CleanedRite Pest Control Legislation Guidance
Indicative Advisory Notes
There are several pieces of legislation that deal with pests and pest
prevention and each industry is governed by its own set of health,
safety and hygiene rules. They affect businesses whether they handle
food or not and CleanedRite Pest Control can help you comply with the
law. The legislation listed below is enforced by agencies such as
Environmental Health Departments of Local Authorities and the Health and
Safety Executive. If you do not comply with these pieces of legislation
you may receive substantial penalties, according to the offence
committed. These can include:
* Fines up to £20,000 for each offence.
* 6 months to 2 years imprisonment.
* Unlimited fines in Crown courts.
* Closures of premises.
* Loss of reputation, business and income profits.
CleanedRite Pest Control can help you to comply with the law. The
treatments and advice that we provide are to help prevent the risk of
prosecution, working safely to minimise the risks to your business. The
major pieces of legislation are:
Prevention of Damage by Pests Act If a pest is present in a business
that is involved in the storage, manufacture, transport, or sale of
food, the owner must take steps to control the infestation or notify the
Local Authority.
Penalties include:
* Notice to improve the business.
* Recovery of expenses incurred by the Local Authority from the business
owners.
Food Safety Act Businesses or organisations that are involved in the
manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution, preparation, packaging
or the selling of food must ensure that food is fit for human
consumption. It is an offence to supply, sell, advertise or be in
possession of food that is not. Food premises must be kept in good
condition, clean and free from rubbish that may attract pests. Food and
food products must be prevented from being damaged or contaminated by
pests. Penalties include:
* Improvement Notices. Prohibition Orders to close premises.
* Seizure of unfit food.
* Disqualification from catering for up to two years.
* In Crown Courts unlimited fines and up to two years imprisonment.
* Fines up to 5,000 pounds and a six months prison sentence for each
offence, or if a major offence, fines up to 20,000 pounds.
Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations This Act states that food
must not be contaminated by any pest species and food premises should
have suitable controls in place to do this. They should protect food
against external sources of pests and must also avoid harbouring pests
within their premises. Refuse stores should be designed and constructed
to prevent pests gaining access and windows in food preparation,
processing or treatment rooms must, where necessary, be fitted with
insect-proof screens. Penalties include:
* As described under the Food Safety Act above.
Health and Safety at Work Act (Including Control of Substances Hazardous
to Health Regulations) Employers must take the necessary measures to
secure the health, safety and welfare of employees and other people, to
avoid, for example, pathogenic diseases carried by pests, slippery
conditions caused by bird droppings, bites from fleas and contamination
of food by pests.
Penalties include:
* Improvement Notices.
* Prohibition Notices.
* Maximum Penalty two years imprisonment plus unlimited fines.
C.O.S.H.H ( Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations) These
Regulations, made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act are
designed to protect people from harmful substances that they may
encounter at work. Each time our technicians visit your premises, they
complete a Pest Prevention report which lists the substances which have
been used, in order to minimise the risks that accompany the use of
pesticides. A Schedule of Pesticides is also present in the Pest
Prevention Folders that we provide to our contract customers, which
gives further details on these substances. Safety Data Sheets are also
available on request. CleanedRite Pest Control technicians are trained
and equipped to apply pesticides correctly and safely. All the
pesticides that we use are approved by the Control of Pesticides
Regulations and treatments are made in the appropriate places where they
will be most effective.
The above notes are based on the companies understanding of the
regulatory requirements and obligations of the appropriate acts at the
time of going to press in August 07.
These notes are intended as a guide only and must not be acted upon
before taking professional advice.