Masa wards off hospital pests
NAIMUL HASAN, entomologist, research and development, at the Riyadh-based Masa Establishment for Pest Extermination Maintenance and Contracting, explains how to protect hospital buildings from pests.
01 March 2009
Pest management programmes for healthcare facilities need a different approach to other standard operations on account of the sensitive condition of patients and the fact that the use of any pesticides entails a risk of uncertain magnitude.
However, even custom-designed programmes for specific situations must include the same basic steps – inspection, treatment, communication, and continuous follow-up.
This task is further compounded by the structural complexity of hospital buildings, which allows pests to live and proliferate in areas such as the suspended ceilings, walls, floorings and inside utility and floor drains.
It is important that professionals step back from the structures involved and consider all aspects of construction, operation and surrounding environment that can contribute to the ongoing pest problems or represent difficulties toward gaining acceptable pest management results.
This should cover the key details of interior construction, such as layout of plumbing or ventilation systems; passage of food or other supplies into and through the facility; possible effects of exterior lighting, landscaping, or adjacent properties; potential for the introduction of pests, such as cockroaches, via traffic into the facility; and any other contributing factors.
Pest that are well adapted to the hospital environment include cockroaches, ants and rodent flies.
The complexities of the plumbing, electrical and HVAC heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) systems, as well as other aspects of the physical plants, make control of pests very challenging.
In terms of the plumbing, attention must be focused on finding and eliminating sources of moisture (leaks, sweating pipes, clogged drains, etc) that can encourage populations of cockroaches, flies and ants, which can use the system to spread throughout the facility. Caulking and other techniques can be used to limit their spread. Also food storage areas require constant monitoring and attention.
Some of the complex plumbing systems of hospitals, which have become sources for chronic fly problems, will not even be detected even by the engineering, housekeeping or maintenance department staff, because they are not shown on any of the original architectural or construction drawings as they have been added during a subsequent remodelling or renovation.
Control of flies should be started by searching out their source, which is usually moist food where the larvae are developing. This source should be cleaned up, and steps should be taken to prevent it from recurring. The use of insecticide sprays in ongoing fly control should be avoided, and devices such as ultraviolet light traps should be used to intercept flies or other flying insects entering from exterior doors. Fly entry via doorways used by visitors is usually prevented by the use of positive, outward airflow at entrances.
It is often difficult to maintain control of German cockroaches in areas that are not kept clean, such as employee locker room areas, which are generally kept locked by their owners and hence are not easily accessible by professionals for inspections or treatments. Janitorial closets, which generally contain damp mops, can have similar problems and which encourage cockroach infestation.
The laundry area is usually a focal area for cockroach, ant (pharaoh ant), fly, rodent, and other pest problems and control of pests in these areas is difficult because of the warm and moist environment. These areas generally have a constant sanitation problem due to all soiled linens being processed there.
All food service areas, where insulated food carts are used, tend to be pest hotspots. The food carts are frequently soiled with residues from food spillage and offer warm and moist pest harborages. Areas where these carts are stored will generally have similar sanitation and pest problems. This aspect of the food flow system within the hospital is a chronic problem for pest management professionals and requires constant attention.
Loading docks and garbage or trash disposal areas (dumpsters, etc) are other hotspots for flies, cockroaches, rodents, and other pest problems.
Intensive care, surgical units and kidney dialysis rooms are susceptible to chronic German cockroach, flies and ant problems, because they have lot of floor drains and sinks, which can be a source of infestation if not properly cleaned on a regular basis.
Besides the particular pest problems of the intensive care, surgical and other sensitive areas of patient care in hospitals, pest management is often more difficult because of the severe limitation on what pesticides or other measures can be used in these areas. In general, the use of baits and traps is permitted along with some very discreet spray or dust applications.
The extreme sensitivity of the hospital environment is such that the use of pesticides should be considered only after other non-chemical pest management methods have been applied. Programmes for hospitals should be designed as true integrated pest management programmes, relying primarily on non-chemical procedures, such as sanitation, exclusion, and physical control methods, and only secondarily on pesticide use.
Termite prevention and control
Termite control in hospitals is a specialised job to be performed only by professional pest controllers. The main focus in termite control is to accomplish complete and continuous chemical barriers around the walls and footings of the hospital building foundation, between the structure and the termite nests. The creation of the chemical barrier could be accomplished in several methods like rodding, trenching, spraying, drilling and injecting the termiticide into the soil.
Termite control involves two major treatments: pre– and post-construction treatments. Of these, pre-construction treatment is the best application that will guarantee a complete chemical barrier that will control or prevent termites more effectively than post construction applications.
Termite control jobs are usually accompanied by a guarantee of the workmanship and period – the scope of which depends much on the nature and status of the chemical barrier itself.
