Pests Corner...
House (English) Sparrow
Family Ploceidea
- Appearance: Sparrows may be the world's most common birds. The small, brown-black creatures have pale undersides. Tails are noticeably shorter than wings and bills and legs are stubby.
- Habits: The birds forage aggressively for food on the ground, hopping whenever they do not fly. Flight is direct, with continued wing flapping and no gliding. They often threaten or attack other birds and they inhabit a relatively small area in modest-sized flocks.
- Diet: Sparrows are eager eaters. They most favor various seeds, supplemented occasionally by insects and bird feeders.
- Reproduction: Sparrows have offspring between February and May, building their nests in building crevices and on and around nearby trees. Up to eight eggs are found in the nest, and incubation lasts as long as two weeks. Males and females feed the young through regurgitation.
- Other Information: Sparrows like areas that have been inhabited by humans. They are much more common in an industrial park or a city lawn than in a forest.
QuicKil Pest Control Services :: Health & The Law
The following major pieces of legislation affect businesses in the United Kingdom whether they handle food or not:
- Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949;
- Health & Safety at Work Act 1974;
- The Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1970;
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988;
- The Food Safety Act 1990;
- The EEC Food Hygiene Directive 1993.
Enforcement
The above legislation is enforced by the Environmental Health Departments of Local Authorities and the Health & Safety Executive who can invoke penalties including:
- Fines up to £20,000 per offence;
- Unlimited fines in Crown Courts;
- 6 months to 2 years imprisonment;
- Closure of premises;
- 2 years disqualification from catering.
Food Businesses
All the above legislation applies to food or food related businesses which are required to ensure that:
- Food rooms must be free from infestation;
- Preventative measures must be taken to ensure that food is not contaminated.
For example:
- Fly screens;
- Removal of waste & rubbish;
- Pest Control.
Non Food Businesses
Pests can cause a hazard to the health, safety and welfare of your staff or to visitors (Health & Safety at Work (etc.) Act 1994).
For example:
- Risk of fire from rodents chewing power cables;
- Risk of disease from bacteria, etc, carried by rodents and insects;
- Risk of bites from fleas, etc;
- Risk of accidents caused by bird droppings.
Employers are required under COSHH Regulations to assess and define the above types of risk and take reasonable measures to minimise them this is referred to as "due diligence".
Important
QuicKil must comply with stringent EC and UK legislation centred around the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations whilst storing and using poisonous chemicals.
