Auditing & Assessments
Independent inspections compliant with the latest legislations & standards such as BRC & Red Tractor schemes
About Pest Management Standards
Pest Management standards within either Food processing, retail, packaging, pharmaceutical or accommodation is generally overseen by third-party audit standards, with the most common being:
Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI); Safe Quality Food (SQF); the British Retail Consortium (BRC); American Institute of Baking (AIB); M&S, TESCO, ASDA, Morrison’s, SALSA
and within agriculture, often lead by the National Farmers Union include, the Soil Association, Red Tractor farm assurance, Lions Eggs (Lion Passport) and Freedom Foods.
Brands use similar standards to make sure the facilities they audit are compliant with the food safety requirements. For example BRC’s Global Standards for Food Safety, and Storage and Distribution.
These standards imply the pest control requirements, and best practice, for both Issue 8 of the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety and the Storage and Distribution Standard (Issue 3).; which include a documented procedure for approval and monitoring of suppliers of services.
Pest Management service standards are a key part of these audits mainly due to the high risk involved with having pests associated with human health and well-being and often confirms the importance of pest control in food industry.
The presence of any pest infestation on site should be recorded and be part of an effective pest control programme to eliminate or manage the infestation, such that it does not present a risk to human health, as well as products, raw materials, or packaging.
How Can PestWise Help?
Our technical team can carry out an in-depth independent Quality Assurance Audit and documented pest control survey, which should be undertaken at a frequency based on risk, but as a minimum at least annually, by a pest control expert (often referred to as Field Biologists) to review the pest control measures in place.
PestWise independent 3rd party survey shall:
Provide an in-depth inspection of the facility for pest activity.
Review the existing pest control measures in place and make any recommendations for change.
Inspect all food production facilities, specifically with reference to any risk of stored product insect infestations.
Identify and assess the performance and suitability of pest monitoring strategies and equipment.
Examine the performance of both the pest control contractor and the performance of site, for a holistic pest management specification.
PestWise Team Skills Qualifications
Our Auditing team are adept in the following:
Health and safety and technical aspects of Pest Control
Customer service and communication skills
Pest Impact Risk Assessments
Pest Monitoring techniques and equipment
Pest Trending / Analysis
Pest Auditing standards
Auditing pest control systems
Presenting pest findings to key decision makers
Evolving site specific and proactive pest management strategies
Our auditors have the following recognized qualifications:
BPCA Level II in Pest Management
BPCA Level III Advanced Technician in Pest Management
Level 2 HACCP
Level 3 – Intermediate Food Hygiene for Supervisors
Certificated Technical Inspector/ BPCA Certificated Field Biologist
The cost of an inspection will vary based on the size of the site and the complexity of any pest management programme or the associated risk of pest activity.
Pest Management Documentation
When it comes to pest management and food safety, you will undoubtedly need to have a paper trail. Documentation is the key to proving evidence to an auditor that your facility has an efficient and effective pest management programme as part of a Quality Management System (QMS)
Auditors typically focus the majority of their attention on the pest control service records. These documents include service reports describing all treatments provided during the pest management provider’s visits. Service reports will note the sources and causes of any pest infestations and indicate actionable items for the pest management provider and plant management.
Auditors also will ask to review detailed documentation of pesticide usage at the facility. As part of our pre-audit pest management assessment, we will ensure that all necessary document is present, or identify any gaps that may need to be reviewed.
In March 2015, the European quality standard for pest management services was released. The standard, EN 16636, developed by The Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA) specifies the requirements for the provision of the effective and economical reduction of damage caused by pests with an aim to protect public health, property and the environment. The scheme is run by the British Pest Control Association (BPCA) in the UK.
Our Level 4 External Quality Assessors and auditors will ensure that all standards are followed and review pest control and management systems to ensure compliance as required by the site, business needs and risks posed by potential pest activity.