URBAN PEST MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES FOR GOVERNMENT BUILDING AND STRUCTURES

URBAN PEST MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES FOR GOVERNMENT BUILDING AND STRUCTURES

Prevention following the Supreme Court Ruling is the key to proper, effective, least hazardous, and legal urban pest management programs in all government buildings and structures.

Briefly, the SC decision that upheld all lower court rulings, the MMC Pest Control Board, and the Department of Health Circular 155 ruled that it is the National Committee on Urban Pest Control [NCUPC] that has jurisdiction over urban pest control. As cited by the ruling, “the NCUPC was created pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement [MOA] signed by the Office of the President, the Metro Manila Commission, the Department of Labor & Employment and other Government Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations per Presidential Decree 856 [Sanitation Code], 522 [Sanitation requirements for establishments catering to traveling public], and 1096 [Building Code], PD 1423, and President Corazon Aquino’s Executive Order 432, RA 3850, PD 1423 as amended by EO 128. Through the NCR Pest Control Board and the MMDA Pest Control Board, the practice of pest control is governed.” The NCUPC, by virtue of the MOA harmonized the laws of various government offices related to pest control.  

    

If the conditions that attract and support pests, that is, the presence of food or organic debris, water, shelter, and access are improperly eliminated, then other management practices are most likely to fail. The building management including all occupants must be involved in the planning, design, construction, remodeling or retrofitting of the government building and structures should be aware of the need for long-term prevention or suppression of pest problems. Pest prevention will reduce overall costs of pest control operations as well as other maintenance and operating expenses.

A thoroughly and legally integrated approach to urban pest management in government buildings and structures begins in the early planning stage. Too often, pest management or pest proofing is not considered, is neglected, or is just taken for granted at this point. The way a government building or structure is put up including materials, construction techniques, and attention to detail will impact any future pest management efforts throughout the life of government building or structure. So there’s a need to consider pest management needs during design, development and construction of government building and structure where the National Committee on Urban Pest Control Licensed Pest Control Provider follows the phases of building and structural construction means to incorporating features that will exclude pests, minimize pest habitat, and promote proper sanitation.

Several basic building and structural features can cause most of the pest problems. Many government buildings and structures have pest exclusion problems at doorways and windows. Heating, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical service, and fire sprinklers provide other pest entry points. Even in newly constructed government buildings and structures, electrical conduit, water and gas lines, and communication cables generally have large openings that permit pest entry. Wall cavities, ceiling cavities, and the space beneath floors can all provide pest shelter. From these areas, pests generally have ready access to the rest of the building and structure. Utilities, overhead suspended ceilings, and air conditioning ducts provide a very effective pest distribution system. So there’s a need for all existing government buildings and structures to be regularly inspected by the NCUPC to assess them in terms of pest infestation and the soundness of the structures against termite and other pest damages. The NCUPC then prepares the technical program to form the basis for bidding pest control services per RA 9184 [Government Procurement Reform Act].

Although pest-resistant building and structure practices most commonly reduce shelter and access, they can also reduce food and moisture sources through proper sanitation, reducing trapped moisture, and improving drainage.

While proper construction practices are the emphasis here, they cannot stand alone. A strong and legal urban pest management and maintenance program is essential. Poor sanitation or leaving entryways open will make even the best designed and constructed building susceptible to pest problems. Using the practices discussed below, together with regular routinary inspection conducted by National Committee on Urban Pest Control Licensed Pest Control Provider, and awareness of potential pest problems among staff management of government building and structure and occupants by the NCUPC information dissemination education, can greatly reduce or eliminate the potential for infestations, especially when followed by responsible maintenance.

The following guidelines and best practices illustrate the variety of practices that can be used and their value in pest prevention in government structures and buildings. No single practice will work equally well in all circumstances. Certain practices listed below may not be appropriate where structural requirements or budget considerations preclude them. Once the basic principles are understood, there is no substitute for resourcefulness and ingenuity in developing practical, site-specific solutions.

1. PRE-CONSTRUCTION GUIDELINES AND BEST PRACTICES

A. FOUNDATION AND SLABS

Exclusion

• Eliminate gaps or flaws in foundations and slabs, or where the wall framing meets the foundation or slab floor. These openings may be large enough to allow entry for insects and rodents. Older buildings commonly have cracked foundations, cracked plaster or mortar, warped siding, or broken and torn vent screens that allow pest entry.
• Install physical barriers beneath joints or other discontinuities in the foundation. No hidden cold joint should exist in the foundation unless there is an installed physical barrier. A sheet of metal barrier to termites can be installed from below the wall sill plate or first block course horizontally to embed in a mortar joint.
• Include the design of footings for brick, stone, or other veneers with the other pre-construction foundation planning. A concrete bearing ledge that is poured integrally with the concrete foundation should support these heavy veneers. If poured as part of the foundation, the ledge prevents termite entry into the building between the footing and the foundation.
• Use a sand barrier. Use a 3-inch layer of sand underneath slab construction. Use 1-3 millimeter particle size in place of unsifted sand to provide a permanent termite barrier for subterranean termites. This will prevent termites from penetrating the cracks in the slab construction.
• Use natural durable wood, kiln or chemical-treated wood or non-wood materials. The only sure prevention of termite problems is the use of building materials other than wood.

• Eliminate all wood-to-soil contact as much as possible. Soil should always be from 6 to 18 inches below any wood member, the greater the distance, the better.
• Extend foundation below ground. Good foundations will normally stop rodents from getting into buildings; however, if foundations do not rest on bedrock, they should extend vertically below ground at least 3 feet or have an L-shaped curtain wall about 2 feet deep with a 1-foot projection from the building. On piled foundations, the reinforced concrete beam spanning the piles should extend 3 feet below ground to stop rodents.

• Modify foundations on older buildings with concrete or metal barriers to stop rodents from digging their way in.
• Check foundation vents to make sure they are tight and appropriately screened (use a hardware cloth to exclude rodents).

Harborage reduction

• Avoid burying or storing cellulose-containing material (such as wood scraps, form boards, vegetation, stumps, large dead roots, cardboard, trash, and foreign material) near or under the structure. To reduce chances of termite infestation, no cellulose-containing material should be buried on the building lot within fifteen feet of any building or the position of any building proposed to be built. Cellulose materials are attractive food sources for subterranean termites that can then move into the structure.
• Prior to concrete placement, remove all cellulose-containing material such as form boards from the area encompassed by the foundation and the area within one foot of its perimeter. The fill material should be free of vegetation and foreign material.
• Prior to concrete placement, clean all cellulose-containing material from cells and cavities in masonry units, and from air gaps between brick, stone, or masonry veneers and the structure.
• After all foundation work is completed, remove all loose wood and debris from the crawl space and within one foot of the perimeter of the building. All wood forms and supports should be completely removed.

Moisture management

• Eliminate sources of chronic moisture in and around the structure. This is one of the most important requirements for successfully managing subterranean termites, carpenter ants, and wood boring beetles. Good drainage design will help to prevent moisture build-up in and around the building or structure.
• Use moisture barriers. In above-ground foundations, moisture barrier films such as 6 mil polyethylene can be used to cover the area under the structure. This will help decrease moisture buildup in sub-flooring. Some builders recommend the use of moisture barriers under slab foundations as well.

• Slope all exterior grades away from the structure to provide drainage.
• Construct and seal all adjoining components such as porches and planter boxes to prevent moisture and soil contact with the structure.
• Design exterior landscaping so it does not cause moisture build-up around the foundation. Maintain clearance between vegetation and exterior walls.
• Align and/ or shield sprinkler irrigation heads to direct spray away from the building.
• Place foundation wall vents to provide cross ventilation for buildings with crawl spaces. If regrading or remodeling covers vents, additional vents may be needed.

Facilitate inspection and maintenance

• Provide adequate clearance to allow access for inspection and control if needed. Construct decks, fences, patios, planters, or other wooden structural components that directly abut the sidewall of the foundation or structure to provide: (a) an 18-inch clearance beneath or, (b) provide for 6-inch clearance between the top of the component and the exterior wall covering or, (c) have components that are easily removable by screws or hinges to allow access for inspection of the foundation sidewall and treatment for termites.

