Ladders are a necessary tool in pest control, but they can also pose significant safety risks if not used properly. Every year, thousands of ladder-related injuries occur due to improper usage, lack of inspection, or failure to follow basic safety guidelines. By following these six essential rules, you can minimize the risk of falls and injuries while working with ladders.

1. Assess Your Readiness for Ladder Use

Before stepping onto a ladder, evaluate your physical condition to ensure safe use. Consider your strength, balance, and vision, and avoid using a ladder if you feel dizzy or unsteady.

Additionally, wear appropriate footwear with non-slip soles and securely tied laces. Avoid loose clothing or secure it to prevent it from catching on the ladder while climbing.

2. Choose the Right Ladder for the Job

Selecting the correct ladder is crucial for safety. Check the ladder’s load capacity to ensure it can support your weight along with any tools and materials you’ll be carrying. The ladder should also be long enough for safe working conditions - never work from the top three feet of an extension ladder.

3. Inspect the Ladder Before and After Use

Conduct a thorough inspection before and after each

Those scratches and scurrying sounds pest control customers hear could be unwelcome pests making themselves at home. While attics may serve as just a storage space for homeowners, to rodents, bats, raccoons, insects, and spiders, it offers shelter, warmth, and a safe place to nest.

As such, pest control technicians must access attics to conduct inspections, cleanout and treatments for the pests. There are, however, risks for technicians working in attics. Inadequate lighting, poor ventilation, unstable footing, limited means of access and egress, and overhead hazards all combine to make an attic a difficult and sometimes hazardous place for pest control technicians to work.

Assess the Access Point

For technicians, safety while working in attics begins when they access an attic. Before entering an attic, evaluate the condition of the access point. Many attics are accessed via pulldown stairs, scuttle holes, or crawl spaces—each with potential safety hazards.

• Pulldown Stairs - Check for signs of wear, damage, or loose screws. If the stairs feel unstable or appear weak, use a secure ladder instead.
• Ladders - Ensure the ladder is the proper height, placed on a stable surface and fully extended before climbing. If needed, have a colleague secure it while

We’ve all heard the warnings: “Don’t drive distracted.” “Keep your eyes on the road.” “Stay focused behind the wheel.”

Bill Welsh, ACE, executive vice president of operations and strategic initiatives, of Rose Pest Solutions in Michigan thought he had it under control. He wasn’t scrolling through social media or texting, just talking on the phone to a colleague. Harmless, right? Or so he thought, until one day he found himself 20 miles past his exit, completely oblivious to how far he’d gone.

The Day It Happened

It started like any other drive. Welsh thought he’d put his “windshield time” time to good use and catch up on a few calls. Both hands were on the wheel (his phone was on speaker), and eyes were technically on the road, but where was his mind? His mind was somewhere else entirely.

He dove into his conversation and before he knew it, Welsh had missed his exit – not by a mile or two, but by 20 miles. That was when Welsh had his “a ha” moment: He hadn’t been paying attention to the road ahead of him at all.

As he drove back to his intended exit, Welsh thought more about it

Winter can bring unique challenges for pest control technicians, from icy surfaces to cold temperatures and unpredictable weather conditions. While pests don't take the season off, it’s essential for technicians to prioritize safety while delivering top-notch service.

To maintain good safety protocols during the winter, PestSure offers the following best practices to add to your winter training sessions.

Dress for the Weather

Wearing the right clothing is the first step to staying safe and comfortable in cold conditions.

• Layer Up - Use moisture-wicking base layers, insulating mid-layers, and waterproof outer layers. This combination helps regulate body temperature while keeping you dry.
• Insulated Gloves - Protect your hands with gloves that provide warmth without sacrificing dexterity for handling tools and equipment.
• Non-Slip Boots - Invest in insulated, waterproof boots with slip-resistant soles to navigate icy or wet surfaces safely.
• Hats and Neck Protection - A beanie or thermal hat and a scarf or gaiter help retain body heat, which is crucial when working outdoors.

Stay Alert to Weather Conditions

Weather can change quickly in the winter, so it's essential to stay informed.

• Monitor the Forecast - Check weather updates before heading to your job site to prepare for snow, rain, or

Since pest control technicians enter homes and businesses daily, they can be at risk because they have little control over the environments in which they work. The risks can include potential for accidents and injuries, health risks from pest-related, structural dangers and aggressive animals and people.

The following is a list of potential hazards that technicians face when working alone. It is important to review these situations during your regular safety training meetings and establish response protocols to make sure safety is priority one.

Accidents and Injuries

Pest control work often requires technicians to enter tight spaces not designed for regular access, climb ladders, or handle equipment in awkward positions, increasing the risk of slips, trips, and falls. When working alone, any injury can be particularly dangerous, as immediate help may not be available.

PestSure Safety Tip - Proper training on ladder safety and confined space entry/exit is crucial. Technicians should also be equipped with communication devices and check-in systems to alert others if an accident occurs.

