The coronavirus pandemic has brought about many changes to the way Toronto businesses conduct everyday operations. One of the most important of these is the temporary closure of non-essential businesses.

An unintended consequence of these closures is that outbreaks of pests will be unnoticed in the facilities of closed businesses until they resume operations. At this time, it will be more important than ever before to conduct your own periodic facility audits.

Once the pandemic is under control, the City of Toronto, and local governments around the country, will be enforcing health standards rigorously.

If your facility is in violation of these standards, you stand the risk of having your business temporarily shut down until it is in compliance.

What are Facility Audits in Toronto?

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the extreme importance of maintaining health and safety standards and minimizing the risk of viral and bacterial outbreaks.

There are a number of threats pests can pose, and although COVID-19 is not one of the diseases transmittable by pests, this pandemic certainly puts disease transmission at the forefront of auditor concerns.

Common pests such as flies and cockroaches can pose major hazards to the public. For this reason, there are strict regulations in place making sure that business owners actively work to keep infestations from becoming an issue.

Some of the building safety issues that are often connected to major pest problems include the handling of waste, general cleanliness, and proper storage of food and food-related products.

Here are some of the questions you should ask yourself as a facility manager or business owner when it comes to the considerations your auditor will make:

Checklist for Handling Facility Waste

• Is garbage being properly removed and disposed of?
• Does the property meet municipal waste disposal bylaws?
• What is the location of municipal waste bins?
• Are the waste bins intact and properly containing refuse?
• Are there any incidents of illegal dumping on the property?
• Does the building have a proper sanitation verification system?
• Are properly maintained sanitation records available?
• Does daily refuse collection from common areas happen?
• Are refuse bins emptied daily into approved channels?

Checklist for Facility’s General Cleanliness and Storage

• Are common areas kept clean?
• Are the windows kept clean?
• Are common bathrooms cleaned daily?
• Do common bathrooms offer adequate supplies?
• Are there specific food disposal facilities, if applicable?

Checklist for Pest-Specific Considerations

• Is there a pest control strategy?
• Is there any evidence of pest infestations?
• If evidence of pests is found, has the building been sanitized?
• Have pest control records been kept?
• Have potentially harmful pest control chemicals been used?

If your building fails a facility audit, it could mean having business operations suspended until the issue is resolved. After the closures from the coronavirus, this is the last thing that business owners need.

Ensuring Your Building Will Pass a Toronto Facility Audit

Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be important for business owners to ensure they can pass a facility audit. This means being proactive and preparing early for the possibility of an inspection.

Greenleaf understands the specific requirements various third party organizations look for in an audit. Each of these organizations will have different requirements and it is important that you have a clear pest management plan in place to ensure you can pass all third party audits.

We also offer comprehensive packages that include a pest management plan developed specifically for your facility and compliant with both internal and third-party audits.

You will also have electronic access to trend and history reports to make sure your pest management plan is running correctly.

Understanding all of the different requirements that third party organizations have can tough on your own. Still, it is vital for your business to be able to pass these inspections no matter what.

Partner with an organization that can ensure your business is compliant with all health and safety regulations, and that can create a comprehensive audit and commercial pest control plan before you reopen your doors post-pandemic!

About the Author:

Daniel Mackie, co-owner of Greenleaf Pest Control, is a Toronto pest control expert and a regular guest on HGTV. He is renowned in the industry as an innovator of safe, effective pest control solutions. Mackie and business partner Sandy Costa were the first pest control professionals in Canada to use detection dogs and thermal remediation for the successful eradication of bed bugs. In his free time, he is an avid gardener.