Associated organisations
We deliver a wide range of general and specialist training courses in conjunction with other companies and organisations.
Details of these courses are available from the following websites:
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British Pest Control Association | Bicton College | Barrettine Environmental Health | Society of Food Hygiene and Technology |
Fumigation
Training is available in all aspects of fumigation practice and health and safety:
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Fumigation is the use of a toxic gas to control pests. Vertebrate pests, e.g.: rabbits and rodents, invertebrate pests, e.g.: moths and beetles, and certain plant diseases, e.g.: some rusts, can be controlled by some fumigants. One of the commonest gases in use for many years within the food industry, methyl bromide, can achieve all three types of pest control.
Because all fumigants are at least as toxic to all animals, (including humans), as to invertebrates, in Europe, fumigation of commodities and buildings can only be carried out by trained and certificated fumigation operators. However, it is very useful for all involved in the storage of food commodities and working in food manufacturing plants, to understand the principles and practical aspects of fumigation, so that they can consider or recommend fumigation only when it is likely to be the best option. At the same time, they will appreciate the limitations of this unique pest control technique.
Pesticides in food storage
In food storage, many different types of pesticide are used to prevent and/or control insects and mites. These include conventional high-volume sprays for use on warehouse walls, dusts for broken floors and wall/floor angles, ultra-low volume sprays for use on sacks and sometimes the structure, aerosols, mists and fogs for treating the air volume in the store against flying insects. There is no longer a clearance for the use of impregnated plastic strips which contain dichlorvos, slowly releasing it as a vapour into the local air space, which, in any case, was not a fumigation, because the larger dichlorvos molecules could not penetrate through packaging and into commodities.
Common fumigants and developments
Currently there is only one fumigant in common use against insects and mites in the food industry - phosphine. Methyl bromide was withdrawn (under the terms of the Montreal Protocol) in 2006, and hydrogen cyanide, was gradually withdrawn about 15 years ago; it’s last main use against insects was for the complete fumigation of flour mills.
Methyl bromide is still available for use in developing countries, and should remain until 2015
Sulfuryl fluoride, hitherto confined to termite and other wood-boring insect control mostly in America, is undergoing trials in Europe to try to gain clearance for some food commodities and currently is only available for whole empty building fumigations, for example, mills and warehouses.
Phosphine (PH3) is the commonest fumigant in use worldwide. It has been available commercially since the Second World War, originally being produced solely by Germany. In recent years, India, some South American countries and China have produced their own versions, though usually very similar to the original German formulations.
Phosphine gas is generated on-site by the action of atmospheric moisture on solid aluminium, or magnesium, phosphide preparations, in tablet, pellet, sachet, plate or strip form.
Contact Mike Kelly for further information
Managing Your Pest Control Contract and Contractor
Aim and Objectives
This course will provide delegates with the information and advice necessary to implement and manage a successful pest control contract.
Delegates
Designed specifically for those personnel associated with managing pest control contracts or auditing pest control systems in food and allied industries. This course is run on an ‘open to all-comers’ basis. It can also be run in-house where required.
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| It really happens!!!!! | Cockroach infested rodent bait |
Course Content
- An introduction to pests and the reasons for controlling them.
- Understanding pesticide legislation and its impact on contract management.
- The relative merits of in-house and contracted-out systems.
- Understanding your objectives and those of the contractor.
- Establishing the pest control contract specification.
- Selecting the contractor.
- Monitoring the performance of the contractor.
Duration
One day.
Certificates
Certificates of Attendance are provided for all delegates.
Your trainer, Dr John Simmons, has more than 20 years experience in pest control including periods as a service manager with National Britannia and technical manager of Igrox Ltd. He has substantial experience of implementing pest management programmes within complex food manufacturing sites. During five years as technical manager of the British Pest Control Association John was responsible for delivering the training and examination schemes provided by the Association.