Health Risks from Pest-Related Hazards

Technicians may encounter environments with heightened risks of bites, stings, or exposure to diseases carried by rodents, insects, or other pests. Working alone amplifies these health risks, especially

PestSure announces that Mike Rottler, chairman and chief executive officer of Rottler Pest Solutions in St. Louis, has been named Board Chairman. Rottler takes over the seat from retiring chair Russ Ives of Rose Pest Solutions/Bio-Serv.

“It is my honor and privilege to succeed Russ Ives as the PestSure Board Chairman,” said Rottler. “He has led our organization through some challenging times with courage and strength and is one of the finest examples of a servant leader that I have ever witnessed.”

Rottler said he has always relished opportunities to work with his peers to not only grow his company, but also to raise the bar for the industry. Serving on the PestSure board has afforded him a unique opportunity to do both.

“PestSure is more than just an insurance provider; it’s a partner dedicated to your success in the pest management industry,” said Rottler. “As the only captive insurance company owned by its insured, PestSure delivers unparalleled risk management solutions tailored to our unique challenges. If you’re committed to long-term growth and industry excellence, PestSure is a critical asset in protecting your business and ensuring its future.”

PestSure – Your Partner in Safety

Founded in 1980, PestSure is the

Designing and implementing an effective safety program is much like putting together a puzzle, you need to have the right pieces in place for a perfect fit. That was the theme – Solving Your Safety Program Puzzle - of the 2024 PestSure Safety and Loss Prevention Conference held September 10-11, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

More than 150 PestSure members from across the country gathered for two days of interactive sessions, peer networking and information sharing on how to continuously improve their company’s safety programs.

“The Safety and Loss Prevention Conference is part of PestSure’s unique value proposition to our insureds,” said Todd Burke, COO of PestSure. “The program is loaded with timely and relevant topics that are specific to managing risk in the pest control industry. There is no meeting like it in the industry, and our insureds receive tremendous value by attending.”

Highlighting the education programs were a series of keynote sessions focused on timely topics that are significantly impacting the way pest control professionals operate their businesses and manage their risk.

The opening session featured a mock deposition led by attorneys James Foster and Joe Panatera of Chicago-based law firm Cassidy Schade. Foster and Panatera pointed to the sharp

Like many businesses, pest control companies are not immune to cybersecurity threats. These threats can be particularly damaging due to the limited resources most companies dedicate to security infrastructure and employee training.

These threats can lead to financial loss, data breaches, reputational damage, and legal issues, making it essential for small businesses to invest in cybersecurity training, tools, and practices.

During National Cybersecurity Month in October, PestSure wants to spotlight the leading cybersecurity threats pest control companies typically deal with:

1. Phishing Attacks: Phishing is one of the most common and dangerous threats to small businesses. Attackers send fraudulent emails that appear to come from legitimate sources to trick employees into providing sensitive information like login credentials, financial data, or access to internal systems.
2. Ransomware: Ransomware attacks involve malware that encrypts a business’s data, with the attackers demanding payment (usually in cryptocurrency) to restore access. Small businesses are particularly vulnerable because they may lack the sophisticated backup and recovery systems needed to respond to these attacks.
3. Weak Passwords and Authentication: Many small businesses rely on simple or reused passwords for accessing critical systems, making it easy for attackers to exploit weak authentication. Lack of multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds

Fall protection violations topped the list – for the 13^th year in a row - of OSHA workplace safety violations nationwide in 2023, according to a National Safety Council (NSC) report.

For pest control technicians slip and fall accidents while working in a residence or commercial property are an all too common occurrence. That is why it is important for technicians to be aware of their surroundings and their impact on the location.

Customers’ homes and commercial properties all harbor challenges with the presence of other people in the work area. When performing a service technicians can encounter employees, children, pets, customers of the business, and other contracted workers.

As visitors to these locations, we often have little control over the conditions in which we work. It is important that we remain very conscious of the impact on the safety of the premises and their other occupants.

Technicians should conduct a thorough inspection of the premises both on arrival and departure to review any hazards present and to assure that we have returned the premises to the same condition in which they were found.

Slip and fall accidents can occur for various reasons. Understanding these common slip and fall

Every year 1.6 million motor vehicle accidents are linked to phone use while driving, according to the National Safety Council. More concerning is that, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 14 percent of fatal crashes are linked to cell phone use.

Texting or talking on the phone, eating, drinking, and smoking are the leading distracted driving behaviors, and they are costing pest control companies higher insurance premiums, lost revenue and productivity, and more expensive and protracted legal actions. They are also leading to injuries to employees and the public.

Nozzle Nolen, a third-generation family-owned company based in West Palm Beach, Florida, experienced first-hand the pain caused by a distracted driving related accident and decided to do something about it.

Jason Miller, project manager for Nozzle Nolen who oversees safety training, said three years ago a former service manager was involved in an at-fault accident with extensive damage and injuries in a company vehicle. The vehicle was equipped with an older drive cam system and the manager removed the camera’s SD card before the police and his supervisor arrived.

“The accident and ensuing fall out opened the eyes of management as to the risks involved with distracted driving,” said