Pest in peace

There has been a rise in the number of reports of rodent and pigeon infestations in our buildings, affecting both customers and colleagues.

Damage to parcels from vermin is becoming a problem, something which is obviously damaging to the Royal Mail Group brands. Both the CWU and CMA have expressed concern about this growing problem.

Management of vermin on the Royal Mail estate is important to ensure that our properties are safe and comfortable places to come to work. Pest infestations involving mice, rats, pigeons or insects in our buildings are a problem for a number of reasons, including:

• The potential to spread diseases, such as Weils Disease/Leptospirosis and Psittacosis, through the contamination of work surfaces and food and work areas via urine and droppings
• They cause damage to our customers’ parcels, as well as our property
• They cause customer complaints and dissatisfaction, when parcels are either delivered damaged, or are so badly damaged that they can’t be delivered at all
• They create unnecessary and additional cost to Royal Mail through compensation payments, additional cleaning, waste disposal, and pest control treatments.

We can all help to reduce the risk of pest infestations by removing sources of food, water and shelter:

• Keep doors closed (where practicable)
• Manage waste and maintain good housekeeping by not letting external bins overflow and not leaving waste on the floor, either inside or outside buildings
• All food waste must be placed in designated food waste or residual (general) waste bins
• Food must be stored in sealed rigid containers (glass, plastic, metal), inside fridges, lockers, cupboards etc
• Report leaky plumbing and prevent water from accumulating anywhere, including around houseplants and fridges
• Report any gaps or holes in the building fabric to the P&FS helpdesk to reduce the chances of pests entering and nesting in buildings
• Customers’ parcels must not be left outside buildings or in areas where rodent contamination is suspected.

If you suspect that you have been in contact with something which has been visited or damaged by vermin, you must ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly.

All known pest activity must be reported to the P&FS helpdesk – this will inform our pest control provider (ISS/EcoLab). Our pest control provider will continue to carry out site visits and provide both pest control and recommendations on how to deal with pest infestations, but your help will make it quicker and easier to resolve these problems.