle resistant gloves. You must always proceed with caution when putting your hand where your eyes have not seen. Over my 30+ years with experience I have seen guns, needles, and knives under boxsprings, pillows, and mattresses. Slipping your hand underneath the sheets or mattress could be very dangerous. Always shine your light before you put your hand in an un seen place. This could save you much stress, pain and discomfort.
- When working on a construction site or near power lines please be careful of live power wires. When entering a basement for a termite or rat inspection be careful of standing water.If a live wire is sitting in that pool and water and you step in it, you could lose a life. If you stick your arm or head in a wall void be aware of live or broken wires. Always look before you step and move. As inspectors we sometimes have the habit to look down during some inspections and looking up during others. No matter the pest make sure you have a 360 field of view before taking your next step.
- If inspecting a private home make sure you have permission of the OWNER of the property before entering any doors or windows. Also be sure that there are no unaware occupants in that house. If you open a door and someone unexpected is behind it, it could get ugly. If your inspecting an apartment building, make sure you have both the landlord and tenants permission to be in the location before you get arrested for trespassing. If you’re lucky enough to not get attacked, the tenant or owner will surely call the cops if you’re not in a place you’re supposed to be.
- When crawling under any homes for a termite inspection be sure the home has great support. If you move the wrong way the home could partially collapse on you resulting in injury or death.
- If your contracted to do any wild animal trapping be sure to have properly working equipment. Always do a weekly check of your traps to make sure they are working properly. The last thing you need is a defective trap door after you’ve caught an angry raccoon.
- When doing inspections for birds and animals be sure to be careful when on roofs. Some roofs may have weak points that you can fall through if you’re not careful. When inspection take a light step before stepping down. Also be sure to tie your self down when hanging toward the edge of the roof to look for breaches in the gutters and siding.
- Be sure to wash your hands before and after jobs. Sometimes crawling around and handling products that may be around pest excrement could be very dangerous. Rather then getting your self sick, please wear gloves and be sure to wash your hands up to your elbows before smoking or eating. A quick bite to eat could easily turn into a month long hospital stay!
When performing pest inspections remember this, never step or put a body part in any area you cannot see. There are too many horror stories of PCOs that have been badly injured and have ended their pest control career a bit early due to these type of mistakes. No matter how many hours you work or when you have to be at your next account remember safety is priority. Don’t rush, haste makes waste!
