Published: 05 June 2014
Q: I run a pub which does a lot of food. I recently had a visit from an Environmental Health Officer following a complaint that a customer had seen a mouse within the premises. We have had a problem with mice for a long time but have a long standing contract with a pest control contactor so I assume there is nothing to worry about?
A: Under Food Safety Legislation you have duties to keep your food premises clean and to make sure that the structure of your premises is appropriate for a food business. These duties include ensuring that your premises are kept free of pests.Although it is a good starting point to have a pest control contract in place, this does not automatically get you off the hook. Your duty goes beyond that and cannot simply be passed on to the contractor.The contractor will often simply come to the premises on a regular basis and lay baits and give advice. You need to follow that advice and undertake appropriate structural works if necessary to prevent access and egress of pests.The cleaning regime at the premises probably needs to be fortified whilst this is going on, making sure that there is no risk of contamination.
Can’t find what you’re looking for?