B. FLOORS

Exclusion

• Eliminate gaps around floor joists. Floor joists should be built in or fitted onto joist hangers.

Facilitate sanitations/ harborage reduction

• Build floors to be durable, non-absorbent, anti-slip, without crevices, and capable of being effectively cleaned. If concrete is used, it must be steel-float finished and sealed. Slope floors sufficiently for liquids to drain to trapped gullies or drainpipes. The floor area under food preparation equipment should allow easy cleaning of food spills and remain open to prevent harborage.

Moisture management

• In areas where hazard from termite damage is most critical, use floor framing of natural and durable wood and follow the proper methods of termite protection for foundations.
• Provide adequate ventilation. Allow at least 18 inches of clearance under floor framing and at least 12 inches under floor girders. Proper ventilation and use of vapor barriers on the ground in the crawl space will help prevent the moist conditions that subterranean and dampwood termites favor. The minimum ventilation requirements in  building or structure must be based on the ratio of the net free vent area (a measurement of a vent’s unrestricted opening) to the area of crawl space to be ventilated.

C. INSIDE WALLS, CABINETS, SHELVING, STORAGE ROOMS

Exclusion

• Install wall cavity closures and avoid joist/ rafter gaps. Cavity closers should be installed at the top of all cavity walls and there should be no gaps between joists and rafters. This will keep out various pests that have gained access to the attic such as birds, mice rats and squirrels.
• Eliminate gaps around wall penetrations. Wherever drains, hoists, and vents, conveyors, pipes, cable conduits or ducts pass between buildings through walls or foundations, they should be sealed to prevent the spread of any infestation from one building to another.
• Equip storage areas with self-closing doors to deny pest access.
• Eliminate cracks and crevices, that is, with sealant, or copper or bronze wool wherever possible, especially in kitchens and other food preparation and storage areas.
• Eliminate dead spaces inside storage areas to restrict areas where rodents may hide. Dead spaces include double walls, false ceilings, enclosed staircases, boxed plumbing, and voids or false bottoms under cabinets.

Harborage reduction

• Do not use wall coverings that provide insect harborage. Do not install pegboard in kitchens, or other food service areas, animal rooms, or laboratories.

Facilitate sanitation

• Construct walls for easy cleaning. Wall surfaces are best when smooth, impervious, non-flaking and light-colored, and must be capable of being thoroughly cleaned. Do not use absorbent emulsion paints. Stainless steel splash-backs are recommended behind sinks and working surfaces. Coving should be used at wall to floor and wall to ceiling junctions to help cleaning operations and minimize debris accumulating. Avoid construction of wall-to-wall junctures less than 90 degrees. Slope floors in kitchen areas to provide good drainage after cleaning.
• Use durable, non-absorptive shelving material. Keep shelving far enough away from walls to leave room for cleaning.
• Areas where susceptible items are stored should be well lighted for ease in cleaning and inspection.

Moisture management

• Ventilate cavity walls. Adequate ventilation must be provided but any openings into the roof for this purpose must be screened with mesh or hardware cloth.

D. CEILINGS

Exclusion

• Eliminate gaps around joists. On multi-story buildings or structures, floor joists should be built in or fitted onto joist hangers.
• Seal all internal partitioning wall and ceiling cavities.

Facilitate sanitation

• Build for ease of maintenance. Suspended ceilings should be made of metal lattice incorporating cleanable panels. Aluminum backed and faced fiberboard has proved successful in many food factories. Flush-fitting ventilation grilles should be installed tightly enough to eliminate openings around the edge of the grille. Solid ceilings should be well insulated to avoid condensation and mold growth, and should be smooth, fire-resistant, light colored, coved at wall joints, and easy to clean.

Facilitate inspection and maintenance

• Build in inspection and maintenance access. Suspended ceilings are helpful in hiding horizontal pipe work and services but access for inspection for pests and maintenance must be built in. Structural walkways should always be provided in large premises.

E. UTILITY ENTRY POINTS

Exclusion

• Seal utility entry points on the building exterior. Junctures where utilities such as pipes and cables enter structures require special consideration to prevent pest entry. Pests, especially rodents, often find easy access into buildings through holes beside water pipes and electrical conduit, and through the cold air return ducts on forced air furnaces. Utility entry points include exhaust vents and underground electrical lines. Power lines have always been a favorite route of travel for rodents, especially rats. Old, unused openings where utilities formerly entered the structure should also be inspected for cracks, broken screens, damaged doors, and uneven floors near doorways. Any external meter boxes must have close-fitting doors; all connected pipes or wires must be adequately sealed.
• Seal entry points within the structure. Once inside the wall, pests may gain entry into the main structure along electrical lines, pipes, poorly sealed fire wall sheathing, or around furnace ducts, hot water heaters, or laundry drains. If pests are able to reach the attic, they may travel from room to room or unit to unit through openings for pipes, ducts, and wiring.

[Pipes, ducts or cables passing through walls should fit tightly or be built into fire stops. Protect joists with metal flanges where pipes or ducts pass through floors and walls. Hot water pipes should be carried in sleeves through vertical or horizontal partitions. Surround the base of elevators, conveyors and machinery with a 2-foot high smooth metal fence; conveyor ends should have tight-fitting doors. Seal around all electrical conduits, plumbing, heating pipes, trunking or service ducts that pass through them.]

• Seal duct work. Ensure that all heating and air conditioning ducts are tightly sealed at seams and joints.

Harborage reduction

• Ensure that all pipe insulation has a smooth surface and that there are no gaps between pieces.

Facilitate inspection and maintenance

• When installing pipes, cables and fittings, build in or allow enough wall clearance to enable cleaning around the entry point. Flexible fittings are recommended for gas fittings. All electrical switches should be flush-fitted.

F.   DOORS

Exclusion

• Ensure that doors are properly installed and correct problems that interfere with a close fit. Pest entry problems can arise when doors are hung unevenly or too high, or lined with unprotected soft rubber weather stripping. Insects and rodents, especially mice, often find easy access to buildings through open doors or under and beside poor-fitting doors, particularly in receiving areas and garage areas.

• Ensure that roll-up or overhead doors are well fitted. With the door closed, check for gaps along the sides, bottom, and top of the door. A gap at the top is common. Roll-up or overhead doors often provide easy entry for rodents, birds, and bats. Rats and mice can easily climb up the space between the door and the inner wall or track to the top, where they gain entry and climb down the inside of the track. Gaps between the track and the wall are also common, especially if the track has been installed on brick walls. Door bottoms may be bent or damaged, leaving gaps along the floor. Uneven floors due to frost heaves may leave gaps when the door is closed.
• Use self-closing doors. All doors should close on a level threshold, have smooth, non-absorbent surfaces, be tight fitted and self-closing. Doors of bin rooms below refuse chutes should be self-closing, flush-fitted and of metal construction.
• Select door styles for ease of maintenance and durability. Use polypropylene or toughened rubber doors for ease of maintenance.
• Correct mail slot/ letter plates that are not at least 30 inches above ground level to prevent them becoming 'rat flaps.'
• Avoid the use of door frames with acute angles.
• Use woodwork that is well-seasoned, properly-knotted, stopped, primed, and given three coats of polyurethane paint.
• Modify conventional doors. External doors should be fitted with metal kick-plates not less than 1 foot high and the metal plates should also fit jambs and door linings.
• Use nylon bristle door sweeps; these are remarkably versatile for pest-resisting conventional doors.

G. WINDOWS

Exclusion

• Install close-fitting windows and screens. Poorly fitted windows or screens allow easy rodent entry from exterior utility lines and pipes running along exterior walls. Runways going to window ledges are often observed on stucco and brick walls and in ornamental plantings next to buildings. Screens on windows, crawl spaces, and vents are often damaged in government buildings and structures. Check these carefully for needed repair or replacement.

