Training Your Employees in IPM
When it comes to training your employees in IPM (Integrated Pest Management), clear communication is key. Adequate time should be spent educating your employees about IPM, why it matters, and how they can facilitate its success in the workplace. Effective IPM training involves a multi-step approach. Effective training should include the following elements:
Partner with a PMP
You’ll want to speak with your PMP (pest management professional), often represented by a whole team, regarding your IPM program and how best to implement it in the workplace. Most pest control professionals include employee training within the IPM plan developed for your business. Collaborating with your PMP is the best way to determine when and where you’ll host employee IPM training, along with which topics to cover in order to ensure your staff is on the same page.
Identify Common Culprits
Depending on your specific industry, your business likely suffers from certain types of pest issues more than others. Using research from their on-site inspection, your pest management team will help you determine which pests are plaguing your business. Share this information with your employees, clarifying which pests are problematic, what they look like, and how to spot early signs of an infestation in order to mitigate the damage and get the pest problem under control as soon as possible.
Delegate Duties
It’s helpful to define employee roles within the IPM plan by delegating specific duties to each staff member. Starting with basic expectations, such as monitoring the site for signs of infestation, try doling out specific duties like keeping certain common areas clean. Regardless of who gets what job, ensure that every one of your employees is tasked with cleaning up after their own mess and understanding how to spot and report a pest problem in its early stages.
Relay the Risk
Part of the challenge of effective pest control management involves employee investment. If your staff doesn’t understand the risks associated with the presence of certain pests, or how to avoid attracting them to your job site, your IPM efforts likely won’t get very far. Make sure all employees are well-versed in the problems pests pose to your business in order to get them involved with protecting the business.
Make a Plan
You need to develop an action plan in the event of a pest sighting. The main goal here is to get everyone on the same page when it comes to responding to and reporting signs of pests on the premises. Designate one employee to collect the reports detailing each sighting, and determine an appropriate response time for contacting your PMP. In other words, how many sightings must be reported before the PMP is contacted?
Establishing protocol ahead of a problem is half the battle when it comes to successfully training your employees in IPM.
Consistency is Critical
Ongoing, consistent education is critical to the success of your employee training in IPM. Your staff will need reminders regarding proper pest sighting reports and response. Work with your PMP to schedule workshops and training sessions throughout the year, designed to keep your staff on the cutting-edge of IPM initiatives in order to support the health of your business.
JP Pest Services is proud to offer free commercial consultations on IPM, as well as the best strategies for training your employees. Contact our team today to schedule your consultation and let our in-house experts support yours for successful pest control tailored to your specific business.