Cost
Contact John Simmons for further details
This course is also run in conjunction with the Society for Food Hygiene and Technology. Dates and prices are shown on their website www.sofht.co.uk
Pest awareness
Aim and Objectives
To introduce delegates to the ‘why, what and how’ of controlling pests within their own work environment.
On completion of the awareness training delegates will have a better understanding and appreciation of the vital importance of pest control.
Delegates
All operational personnel will benefit from pest awareness training but delegates are most commonly drawn from the following sectors:
- Hygiene and cleaning
- Maintenance
- Quality assurance
- Security
Course Content
The content of the course will be tailored to the requirements of individual sites and will cover:
- The reasons why pest control is so important.
- What the main pests are.
- The basic principles of pest control: Exclusion, Restriction and Destruction.
- How pest control is done on their site.
- What their role in pest control is.
Duration
Course duration varies with the complexity of the site and interest of the delegates but typically will be around one to three hours.
Certificates
Certificates of Attendance can be provided for all delegates.
Cost
Contact John Simmons for further details.
Insect pests of grain stores
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| Apparently sound grain sample | X-rays reveal the weevil infestation | Grain weevil (Sitophilus granarius) | Weevil larva inside |
Once cereal grains are harvested, their intrinsic quality can only be improved by “filtering-out” contaminants, or by selecting and combining standards, to make up bulk lots which more closely approximate to the customer’s requirements. This is a common approach to, for example, milling wheats, so the buyer – the miller, or baker, - gets what he needs to produce products to a pre-set recipe, or contract specification. All this is well known and understood.
However, it is quite easy to not be aware of the changes during storage, with the results that the intrinsic quality drops dramatically. So an insect or mite infestation in the bulk of grain can have a very detrimental effect on the specification, and can quite easily render the bulk unsaleable, or at least alter its physical and chemical characteristics, often putting otherwise good grains out of grade and reducing their value to simple animal feed standard, or even unusable as feed grains – thus becoming a total loss.
The purpose of this one (or two) day course, is to take the guesswork out of understanding the potential pest spectrum of beetles, moths and mites, and to put on a strong scientific footing the changes that cereal grains undergo during their storage from harvest through to eventual sale, to explain why the grain becomes more and more attractive to the invertebrate pests, and to plan for the possibilities of pest attack, though careful physical and biological monitoring. The results of such monitoring give the reasons for taking actions, ranging from preventative physical and chemical options, through to the expensive contractor-only fumigation activities.
The course always involves a practical couple of hours in a grain store, looking at the physical storage situation, and weighing up the risks inherent in the storage system, together with assessing the best methods of measuring and assessing temperatures and pest activity by trapping.
Examples of measuring and trapping systems and equipment, and live samples of the major grain pest species (plus dead specimens and hand lenses) are available to look at, to handle and try during the practical. The main pest control chemicals are also on site, to discuss how best to apply and with what equipment, plus the current and anticipated restrictions on their use, and which market segments have extra restrictions and why.
Whilst insect and mite identification is important, this aspect is touched on during the course, but a specific one-day course is available for people for whom this element is critical.
Further details from Mike Kelly
Household insect pests
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Further details from Mike Kelly
Safe use of insecticides
Aim and Objectives
To provide delegates with the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to apply insecticides safely within their own working environment.
Delegates
Companies wishing to undertake their own insecticide treatments will normally require at least three trained personnel to allow cover for absence. Delegates are typically drawn from a hygiene background. The person in overall charge of the project will also require training.
Course Content
Content will be tailored to the requirements of the site and may be built around insecticide products or application equipment that is already available.
- Legal implications of insecticide use.
- The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations.
- Selecting the insecticide and using it safely.
- Use, care and maintenance of sprayers.
- Personal protective equipment.
- Storage and disposal of insecticides.
Duration
Course duration varies with the number and type of insecticide products and sprayers covered but will typically be between three and four hours.
Certificates
Delegates will sit a short exam at the end of the course. Certificates of Attendance (endorsed for those passing the exam) are provided for all delegates.
Cost
Contact John Simmons for further details