• Slope window ledges. Window ledges or other essential projections should slope at 45 degrees to discourage birds from perching and roosting on them.
• Modify windows to prevent harborage and access for pests, with no clear passageways to inside. Modify weep holes, that is, openings that allow drainage of moisture in window frames, that is, with copper or bronze wool to prevent access by paper wasps and other insects.

H. OUTSIDE WALLS AND BUILDING PERIMETERS

Exclusion

• Do not install exterior features that attract insects, rodents, birds or other wildlife. Avoid installation, particularly near entrances, of the following:

o    Light fixture designs that may provide opportunities for bird perching, roosting or nesting;

o    Decorative lattices or other structural features that may inadvertently serve as bird roosts, over entrances to food services facilities; and

o    Structural features that provide opportunities for rodent harborage or burrowing. Install bird-proof barriers (e.g., netting) that are designed to prevent both pigeon and sparrow access to preferred nesting sites.

• Use enclosed fire escapes to eliminate bird perching, roosting and nesting, and access for other pests.
• Use durable pest-proof construction materials. Buildings and structures are constructed from types of materials and design methods that vary greatly in the degree of susceptibility to pest infestation, for example, metal and concrete versus wood. Most structures eventually become less pest-proof due to deterioration, alteration, or lack of repair. Pre-fabricated building panels usually provide more opportunity for infestation to develop than do solid brick or concrete walls; certain partition or cladding materials such as chipboard, hardboard or block board offer little resistance to gnawing of rodents and may, especially if damp, encourage molds, booklice and fungus beetles.
• Avoid rough finishes that can be gnawed or provide foothold. Rats and mice will climb up rough exterior surfaces so it is best to eliminate such finishes and to avoid projections or ledges which might give a foothold or provide access to any higher points of entry that are unlikely to be as well proofed as those on the ground floor.

• Screen or otherwise eliminate animal access under decks, porches, and stairways. Seal porches and ramps to the building foundation with hardware cloth screen mesh to form a barrier to digging pests such as rats and skunks. This screen must extend 12 inches into the ground and must have a right-angled, 6-inch wide, outward extending shelf to prevent burrowing under the screen.
• Use gravel to discourage burrowing. Where feasible and inaccessible to people, maintain a 2-foot pea gravel strip around buildings to prevent rodent burrowing.
• Install guards on pipes and downspouts. Standard conical or rectangular metal rat guards should be fitted to soil pipes and rainwater downspouts, projecting about 9 inches from the pipes and built into the walls at the point where they touch it. Fit tops of open pipes with balloon guards. Mesh fitted over rainwater downspouts will keep out nest debris.
• Design exteriors that have no access to wall cavities. To protect against mice, no external or other cavity wall should have any holes larger than ½ inch in diameter. Modify weep holes, that is, with screening in walls to prevent access by insect pests.
• Install fitted grills over air intakes.
• Consider pest management when landscaping near buildings and structures.

I.    EXTERIOR SIDING

Exclusion

• Avoid gaps at edges and corners. Wood or masonite siding is especially vulnerable to warping and cracking near corners and around the base of the building and structure. Buildings constructed with ribbed or corrugated metal siding allow rodent entry if the bottoms of the siding panels do not rest flat on a solid surface or they are not otherwise closed off. Sections of pre-fabricated buildings or structures should be assembled tightly, and gaps at joints should be covered with metal flashing; joint gaps are often left open, especially at corners and at the foundation/ slab interface.

Facilitate inspection and maintenance

• Allow clearance for inspection between siding and soil surface in order to provide access to inspect for termite infestation, and to prohibit exterior siding contact with soil, clearance between exterior wall coverings, that is, stucco, siding, and soil on the exterior of a building should not be less than 6 inches.

Moisture management

• Irrigation/ sprinkler systems and risers for spray heads should have sprinkler heads or be located two feet from the building and structure so as to prevent water contacting walls; including drought tolerant plants in landscape plans can aid in achieving this goal.

J.   ROOF ASSEMBLY

Exclusion

• Eliminate rodent access under shingles. Shake shingle roofs allow rodent entry if the roof is not solidly sheeted with plywood or similar material and the shingles are not properly fitted. Use vents with tightly fitted double roof jacks and/or heavy-duty screen to prevent small animal access.
• Build tight roof joints and protect with flashing. Ensure tightness of all roof joints and the presence of flashing if rats and mice have access to the roof via wire, pipes, plants, or rough-textured walls. Ensure proper installation of metal flashing on roof, wall joints and edges.
• Fit eave roof tiles with bird stops. This will also exclude bats, bees and wasps.
• Make sure all attic and soffit vents are properly screened to exclude insects, birds, and other animals. Use hardware cloth screen mesh.

Moisture management

• Direct water from drainage and sprinklers away from walls. All condensate lines, and roof down spouts should discharge at least one foot away from the structure sidewall, whether by underground piping, tail extensions, or splash blocks. Use gutters with down spouts on all buildings with eaves of less than six inches horizontal projection except for gable end rakes or on a roof above another roof.

K. REFUSE AND RECYCLING AREAS

Exclusion

• Locate site away from building and structure entrances or at least 50 feet from doorways.
• Design site with properly graded concrete or asphalt pads to help prevent rats from establishing burrows beneath them.
• Build to exclude vertebrates. Build refuse sites with a solid enclosure that extends all the way to the ground. Use metal or synthetic materials, as opposed to chain-link or wood, to prevent rodents and other wildlife from gnawing or climbing the enclosure.
• Close off refuse, recycling, and trash storage areas. If trash will be stored, design storage areas that can be closed off from the rest of the building. Locate storage areas for boxes, paper supplies, and other materials in areas separate from where food or trash is stored. When stored together, these materials put food and shelter together, favoring pests.

Sanitation

• Place outdoor garbage containers, dumpsters, and compactors on hard, cleanable surfaces.
• Include a water source at the site for cleaning permanent storage containers and pad surfaces; ensure adequate drainage.

L.   VERTICAL SHAFTS

Exclusion

• Floor cavities should be sealed where they enter shafts or chutes.

Facilitate sanitation/ harborage reduction

• Shafts or chutes should be of smooth internal construction. To the extent feasible, build or modify these areas, that is, use coving at floor to wall junctures, or other means of minimizing corners and sharp angles to reduce debris accumulation and to facilitate cleaning.

2. PRE-CONSTRUCTION TERMITE PREVENTION GUIDELINES AND BEST PRACTICES

SCOPE OF WORK:

·    All labor, materials, and equipment to render the soil treatment, treatment of all wooden structures, among others shall be furnished by the National Committee on Urban Pest Control Licensed Pest Control Provider; and

·       The National Committee on Urban Pest Control Licensed Pest Control Provider shall treat the soil under the foundation footings, walls, floorslabs, and perimeter to make them impervious and toxic to subterranean termites and shall make the soil of termite environment uninhabitable for a long period of time.

CHEMICALS TO BE USED: 

·         The National Committee on Urban Pest Control Licensed Pest Control Provider shall use only approved NCUPC Registered environment-friendly termiticides with no health risks and proven effective against the target pests.

·         The National Committee on Urban Pest Control Licensed Pest Control Provider shall render the complete Termite Proofing Work (TPW) program in the following manner during the construction of the building and structure:

TREATMENT PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED: 

This pre-construction treatment to termite proofed government building and structure shall follow the three phases of building and structure as follows:

PHASE I - SOIL TREATMENT

·         Thorough treatment by spraying of the soil of the foundation footings, walls or sidings, floorslabs and along the outside perimeter of the building after these had been fully leveled off and ready for cementing;

·         Demolition of the termite mounds in the surroundings (if any) of the government building and structure. Termite mounds are homes of subterranean termites, and they are sources of structural termite damages.

PHASE II - TREATMENT OF BUILDING WOODEN SKELETAL FRAMEWORK

·         Thorough treatment of the rough hollow blocks, walling, floor beams, joints, girders, frames, windows, doors, and other parts of the household, structure and facility.

