National Norms and Standards relating to Environmental Health

1) Responsibility of management1.1. Management should ensure the effective formulation, implementation and maintenance of adocumented vector control program, to combat and prevent infestations from insects, rodents and allother pests, e.g. birds, cats, bats, bees, fungus, etc.1.2. Management should ensure the availability of competent and suitably trained personnel to beresponsible for the implementation and maintenance of the documented pest control program. In thecase of a contractor rendering the pest control service, such a contractor must be registered in termsof the Agricultural Feeds and Fertilizer Act, 1971 (Act 51 of 1971) and be licensed by the relevantLocal Authority.1.3. A record of pest control applications should be recorded and the record should specify:• Date of chemical applications;• Areas treated;• Chemicals used;• Method/s of application;• Quantity of chemicals used; and the• Name and signature of the operator.1.4. Management should regularly monitor the effective execution of the pest control program.1.5. Management should make adequate provision for resources to ensure the execution of the pestcontrol program on a continuous basis.1.6. Pest control program for the premises should highlight the following areas:• Breeding - Places promoting breeding of flying, crawling and parasitic pests should be identifiedand effectively eradicated. Special attention must be paid to disease vectors in malaria, plague,yellow fever, and typhus endemic areas.• Access – Areas promoting the access of vectors and pests to premises and suitable measures tobe taken to prevent intrusion of flying and crawling insects and rodents.• Waste collection and disposal facilities - Waste collection and disposal facilities must beoperated in a manner that does not favour the attraction and breeding of vermin.• Housekeeping practices- housekeeping measures to be practised to maintain an acceptablestandard of hygiene and to prevent pest infestation.2) Monitoring3.3 The management of the premises must unsure that investigations are performed constantly totimeously detect possible vermin infestations.3.4 Any abnormal incidence of pests (e.g. mosquitoes and rodents) should be reported immediately tothe Environmental Health Practitioner in the relevant municipality.3.5 Insecticides and rodenticides should be used in a manner as not to cause harm to human health.3.6 Operators of insecticides and rodenticides must use suitable protective clothing and gear whenapplying chemicals.3.7 The management, use and handling and transportation and disposal of chemicals and pesticidesused in the pest control program must be in compliance to the Norms and Standards for ChemicalSafety and Hazardous Substances.3.8 Appropriate training should be provided for staff engaged in pest control. The Guidelines for PestControl Management in Government Institutions published by the Department of Health.4. Tobacco controla) If smoking is permitted on any premises, a designated smoking area must be provided on forsmoking, in accordance with the Regulations Governing Smoking of Tobacco Products in PublicPlaces, R975 of 29 September 2000 and other related regulations, published in terms of the TobaccoProducts Control Act 83 of 1993, as amended.b) If tobacco products are being sold on the premises, it must be in compliance to the RegulationsRegulating the sale and display of tobacco products.DOH. Norms and standards for environmental health in South Africa Feb 2013 75