The difference between a big spill and a small spill often comes down to your employees’ reaction to the spill when it first occurs. A spill of pest control products needs prompt, correct, and well planned attention. Most often, a spill can be a minor occurrence when a well-designed spill control plan is trained on and executed.

A spill can occur when you are mixing, applying, or just driving with product in your truck. The best scenario is to prevent a spill from occurring in the first place and practicing safe chemical handling procedures, good truck organization, and safe driving will all help to prevent spills.

At the 2022 PestSure Safety and Loss Prevention Meeting, Alan Harlan, vice president of service and quality control for Team Pest USA in Charlotte, North Carolina, shared his experiences developing spill control training programs and how pest management professionals can do the same in their operations.

The Four Cs of Spill Control

What is the most effective way to prepare technicians to follow proper spill control practices? Harlan says it is important to make spill control training a priority starting with the onboarding process, making it a recurring topic in training sessions and emphasizing it as an important part of your overall safety culture.

What is PestSure?

PestSure is an insurance company that is wholly owned by its members, pest control operators, also known as a captive. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, the PestSure team consists of insurance experts, a dedicated claims unit, and loss prevention services that all specialize exclusively in the pest control industry.

What is a captive?

A captive is an alternative insurance model that exists as an insurance company dedicated to providing coverage for itself. The captive members all pay their fair share of the insurance premiums and the captive pays out claims like any other insurance company.

So how is that better than a standard insurance carrier?

The captive’s main priority is to serve the captive members, not shareholders! PestSure is also able to focus our expertise on one type of business, not the diverse businesses that typical insurance carriers have to worry about. This means better coverage and claims handling than you’ll find anywhere else.

What will this blog provide for its readers?

Throughout the year, the PestSure blog team will be providing the following to its readership:

• Loss Prevention/Safety Tips
• Important happenings in the industry
• Highlights of events that PestSure is a part of
• Insurance changes relevant to pest control companies
• Any topics requested from readers like you!

- The PestSure Blog Team