·         Thorough treatment of the skeletal ceilings, frames, girdles, and other parts of the household, structure and facility.

PHASE III - FINAL TREATMENT

·         NCUPC Registered Environment-friendly termiticide, in powder form, with no health risks shall be properly applied by wood injection or through trophallaxis method in all places liable or possible termite infestation and termite passages such as electrical conduits, double walling, panel baseboards, cabinets, ceilings, roofing beams, cement cracks, etc. 

·         This is done after the completion of the building or just before the occupancy of the building.

3. EXISTING GOVERNMENT BUILDING AND STRUCTURES TERMITE AND PEST PREVENTION AND CONTROL GUIDELINES AND BEST PRACTICES

For effective prevention and/ or control of termites in government buildings and structures, the National Committee on Urban Pest Control Licensed Pest Control Provider hereby recommend the following technical services following a process of treatment procedure described as follows:

TECHNICAL SERVICES:

A.   SOIL TREATMENT (ST)

·         ST prevents subterranean termites from damaging the wood component of the building and structure by properly treating the soil around it using appropriate equipment by either cordoning, trenching or injection method.  The distance shall be about l8-20 inches apart and about six inches close to the external wall of the building and structure.

   

·         ST uses only approved NCUPC Registered Environment-friendly termiticides with no health risks and proven effective against the target pests. This creates soil that is an uninhabitable environment for subterranean termites.

·         This is accomplished by using a power machine operated and run by a five-horse power (5HP) machine at a pressure of 150 Psi and at an approximate rate of 2 gals. solution per 45 seconds.   Dilution rate of the termite should be strictly followed and complied with by the National Committee on Urban Pest Control Licensed Pest Control Provider.

·         Treatment Frequency:  One General Treatment (GT) Only.

B.   DRILLING SERVICE

·         Drilling service is done in order to treat the soil under cemented floorslabs    using heavy-duty HILTI FE24 Rotary Hammer Drill (220V/ 740W) with the speed under load of 275-570 rpm and hammering power of 3,100 blows/ minute and drilling performance in medium-grade concentrate of 40 cubic meter per minute = 260 mm/ min. Recommended diameter range is 12-20 mm diameter, using heavy-duty Black & Decker bit of 48 cm long in diameter.

·    Before any drilling service is conducted in building and structure, the building management should provide the National Committee on Urban Pest Control Licensed Pest Control Provider with a floor plan indicating underground water, electrical and puso negro pipes.

 

·     Perimeter drilling distance is one (1) meter apart and six (6) inches close to the wall.

·        With this service, we can inject only approved NCUPC Registered Environment-friendly termiticides solution with no health risks and proven effective against the target pests through soil injector using the power machine deep under the surface to penetrate the hidden areas so susceptible to subterranean termites with a rate of two (2) gal. solution per hole. This gives greater structural protection.

·         Treatment Frequency:   One (1) Treatment Only.

       C.   WOOD DRENCHING (WD)

·          
   WD is designed to treat all infested parts of the building and structure, concentrating on the floors, walls, baseboards, cracks and crevices by direct spraying of only approved NCUPC Registered Environment-friendly termiticides with no health risks and proven effective against the target pests at a correct dilution rate.

·      This treatment is to control the surface infestation on the spot and help minimize further infestation in the building and structure.

·         Treatment Frequency:  One General Treatment (GT) Only.

     D.   TERMITE  ABATEMENT MAINTENANCE PROGRAM (TAMP)

·          
   TAMP service is properly accomplished and done by dusting or trophallaxis method. Treatment of the infestation by injecting only approved NCUPC Registered Environment-friendly termiticide powder with no health risks and proven effective against the target pests at a correct dilution rate in the doorjambs, electrical outlets, panel boards, double walling, and cabinet.   Either a rubber or plastic applicator may be used in order to treat the infested areas and other possible susceptible areas for termite.

·     If the building and structure is already termite infested, there’s nothing like a regular termite check-up. During the General Treatment (GT) and Quarterly Treatments (QT). Only National Committee on Urban Pest Control Certified Applicator shall conduct the inspection and treatment to minimize the possibility of an infestation by drywood termites, dampwood termites as well as subterranean termites.

·         Frequency:  One General Treatment (GT) Only, and

    Quarterly Treatment (QT) per quarter for a period of One Year.

     E.   BUKBOK ABATEMENT MAINTENANCE PROGRAM (BAMP)

·       Wood-boring beetle or “bukbok” make pinholes on the walls causing sawdust on your floors and eventually damage the building and structure. Although not as numerous as the termites, this pest is much harder to control. 

·    Depending on the severity of infestation, BAMP may be done in the following manner:  Spray or brush the infested area thoroughly, inject every pinhole with a termiticide concentrate or conduct fumigation to wipe out the infestation.

·         Treatment Frequency:  One General Treatment (GT) Only.

     F.    MOUND DEMOLITION (MD)

·    Termite mounds are the homes of subterranean termites. These colonies are where the queen lays eggs and the king, secondary reproductive, soldiers and workers live.  Termites attack and penetrate the building and structure even if these mounds are 200-500 feet away from the building and structure. 

·    Only National Committee on Urban Pest Control Certified Applicator shall search for these termite mounds in the surroundings, demolish them, retrieve the queen, and thoroughly treat the surroundings using only approved NCUPC Registered Environment-friendly termiticide with no health risks and proven effective against the target pests. 

        Treatment Frequency: One General Treatment Only.

SECOND NOTICE: CONFERENCE ON EFFECTIVE URBAN PEST MANAGEMENT

SECOND NOTICE: 

CONFERENCE ON EFFECTIVE URBAN PEST MANAGEMENT

Day 1: EFFECTIVE URBAN PEST MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, with the theme: “Imagine Food Safety, Public Health & Property Protection Without Pest Control,” is the celebration of the 21st NATIONAL URBAN PEST CONTROL WEEK per Presidential Proclamation 990 & 2063 and in accordance to Dept of Health Circular 155, Presidential Decree 856, 1096 and 522, RA 9003, 9275, 8749 and 7459, DILG Memo Circular 2003-186 & 2016-07, GMP, SSOP, Food Sanitation Audits, Quality Assurance, Food Safety Standards and HACCP to be held in Manila on September 28, 2017, Friday from 7:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. 


Day 2 – EDUCATIONAL TRIP to MAPECON Green Charcoal Plant in Alaminos, Laguna. Objective:  Participants learn how organic wastes are processed into Alternative Fuel Source; and Organic Fertilizer on September 29, 2017, Friday from 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 A.M.

Rapid changes in the urban pest control industry, advances in telecommunications that allow easy access to pest information, and continuous improvements in transportation infrastructures that promote efficient mobility of the people and products from the farms or rural areas to urban centers should be connected to the ideas on sustainable development highlighting environmental and food security issues. 

Human as well as product mobility facilitate the unabated spread of urban pests and pest-borne diseases. The role that pest control plays using green technologies to contain possible pest and disease outbreaks must become the standard in urban pest control particularly with the majority of the population are in the urban centers. Strict audit and quality control procedures which are imposed by customers, the food industry sector including product exporters has to uncompromisingly deal with urban pests, storage pests and rodents that contaminate food in its manufacturing and storage facilities. 

But no matter how important pest control is, it has not been given as equally important to public health, food safety in food manufacturing industry sector and property protection in construction industry and real estate industry sectors. Pest control is contracted only when an infestation or pest problem has already occurred.

Local Government Units must make pest control program a requirement to operate businesses in their respective localities to keep their constitution safe.

Therefore, it is the primary objective of the conference to place pest control in the center on all efforts of food safety, public health, and property protection with emphasis on protecting present human lifestyle and his mobility in urban areas. In addition, knowledge on different urban pest control and enviro-related technologies that are locally available but proven effective against urban pests and alternative fuels for use in food industry and support “Buy Filipino-Made Products, Buy Local” shall also be given importance.

