Creating Pest Management Standard Operating Procedures for Hotel Housekeeping Staff
Pest sightings and infestations have the potential to damage your hotel’s reputation. While the nature of the hospitality industry makes your business a prime target for pests, implementing a set of standard operating procedures around pest control is your first line of protection. This SOP should be created in collaboration with your pest management company to ensure best practices are followed.
While procedures should be outlined and documented for your entire staff, housekeeping, in particular, will benefit due to their frequent interaction with the highest traffic areas in your hotel. Below we discuss a few main components that should be addressed when creating a pest management SOP for your housekeeping staff.
Inspection Guidelines
The first step in developing an SOP for your staff is to train them on where to look and what to look for when it comes to the most common pests encountered by your hotel. Your procedures should outline how to inspect rooms, what areas they should be inspecting and what tools they can use to catch an infestation before it spreads and causes further damage.
You should also provide your staff with training on basic pest information so they have an understanding of the habits of common pests, their appearance and the risks associated with each common pest.
Pest Sighting Response and Documentation Plan
Your SOP should also explain what to do if a pest or signs of a pest are found in your hotel. A response plan will guide your staff on the correct procedure to follow. This should include who will be notified of the issue, where to document any sightings and what should be included in that documentation. As a general guideline, staff should document when and where the pest sighting occurred, a description of the issue, and the action plan that has been followed.
After a sighting, it is important to return to the documentation and close the loop by detailing what treatment was performed by your pest control provider as well as any follow-up steps that may be needed (i.e. re-inspection, follow-up treatment, preventative steps that can be taken). This documentation should be reviewed by management to ensure recommendations have been followed.
Creating formal guidelines around pest management is the best path to a successful program. Standard operating procedures make training new staff more efficient and creates a benchmark for your entire staff to judge success upon. If you have questions on creating a standard operating procedure for your hotel staff, contact the pest control specialists at Holder’s Pest Solutions for more information.
Holder’s Pest Solutions has been providing excellent pest management services to the hospitality industry for decades. Our GuestGuard Program offers comprehensive service designed for hospitality businesses. Contact us for more information on protecting your business’s reputation today.
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