Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008 - (Page 12)

Birds (continued from page 9) Even a spotless looking building could be pumping fecal particles through the air if droppings accrue near an HVAC unit or in the air vents. Disturbingly, these are exactly the conditions that many avian diseases need in order to spread to people. As droppings dry and particles become airborne, they carry fungus and bacteria into the human respiratory system. Diseases like histoplasmosis or Cryptococcosis can have permanently debilitating effects on anyone who happens to walk into an affected building and inhale. In rare cases, these diseases have even proved to be fatal. If anyone contracts such a disease due to an unchecked bird infestation on your site, your facility would be expected to pay extensive damages. For example, in 1998, a teacher in Palm Beach, Florida received a settlement of $1.2 million when he contracted Cryptococcosis from poor air quality which contained particles of bird droppings. This settlement was encouraged by the district’s legal team because they feared that if the trial went to court they might be responsible for paying the man over $3.7 million. To prevent this sort of situation, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Center for Disease Control publish literature advising that: “Buildings that contain accumulations of bat or bird manure should be posted with signs warning of the health risk. Each sign should provide the name and telephone number of a person to be contacted if there are questions about the area. In some situations, a fence may need to be built around a property or locks put on attic doors to prevent unsuspecting or unprotected individuals from entering.” These guidelines signal that there is significant risk inherent in letting a bird infestation exist over In order to keep birds out, their perches and nesting areas can be completely blocked off with the use of physical barriers, such as spikes, netting (pictured above), or sticky gels. an extended amount of time. Most importantly to those in the executive housekeeping industry, they also imply a great need for safety precautions during a bird waste cleaning effort. A lack of knowledge can keep housekeeping managers from fully understanding the necessity for proper safety measures and lead to workers unknowingly completing tasks that are unsafe, only to see the effects later. Without the proper equipment and awareness, employees are vulnerable. As reported by the State of Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Commission, a Director of Facilities at Warnaco, argued in a trial against Warnaco that the “contraction of Cryptococcus meningitis was caused by exposure to pigeon droppings during the course of his employment.” The claimant was “routinely required to inspect rooftop mechanical apparatus at buildings [and] was often exposed to areas contaminated with pigeon feces The claimant [soon] became ill, suffering severe headaches, and cognitive dysfunction. He was hospitalized and diagnosed with Cryptococcus meningitis, [a] brain infection that has left him with significant permanent partial disabilities to his brain, his ability to speak, and the left side of his body.” It is important to know the risks of working around birds so that you can protect yourself in your quest to protect others. The silver lining of all this disturbing information is that there are readily available solutions and they are simple to use. The first step of a successful bird control project is to start with research: Find out what kind of birds are infesting the site, see where they are coming from, where they feed, where they roost, and where they fly to when they are temporarily scared. If their escape destination is also on your property, you will have to prepare that site as well, to prevent a second infestation. After gathering this information, clean up the evidence of the infestation. Droppings, feathers, nests, dead birds, food, etc. should be discarded. Use caution when cleaning droppings and avoid activities that aerosolize the fecal particles (e.g. sweeping or vacuuming). Cleaning up will not only halt structural damage and limit the possibility for injury, but it will also weaken the territorial link that the flock has to the site. Once the birds are cleared out (continued on page 20) 2 Executive Housekeeping Today/November 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008 Contents Executive Corner The Most Unwelcome Guests Good Housekeeping: Eliminating Pests from the Equation Frugal Housekeeper Director-at-Large Distribution Don’t Just Clean up After Birds—Get Rid of Them! Monday Night is Fly Night Green Pest Control Practices Executive Profile The Green Scene Keeping Hard Floors Clean For the Holidays Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members Advertisers’ Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA has Done for Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - November 2008

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