This conference is intended for personnel of food manufacturing, restaurants, supermarkets, markets, malls, hotels and related establishments; officials of government agencies, LGUs, NGOs and POs concerned on food safety, public health and property protection; urban pest control operators and pesticide applicators, entomologists, medical officers and nurses; urban planners, sanitarians, and waste management practitioners; and for public and private academe including students.

 Brochure Outer Part

 Brochure Inner Part

The following are the topics to be taken up:

WASTES: THEIR PROPER MANAGEMENT. HOW WASTES AFFECT PUBLIC HEALTH
- Dr. Metodio A. Palaypay

IMPACT OF PESTS IN FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM OF FOOD PROCESSING/ MANUFACTURING FACILITIES
- Dr. Sonia Y. De Leon

IMPORTANCE OF PEST CONTROL IN KEEPING FOOD SAFE
- Prof. Michele Alaro Narango

URBAN PESTS COMMON IN URBAN AREAS: THEIR IMPACTS TO PUBLIC HEALTH, FOOD SAFETY & PROPERTY PROTECTION & INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT [IPM] PROGRAM
- Mr. Roque G. Tibor, Jr.

GC HYDROGEN REACTOR, ACTIVATED CARBON & VERMICAST: NATURAL PEST CONTROL
- Invr. Gonzalo O. Catan, Jr.

PhP 3,000.00/ Participant [inclusive of a lunch, 2 heavy snacks, coffee, a conference kit, and certificates]. Advance registrants: 10% Discount/ Head.
Prospective participants from Government Sector shall receive 30% Discount/ Head. Student-participants shall be charged only 50% of the fee.

NCUPC has applied for the renewal of its Accreditation as CPD Provider with the CPD Council of Agriculture of the Professional Regulation Commission for this conference with 8 Credit Units for participant and resource persons; another 8 Credit Units for Educational Trip to MAPECON Green Charcoal Plant in Alaminos, Laguna to learn how organic wastes are processed into Alternative Fuel Source, and Organic Fertilizer.

GUIDELINES FOR WASTE DISPOSAL: SPILLS, LEAKS, AND DISPOSAL OF CHEMICALS & THEIR CONTAINERS

GUIDELINES FOR WASTE DISPOSAL: SPILLS, LEAKS, AND DISPOSAL OF CHEMICALS & THEIR CONTAINERS

Generally, imported pesticides are biologically active materials and may be potentially hazardous or risky to both human health and the environment. They normally affect the Central Nervous System [CNS] including humans. While botanical ones particularly the Patented & International Award-Winner Insect Growth Regulators [IGR] products of MAPECON Philippines, Inc. are not as risky. They only affect the growth hormone, called the Ecdyzones, of insect-pests and kill them slowly.

Only properly trained and Certified Pesticide Applicators [CPA] are allowed to handle, apply and store pesticides or IGRs in establishments.

Complete decontamination and effective disposal are often very difficult to achieve. One of the most important objectives of good storage management is to minimize the occurrence of leaks, spills and outdated stock.

 1). Spills:

There will occasionally be spills, even in the best run storage, especially where concentrates are repacked and transferred into other containers. Spills must be cleaned up immediately. Always have two people working when handling severe spills.

Untreated spills may corrode other containers, become trodden in and contaminate storage personnel and may produce toxic or inflammable fumes. If not removed quickly, the spilled chemicals may be absorbed by the floor. Floors therefore need to be made of impermeable (sealed) concrete or other non-absorbent material. Removing the contaminated part and replacing it, may be the only way to decontaminate absorbent brick, earth or wooden floors.

Spill soaked up by sand or sawdust being carefully swept up
and placed in a container to be collected and taken for central disposal.

1.a. Liquid Spills:

The spill should not be hosed down as this merely disperses the pesticide over a wider area.
A supply of absorbent sawdust, sand or dry soil should be kept in a container in the store.
Nitrile rubber protective gloves and face-mask should be worn.

Sawdust, sand or dry soil should be scattered over the area of the spill and left for a few minutes to soak up the chemical.

The sawdust, sand or dry soil containing absorbed spilled chemical should be swept or shovelled up and placed in a marked container for disposal.

After sweeping, more than once if necessary, a scrubbing brush at the end of a stick should be used to scrub down the area of the spill with water and strong soap or detergent. Excess soapy water should be removed with a rough floor cloth and not hosed down.

1.b. Solid Spills:

Dusts, Wettable Powders or Granules can create dust when swept up without the use of an absorbent material. A supply of absorbent sawdust, sand or dry soil should be kept in a container in the store where they can easily be reached for use in an emergency .

Nitrile rubber protective gloves and face-mask should be worn.

The sawdust, sand or dry soil should be dampened and applied with a shovel over the area of the spill.

The damp sawdust, sand or soil containing spillage material should be swept or shovelled up carefully and placed in a marked container for disposal.

After sweeping, more than once if necessary, a scrubbing brush at the end of a stick should be used to scrub down the area of the spill with water and strong soap or detergent. Excess soapy water should be removed with a rough floor cloth and not hosed down.

2). Leaks:

Leakage from containers is a major problem in the storage and transport of pesticides. The main cause is rough handling which dents drums, weakens or splits seams and weakens closures (lids, caps and stoppers). Other causes of mechanical damage are puncturing or abrasion during transport when packages and containers rub against one another or against the sides of the truck travelling over uneven surfaces and rough roads.

CPA inspecting a leak from a pesticide container.

Leaks also result from corrosion of the container, which may be accelerated by mechanical damage. Corrosion may start internally, the pesticide itself or its breakdown products being the primary cause. Alternatively, corrosion may begin externally, as a result of rusting in damp storage conditions or contamination from pesticide leaking from nearby containers.

Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC) formulations may be corrosive and incompatible to steel. They should be packed in plastic, aluminium containers, or in steel containers lined with inner coatings. Some pesticides are dissolved in organic solvents that cannot always be packed in plastic drums.

Containers may leak for other reasons such as: strong sunlight which can degrade some plastic containers, including bottles and plastic sacks. Rodents may damage paper, board or fiber containers. Termites may attack paper and card.

Storage should be inspected regularly, at least every two months. Old, rotting and leaking containers are extremely difficult to move safely, so any leaking containers should be dealt with immediately.

The only way to deal with a leak is to repack the material in a sound container. New containers are preferable, if available, but old containers of various types and sizes may be used for this purpose [old containers are also useful for temporarily storing the products of spills]. They must have been thoroughly decontaminated and their old labels completely removed.

Pesticides should be repacked in containers made of the same materials as the original containers as some chemicals are not compatible with different materials. Ideally a drum that contained the same product should be used. If unavailable, the container must have been properly cleaned of previous contents to avoid cross-contamination. New labels must be written out immediately with all the information on the old label and fastened securely to the new container. Write the date of repacking (and the date of the original receipt) on the replacement container and ensure that the repacked material is used first.

3). Disposal Of Pesticide Containers:

Many accidents have been caused by empty pesticide containers being used to store water and food.
An empty pesticide container may never be cleaned completely of pesticide residue and should be disposed of in a way that ensures it cannot be used for other purposes. It is, however, wise to retain samples of various types of container, which have been carefully cleaned, in the pesticide store for use in repacking the contents of damaged containers and storing cleaned up leaks and spills prior to final disposal.

Empty containers awaiting disposal should be stored in a special, secure area in the pesticide store to ensure that they are not stolen and used for other purposes.

Decontamination of a pesticide container: Inside and outside are being cleaned with detergent and water. Rinsings should be done.

Empty containers should always be cleaned out, as far as is practicable, before disposal to minimize both hazard and waste of residual pesticide. Containers that have contained EC or Wettable Powder (WP) formulations should be rinsed with water several times and the rinsings added to the spray tank before it is topped up to the required volume.

Following this, containers may be washed out using clean water, detergent and caustic soda. Containers of liquid formulations may be cleaned with kerosene or diesel fuel. The washings are collected for disposal in a safe and environmentally sound manner.

As long as they are not heavily contamined paper, cardboard and fiberboard containers should be burnt on a fire in the open.

Disposal of lightly contaminated cardboard pesticide container on a fire, ensuring that fumes travel away from the CPA.

