iX5 Pest Control

Pest control services in Northampton, Daventry, Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough, Towcester, Brackley, Market Harborough and all surrounding areas.

Pest Control in Food Businesses Training for Local Authority Food Officers

Pest Control in Food Businesses Training for Local Authority Food Officers

Pest Control in Food Businesses Training
for Local Authority Food Officers

At iX5 Pest Control, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of expertise in the realm of environmental health and pest control. We are committed to not just eradicating pests, but also in providing high-quality training for those responsible for maintaining the safety and health standards of our communities. We are excited to introduce our bespoke training course tailored specifically for Local Authority Food Officers: Pest Control in Food Businesses. Spearheaded by Matt O’Donnell, a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner and Director at iX5 Environmental Services Ltd., this course is designed to furnish attendees with refreshed insights, practical information, and the latest developments in the Pest Control arena.

Testimonials from Environmental Health Officers

"Very informative all round. Very professional, lovely manner, friendly and approachable trainer"
"Matt is an excellent trainer, clearly well experienced in his field and passionate about his subject. Not an easy task to present to a room full of EHOs but done brilliantly"
"Lots of useful information delivered in an engaging way"
"Difficult to pinpoint the most useful bits as everything taught was useful and relevant. Engaging course, trainer was easy to listen to"
"Course was very interesting, great level of detail and good pace. One of the better training courses I have been on"
"Very informative on how to deal with pest in relation to food businesses"
"Very good introduction to pest activities"
"Useful to find out more in depth information from a pest controller’s point of view"
"Very informative and useful course"
"Well presented and good to learn about different types of traps and pesticides"
"An expert on hand to answer questions"
"Really good course and useful to hear the perspective of an EHO and pest controller"
"Very well structured and delivered course, an excellent trainer and a great refresher with new information and advice given too"
"The knowledge of the trainer was very useful "
"The course was very interesting and delivered from the perspective of someone who used to do my job. This made it very relevant"
"Good course and good overview of pest identification, preventative measures needed and information on pest species"
"All the content was really useful, particularly knowing exactly what resources to refer to and going through what to look for in more detail."
"Very insightful and useful for EHO’s."
"Looking at what should be included in a pest control contract and documentation was really useful."
"Understanding what else to look at other than just immediate presence of pests was beneficial."
"The morning session was good with details of pests and what to look for, and the tips on monitoring tools and techniques was great."
"I enjoyed looking at pest control contracts and what they should cover. The exercise was great as this tested our learning on the day."
"The course gives a really good background to pest interventions from a pest control and Environmental Health perspective."
"The course was good as it covered things to look out for in food premises, along with new technologies and changes in legislation."
"Excellent content, relevant to my job."
"Good information on a range of pest control techniques including traps, toxic and non-toxic treatments."
"Useful and informative."
"Matt was able to answer all questions. Very good course."
"It was useful to know about traps, key reading material and sources of information."
"The course is directly relevant to Environmental Health work in food businesses."
"Excellent content and delivery. Fabulous!"

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this training, participants will:

  • have refreshed knowledge of pests of public health significance in food businesses;
  • be able to outline a range of control strategies including toxic and non-toxic methods, and their application in relation to food business pests;
  • be able to discuss key environmental health considerations for pests in food businesses, including the concept of imminent risk;
  • have increased awareness of factors to consider when determining whether an imminent health risk remains present or has been removed in relation to pest activity;
  • be able to apply the learning in discussions with Food Business Operators and Pest Controllers;
  • have increased awareness of developing technology in pest control.

Certification:

Everyone attending the course and submitting a completed feedback form will receive a CPD Certificate of Attendance.

Course Outline:

  1. A Potted History of Pest Control: Delve  into the evolution of pest control  over the years.
  2. Pest Control Legislation: An overview of the legislation concerning pest control in the UK, encapsulated in five main categories:
    • Animal Welfare and Control
    • Control of Pesticides
    • Health & Safety
    • Waste
    • Public Health / Food Safety
  3. Primary Pests of Public Health Significance in Food Businesses: Identification and understanding of the primary food business pests.
  4. How Do Pests Enter Food Businesses? Insights into the pathways and vulnerabilities.
  5. Control Strategies: Explores an array of methods to counter pests effectively.
  6. Technology, Developments, and Techniques: Anintroduction to  current innovations in pest control.
  7. Pest Control Contracts: Deciphering the essentials of pest control contracts.
  8. Legal Requirements – Pests in Food Businesses: A deep dive into the obligations placed upon Food Business Operators.
  9. Environmental Health Response to Pest Activity in a Food Business: Discussion of key aspects to consider  for timely and effective interventions.
  10. Group Activity: Engage in an interactive session to test and apply your learning.
  11. Reopening After Closure: Discussion around when an imminent risk might be removed.
  12. After Reopening: Ensuring the environment remains pest-free.
  13. Dispelling Myths: Debunking common misconceptions about pests in food businesses.