However, cartons that have contained herbicides should not be burnt. The combustion can damage crops at long distances. Highly contaminated cardboard, paper and jute materials should be collected and sent to the designated central disposal center along with other toxic waste.

Containers rendered unusable, the products of decontamination procedures, leaks and spills, and container rinsings should all be collected for sending later to a central location for disposal.
Metal containers are crashed so that it cannot be reused. And they will be collected for central disposal.

Glass containers should be smashed and steel drums and metal and plastic containers punctured and crushed [do not puncture aerosol containers] before they are sent to the central location for disposal.

4). Disposal Of Unwanted Pesticides:

Using pesticides for their intended purposes according to label instructions is the most satisfactory means of disposing of them.

For this reason, no more than one year's requirement of pesticides should be purchased and stored, so that none will remain at the end of the product's shelf-life of two years.

Only as much pesticide as can be used in a day's operations should be withdrawn from the storage and only as much as will go into the sprayer tank should be mixed.

Occasions will arise when it will be necessary to dispose of pesticide concentrates, either because the stock is outdated and has been found to be unusable or because the product is no longer registered for the original purpose. Where very large quantities are to be disposed of, professional advice must be sought from the chemical suppliers.

If only a few kilograms or liters of pesticide are involved, they should be collected for sending later to the central location for disposal. Larger quantities of pesticides are best disposed of by burning in a special incinerator at 1 200°C. This does not mean that it would be safe to burn them at a lower temperature on a fire. Incineration requires special equipment with provision for "scrubbing" the combustion products, but this is beyond the capacity of the CPA.

Other means of disposal are: To return the pesticide to the supplier and To pass it on to a specialist disposal agent. Returning the pesticide to the supplier is the safest means of disposal. Disposal involves chemical methods such as alkaline and acid hydrolysis. Oxidation, reduction and spraying on to the ground or allowing to escape into the atmosphere may also be employed, but require special skills. The end product in most cases is still toxic.

5). Decontamination:

5.a. The CPA Personnel:

Pesticides coming into contact with the skin can rapidly enter the body. Hence, successful decontamination of body surfaces requires: prompt action and rapid application of plenty of soap and water; extremely thorough washing.

CPA Personnel decontaminates himself by washing thoroughly with soap and water;
his protective clothing, washed separately, is hanging out to dry in full sunshine.

And anyone contaminated with pesticide should strip off their clothing and quickly and thoroughly scrub the affected part of their body with soap and water. This should be followed by careful rinsing and towelling dry .

5.b. Protective Clothing:

Contaminated protective clothing should be thoroughly washed using industrial grade detergent followed by several rinsings. Protective clothing should not be washed with the family wash. Gloves should be worn when washing protective clothing. Hot water should be used when available. Washed clothes should be hung to dry in full sunshine.

Where there is a large patch of fabric that has been contaminated by toxic concentrates and replacement clothing is available, it is best to destroy the affected clothing by burning.

5.c. Stores And Vehicles:

When dealing with leaks and spills, water, soap or detergent are usually the most readily available materials for decontamination. However, other chemicals sold for domestic or common commercial purposes may be useful too.

Organophosphorus compounds may be treated by Sodium Hypochlorite [bleach] and Sodium Carbonate [washing soda], which are useful for decontamination and can be applied following initial scrubbing with soap and water.

Organochlorine compounds are persistent chemicals. Household ammonia and Washing soda may be used. The main method is to scrub with water and detergent.

Carbamates should be scrubbed with Washing soda or Strong soap.

Transport vehicles should be decontaminated thoroughly as soon as spills or leaks are seen, otherwise there is a danger that when used subsequently for other goods, including foodstuffs, the goods could become contaminated.

Spills are cleaned up in the same way that they are in stores. The contaminated washings from the vehicle should be absorbed by sawdust, sand or dry soil and placed in a container for collection and central disposal by the national authority.

6). Major Emergencies:

Major emergencies are a far greater risk for pesticide storage than they are elsewhere.

6.a. Fire:

The primary objective in the design and management of pesticide stores is to reduce the risk of fire. Prevention is better than cure!

Pesticides, especially those formulated as liquids, present major fire hazards because the solvents used in formulations [oils and petroleum distillates] have low flashpoints and may be readily vaporized at normal temperatures. In poorly ventilated storage, heavy vapors may accumulate near the floor if drums are left open or if leaks and spills are not cleared up.

An electrical spark, naked flame or even the sun's rays concentrated by a glass container may cause an explosion followed by the spread of fire.

Some Wettable Powders are suspected of starting fires through spontaneous combustion, while Sodium Chlorate [used as a herbicide, defoliant, desiccant and soil sterilant] is a powerful oxidizing agent that easily catches fire and should only be supplied with a fire suppressant in the formulation [once sodium chlorate containers have been opened their entire contents should be used immediately].

The outside of pesticide storage should bear prominently displayed warning notices stating: "Danger Pesticides: Authorized Persons Only," and "No Smoking: No Naked Flame." These rules should be strictly followed.

Extinguishing a small fire in a pesticide storage using shovefuls of sand or earth from a container.
Fire extinguishers [powder or carbon dioxide, not water] should be available in the store and should be regularly checked. Static or running water [required, together with soap, for decontamination purposes] should also be available and buckets of sand or earth (also required for absorbing any liquid pesticide spills or leaks) are useful for putting out small fires.

The local fire brigade should be informed of the store's existence and the hazards involved. It is very useful to place a notice on the outside of the store giving names and addresses of those responsible for the store (including key holders) who can be contacted in an emergency.

In the event of a fire, it is essential to try to contain the pesticides that leak from burning and exploding containers in the storage. Hence, the need for bunding of some kind to be provided when the storage is built; bunds also prevent the water used to fight the fire, which inevitably becomes contaminated with pesticides, from contaminating the neighborhood and the environment.

Contamination of the environment from combustion such as smoke and fumes cannot be prevented. A light roof designed to collapse easily in a fire will at least permit the fumes to be carried upwards away from the fire-fighters.

Pesticide store in flames; the light roof collapses, thus, preventing an explosion.

Fires in pesticide stores that contain organophosphorus compounds and carbamates can be extremely dangerous to fire-fighters, who should never go downwind of the fire and should always wear breathing apparatus.

Solid water streams from fire-fighting hoses should be avoided since they can disperse the pesticide, especially the powder formulations, over a wide area. Care should also be taken to avoid dragging fire hoses through contaminated water.

Protective clothing and equipment used by fire-fighters should be thoroughly decontaminated after the fire.

6.b. Flooding:

Flooding during seasonal rains is a common event in the Philippines. Flooded pesticide storage is subject to special hazards.

Cardboard or paper containers in which many pesticides are packed lose strength and may leak or burst open when wet. Other containers, especially partially empty drums of liquid, may be swept away with a flood. Environmental contamination over a wide area may result from either of these events; water supplies may become polluted and pesticide containers may present a hazard to people who find them.

6.c. Destruction:

Dangers from fire, flooding and destruction during civil disturbances emphasize the value of keeping records of stocks in a place where they will be safe in an emergency. Records of the quantities and types of pesticide involved prove invaluable in subsequent efforts to clean up, trace missing containers and assess the environmental risk and financial loss caused by the emergency.

7. Personal Safety & Protective Clothing:

When working with pesticides, do not eat, drink or smoke. Wash hands and face thoroughly with soap and water before smoking or eating. Also wash your hands before using the toilet.

Some form of protective clothing is required when handling and transferring pesticides in stores.
In warm, humid tropical climates, wearing additional protective clothing may be uncomfortable. Ideally, therefore, only pesticide types and formulations which do not require additional protective clothing should be stored. This is unlikely to be possible in most cases however.

7.a. General Body Protection:

he garments worn should have long sleeves and covering for the lower body and legs. Footwear (boots or shoes) and some kind of head covering should also be worn. Many kinds of normal clothing in tropical and subtropical countries provide good general body protection in any case, but work clothing should be in a good state of repair and should not have tears or worn areas through which pesticides can enter and contaminate the skin. Work clothing, including footwear, must be washed in water with soap or other detergent after each day ís used, separately from other clothing.

7.b. Hand Protection:

CPA wearing mask, eye protection, gloves and apron over shirt and trousers
to protect himself from splashes while transferring pesticide concentrate.

When pouring and otherwise transferring pesticides from one container to another, chemical-resistant gloves should be worn. They must fit the hands comfortably and be flexible enough to grip pesticide containers firmly. They must be long enough at least to cover the wrists.

Gloves made of nitrile rubber or neoprene offer good protection against a wide range of pesticide products, especially those dissolved or suspended in water, granules or dusts. Gloves made of natural rubber do not provide sufficient protection against products such as Emulsifiable Concentrates or Ultra-Low-Volume pesticides.

The outside of gloves should be rinsed with water before removal and the gloves should be washed inside and out and allowed to dry after each day ís used. They should be examined for signs of wear and tear, particularly between the fingers.

7.c. Footwear:

Calf-length rubber boots give protection against a wide range of dilute pesticide products. Leather footwear is unsuitable because it absorbs some pesticide products and cannot be decontaminated. Trousers should be worn outside the boots so that spills and splashes do not fall into them.

7.d. Eye Protection:

Goggles or face shields are used to protect the eyes from splashes and when transferring dusts. Face shields are cooler to wear in hot, humid climates and do not mist over as easily as goggles. Although they provide less satisfactory eye protection, the use of safety spectacles is preferable to no protection.

Wash after use to remove any contamination. An eyewash set should also be available.

7.e. Protection Against Inhalation:

There should be a sufficient stock of lightweight disposable masks that cover the mouth and nose when handling dusts. The masks must be discarded after use. Vapor masks or half-face respirators with organic vapor cartridges should also be available.

7.f. Apron Covering:

Aprons are useful additional protective items: For loading operations; For handling concentrated formulations; and For cleaning out containers before disposal.

Aprons made of PVC, nitrile rubber or neoprene, or disposable ones made of polyethylene materials, provide adequate additional protection for operations of this kind.

The apron should cover the front of the body up to the neck and down to the knees. As with other protective equipment, aprons must be washed after use and inspected regularly for signs of damage.

8. Essential Equipment Within The Pesticide Storage:

8.a. Thick polyethylene sheeting on floor (if surface is not concrete or otherwise impermeable)
8.b. Floor dunnage (bricks, timber)
8.c. Wooden pallets
8.d. Ramps at entrance to contain leakage
8.e. Entrance door with lock to prevent unauthorized entry
8.f. Bars across windows and ventilators to prevent unauthorized entry
8.g. Container of absorbent sand, sawdust or dry soil
Shovel
8.h. Long-handled brush with stiff bristles
8.i. Short-handled brush and pan
8.j. Water supply, or container of water, with soap
8.k. Detergent solution
8.l. Drum spanners
8.m. Metal funnels
8.n. Fire-fighting equipment: Fire Extinguisher; and Fireproof Blanket
8.o. Protective clothing: helmet or cloth cap, safety spectacles, goggles or face shield (attached to helmet), dust or light fume masks, emergency vapor masks or half-face respirators with organic vapor cartridges, nitrile rubber or neoprene gloves or gauntlets overalls, nitrile rubber or neoprene aprons, and strong rubber or neoprene boots
8.p. Empty pesticide containers (preferably salvage drums that can contain a whole 200-litre drum)
8.q. Empty bags to repack heavily damaged or leaking containers
8.r. Self-adhesive warning labels for marking drums
8.s. Emergency first aid equipment: First-aid Box, stretcher and blanket, and eyewash set
8.t. Stock record sheets
8.u. Routine pesticide store management procedures
8.v. The storekeeper should put on essential protective clothing (overalls and boots) upon arrival at the pesticide store.
8.w. There should be a quick daily inspection of drums and containers to ensure that there have been no overnight spills or leaks.
8.x. Spilled and leaked pesticide must be cleaned up immediately, using the methods described in section "Spills, leaks and disposal of containers and chemicals".
8.y. Drums and containers should be thoroughly inspected monthly for leaking seals, split seams and corrosion.
8.z. Leaking or old drums should be removed and their contents transferred to empty containers. Appropriate protective clothing should be worn and precautions taken as described in section "Personal safety and protective clothing". Replacement containers should be sealed and relabeled.
8.aa. Transfer of chemicals to new containers should be recorded on the stock record sheet.
8.bb. Dates on labels of containers in the store should be checked monthly and outdated stock separated for disposal. Any labels in poor condition should be replaced.
8.cc. Arrival of a consignment of pesticides at the store: The back of the transport vehicle should be checked for spills, and the containers for leaks or broken seals; the vehicle should be decontaminated of any spills. Chemicals from containers with leaks or split seams should be transferred to empty containers in good condition and relabeled.
8.dd. Pesticide containers should be carefully unloaded from the delivery vehicle. The delivery note should be examined and check-list of chemicals arriving at the store should be prepared on a stock record sheet.
8.ee. Containers of chemicals placed in the store should be set on floor dunnage and stacked using wooden pallets as necessary.
8.ff. The location of chemical containers in the store should be recorded on the stock record list.
8.gg. Taking pesticides from the store for pest control purposes
8.hh. The condition of the transport vehicle should be checked before placing containers of pesticides in it. It should also be ensured that no foodstuffs are to be carried on the same vehicle.
8.ii. The removal of pesticides from the store should be recorded on the stock record sheet.
8.jj. The stock first deposited in the store should be the first to be taken out.
8.kk. Pesticide containers should be carefully loaded on to the despatch vehicle and the driver provided with a delivery note.
8.ll. Ten rules for proper pesticide storage and stock management
8.mm. Pesticide storage should not be located in or near densely populated urban areas or near water bodies.
8,nn. The storage capacity (total storage surface) should be sufficient to store the total stock of pesticides at any time.
8.oo. Each store should have at least the following: Sufficient ventilation openings to avoid unnecessarily high temperatures; Floors made of, or covered by, impermeable concrete or cement (as a temporary measure, Floors may be covered by a large and thick polyethylene sheet); Ramps at entrances to contain any major leakage within the store; Doors that are lockable and bars across ventilation holes and windows to prevent unauthorized entry.
8.pp. The floor of the store should have a layout of separate blocks with aisles between them. Ideally the outline of the blocks should be painted on the floor. Each block should contain only one product. There should be sufficient space between blocks to move containers freely, enable the inspection of containers and treat leakages. Drums should be stacked in such a way that each can be inspected from the aisles between the blocks. Drums and bags should be stored on pallets. The number of containers stacked on top of each other should not exceed the stacking recommendations for the type of container concerned. Overstacking may lead to rupture of containers lower down and reduces access to containers.
8.qq. Pesticide stores should only contain pesticides. All other goods or objects should be removed.
8.rr. Obsolete pesticides should be separated from operational stocks.
8.ss. Each storage should have the following for dealing with emergencies: a few bags of sawdust and/or sand to absorb leaked or spilled pesticides; a number of empty containers (preferably salvage drums that can contain a whole 200-litre drum) and empty bags to repack heavily damaged or leaking containers; spade and brush; fire extinguisher; protective gear for staff to enable them to deal with emergencies (nitrile rubber or neoprene gloves, rubber boots, overalls, goggles, vapor masks or half-face respirators with organic vapor cartridges) water supply from a tap, or a container of water, to wash hands and face if these become contaminated.
8.tt. Eyewash set.
8.uu. The contents of leaking or heavily damaged containers should be repacked in appropriate replacement containers. Repacked pesticides should be labeled immediately. Stores should be inspected regularly. Any leakage or contamination should be cleaned up immediately.
8.vv. CPA should keep a record of the stocks in their custody and a separate record of stocks in the country should be kept centrally. Recorded data should include: for incoming pesticides, the arrival date, formulation, quantity, unit size, date of manufacture, supplier and origin; for outgoing pesticides, the date, formulation, quantity, unit size and destination. Records should be updated regularly.
8.ww. A "first In - First Out" Principle should be applied consistently. In other words, always finish old consignments before using newly arrived consignments.