Course Prerequisites:

The course is aimed at all local authority food officers (EHOs / EHPs, Technical Officers, and student EHPs). It is assumed that all attendees will have a basic level of knowledge of food business pests.

Matt Odonnell

Your Trainer -
Matt O'Donnell

Matt O’Donnell is a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner, with a Masters degree in Public Health, a Diploma in Occupational Safety & Health, a Level 2 Award in Pest Management, and a Level 3 Award in Education & Training. He worked for over 15 years in a regulatory capacity within local government, dealing with food hygiene, health & safety, licensing, public health and private sector housing; leaving local government in 2022 to focus full time on his business interests. Prior to his local government career, Matt gained significant experience in the hospitality and catering industry, giving him a valuable insight to the practical operations of food businesses. Matt is Director of iX5 Environmental Services Ltd, an independent pest control and Environmental Health focussed business which he has run for over 5 years, servicing domestic and commercial clients. Matt has combined his years of experience and knowledge gained from these roles to build this bespoke training course for food-focussed Environmental Health Practitioners, as he recognised a knowledge gap in this area coupled with the need for high quality CPD training which can be applied by EHPs in their day to day roles working with food businesses.

Feedback from Local Authority Food Officers

Would you recommend this course to colleagues and why?

  • Yes - Highly (Sean Kelly, Team Leader)
  • Yes - Very informative.
  • Yes - Very informative and engaging (Gillian Archer)
  • Yes - Informative and easy to understand.
  • Yes - I have learnt so much!
  • Yes – very insightful and helpful for our day to day work.
  • Yes – very informative on the approach a competent pest control company should be taking.

Other comments

  • Very informative and useful.
  • Excellent!
  • A very comfortable atmosphere to ask questions.

What did you find most useful?

  • The competence, knowledge and field experience of the trainer.
  • Information on what to look for when assessing competency of pest contractors useful, and the information on finding the source of the issue.
  • The types of treatments for pests, how to identify types of pests, pest entry routes and enforcement.
  • Practical examples and answers to all our questions (Sean Kelly, Team Leader)
  • Very useful course, lots of information in it.
  • Learning about the different options available to pest controllers. EG. Traps, and treatments / chemicals. (Gillian Archer)
  • Very informative training session. All questions answered. Most useful was treatment of pests, emerging trends.
  • Very good discussions with trainer and the team.
  • Relevance to our jobs.
  • All of it!
  • Everything.
  • I found the mix of the EHO and pest controller background really helped with the presentation and our learning.
  • Alternative treatment options.

Booking:

We are offering this course to local authority food officers in two ways:

In-House Courses

For local authorities or Food Liaison Groups who wish to host an in-house course. We will come to your venue to deliver the training for a minimum of 12 and maximum of 20 attendees. You will need to provide a suitable room and facilities for the training (e.g. a council chamber or other meeting room in council offices). The local authority or Liaison Group will need to manage the list of attendees and deal with the administration of this, and in return we offer a discounted rate for the training. If you wish to discuss hosting a course, please contact us by emailing: [email protected] or telephoning 01604 328545.

Open Training Courses

When there is sufficient demand, we deliver this training at venues around the country.  Where we don’t have an open course planned near you, we will keep a waiting list and once we have sufficient interest, we will arrange a venue and date for the course.

To add your details to our mailing list or to register your interest in attending an open course, please complete form below.

Pest Control in Food Businesses Training for Local Authority Food Officers

The course is designed as a one-day course which will qualify attendees for 5 hours CPD. 

If you wish to discuss hosting a course, or would like further information on our open courses, please contact us by emailing: [email protected] or telephoning 01604 328545.

Register Course Interest

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