REFERENCES

Local References:

• RA 9003 otherwise known as the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000” where recycling of organic waste into MAPECON Green Charcoal is enshrined.
• MAPECON Philippines, Inc. Environmental Compliance Certificate [ECC] issued by the DENR NCR, 1998.
• NCUPC Safety Health Environment Manuals and Guidelines on Safe, Health & Environment. 2000.
• NCUPC Safety Health Environment Manuals and Guideline on Environment Protection. 2000.

International References:

• FAO. 1985. Guidelines for the packaging and storage of pesticides. Rome, FAO.
• GIFAP. 1984. Guidelines for emergency measures in cases of pesticide poisoning. Brussels, International Group of National Associations of Manufacturers of Agrochemical Products (GIFAP).
• GIFAP. 1985. Options for ensuring quality in stored pesticide products. Technical Monograph No. 10. Brussels, GIFAP.
• GIFAP. 1987. Guidelines for the safe transport of pesticides. Brussels, GIFAP.
• GIFAP. 1987. Guidelines for the avoidance, limitation and disposal of pesticide waste on the farm. Brussels, GIFAP.
• GIFAP. 1988a. Guidelines for safe warehousing of pesticides. Brussels, GIFAP.
• GIFAP. 1988b. Pictograms for agrochemical labels: an aid to the safe handling of pesticides. Brussels, GIFAP.
• GIFAP. 1989. Guidelines for personal protection when using pesticides in hot climates. Brussels, GIFAP.
• ILO. 1991. Safety and health in the use of agrochemicals: a guide. Geneva, International Labour Organisation (ILO).
• NRI. 1994. Training supplements, Pesticide Management Training Course. Chatham, UK, Pest Management Department, Natural Resources Institute (NRI).
• Shell International Chemical Company Limited. 1982. Pesticides: a safety guide. London, Shell.
• UKASTA. 1979. Agrochemicals storage handbook. London, United Kingdom Agricultural Supplies and Trade Association (UKASTA).
• UNEP. 1990. Storage of hazardous materials: a technical guide for safe warehousing of hazardous materials. Technical Report Series No. 3. Paris, Industry and Environment Office, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• WHO. 1986. Informal consultation on planning strategy for the prevention of pesticide poisoning. 25 to 29 November 1985, Geneva. Unpublished World Health Organization (WHO) document WHO/VBC/86.926.

Membership:

• Zero Waste Recycling Movement of the Philippines Foundation, Inc./ Zero Waste Philippines, Inc.

THE ACTIVITIES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE NCUPC

THE ACTIVITIES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE NCUPC

1975 to present - The NCUPC organized and engaged in various programs of pest control activities and seminars.

1975 - The Department of Health Circular 155 was signed by Health Secretary Clemente Gatmaitan where the Principles of Effective Pest Control Programs are enumerated and the institution of the Franchise System of Urban Pest Control.

1979 - The NCUPC was formally formed in the Office of the President of the Philippines with various Government Agencies and Non-Government Organizations through a Memorandum of Agreement to assist the Department of Health and MAPECON Philippines, Inc. implement Health Circular 155, and to harmonize various government regulations on pest control such in Presidential Decree No. 856 [Sanitation Code of the Department of Health]; Presidential Decree No. 522 [Sanitation Requirements for Establishment Catering the Traveling Public of the Department of Tourism]; and Presidential Decree No. 1096 [Building Code of Department of Public Works & Highways].

1980 - Urban Pests And Their Control by Gonzalo O. Catan, Jr. & Nancy Russell Catan was published as a Manual for Urban Pest Control Workers. It details in Chapter 25, The Pest Control Laws & Regulations in the Philippines; Chapter 26, The National Committee on Urban Pest Control; and in Chapter 27, The Franchise System of Urban Pest Control.

1981 - The Office of the Governor of Metropolitan Manila Commission [MMC] now the Metro Manila Development Authority [MMDA] issued Executive Order 81-04 in July 1981 to create the National Capital Region Urban Pest Control Program where the NCUPC acted as the Technical Working Committee on the Pest Control Program in Metropolitan Manila.

1991 - The NCUPC registered and duly accredited with the Security & Exchange Commission [SEC] with a legal authority to train and accredit Pest Control organizations [PCOs] and Certifies Pesticide Applicators [CPA] for Urban Pest Control & Fumigators.

1997 - President Fidel V. Ramos signed Presidential Proclamation 990 to recognize the importance of “Zero-Waste, Zero-Pest” plays in the community. It is part of the Annual Clean Up The World Month Celebration of the Department of Environment & Natural Resources under the aegis of the NCUPC.

1997 to present - The NCUPC celebrates the Annual Zero-Waste, Zero-Pest Week with various government agencies [Gas], local government units [LGUs] and non-government organizations [NGOs]. Received endorsements from the Office of the President, and various Government Agencies.

2003 - Department of the Interior & Local Government [DILG] Memorandum Circular 2003-186 instruct the Local Government Units to create their respective Municipality/ City/ Provincial Pest Abatement Committees and implement Environment Pest Abatement Maintenance Program & Projects in their localities. Local Government Units [LGUs] that signed their Executive Orders creating their respective Pest Abatement Committees [PAC] were: Puerto Princesa City, Iloilo City, Bacolod City, and Calbayog City.

2003 - The Court of Appeals Decision & Resolution in favor of MAPECON Philippines, Inc., and the NCUPC.

2004 - The NCUPC issued Implementing Rules & Regulations [IRR] for Urban Pest Control & Fumigation in the Philippines; and Implementing Rules & Regulations [IRR] for Registration of Urban Pesticides in the Philippines through the NCUPC Memorandum Circular 2004-01 addressed to all concerned.

2007 - The Supreme Court Decision & Final Resolutions in favor of MAPECON Philippines, Inc., and the NCUPC that affirmed Health Circular 155 and Presidential Proclamation 990, and became the Legal Jurisprudence in Urban Pest Control & Fumigation.

2008 - The Department of Environment & Natural Resources/ Laguna Lake Development Authority/ MAPECON Green Charcoal Philippines, Inc./ National Committee on Urban Pest Control Memorandum of Agreement [MOA] organizing the Research & Development Task Force to recycle water lilies and organic mud in Pasig River and Laguna Lake.

2010 - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Presidential Proclamation 2063, Strengthening & Expanding the Coverage of Presidential Proclamation 990 of 1997 thus giving substance to the February 8, 2007 Supreme Court Ruling. This affirms the Franchise System of Urban Pest Control in Health Circular 155, and made clear that it is the NCUPC that has jurisdiction on urban pest control and fumigation. 

2012 - The CPE Council of Agriculture of the Professional Regulation Commission issued a Certificate of Accreditation [Accreditation No. 2012-003] in February 2012 as a Continuing Professional Education [CPE] Provider for all its programs, seminars. conferences, etc.

2016 - The Department of the Interior & Local Government [DILG] Memorandum Circular 2016-07 directs all LGUs to support the Environmental Pest Abatement Maintenance Program [EPAMP] to immediately combat Dengue/ Zika in Barangays and Subdivisions through the NCUPC.

2016 - Letter-Communications to the Office of the President, Executive Secretary, Presidential Action Center, Presidential Management Staff and various Government Agencies [Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, Department of Environment & Natural Resources, Department of Budget & Management] on Pest Control & Fumigation Syndicate.

2017 - File a Motion to be allowed to Intervene in: Spec. Civil Action No. R-MND-17-0076-SC For: Petition for Declaratory Relief with Urgent Application for Temporary Restraining Order and Writ of Preliminary Injunction In the case Pest Control Association of the Philippines, Inc., And Bio-Tech Environmental Services Philippines Inc. both Represented by Hector Binwek as the Plaintiffs -Versus – The Quezon City Local Government & the Local Health Board of Quezon City Both Represented by Hon. Herbert M. Bautista.