Pest control for restaurants and takeaways: what the contract, the file and the kitchen must show

The EHP opens your pest control file, finds the last service report is from March, then spots droppings behind the dry store shelving. That is not your contractor’s problem, it is yours. Across South Africa, pest control for restaurants and takeaways is judged on three things an inspector can see: the contract, the file and the kitchen itself.

What R638 expects of pest control in food premises

R638 makes the person in charge of food premises responsible for keeping the premises free of pests and for taking effective measures to keep them out. It also expects food to be protected from contamination, and pests are one of the most obvious sources of contamination. Rodents, cockroaches and flies can carry Salmonella and other bacteria from drains, bins and sewers onto food and food contact surfaces.

The regulation does not tell you how many bait stations to have or how often a technician must visit. It sets the outcome and leaves the method to you. When an environmental health practitioner (EHP) inspects, or when you apply for your Certificate of Acceptability, they look for evidence that you have a working system and that it is succeeding. Our R638 explained page covers the wider duties of the person in charge.

Proofing and housekeeping: the work the contractor cannot do for you

A pest control contractor can monitor and treat. They cannot close your back door, fix the gap under it or clean behind the fryer. Most pest problems we find on food hygiene audits start with proofing and housekeeping failures.

Proofing keeps pests out:

• doors that close fully, with brush or rubber strips where there are gaps at the bottom;
• back doors kept closed, or fitted with screens or strip curtains in good repair;
• fly screens on opening windows, without tears;
• gaps around pipes, cables and drains sealed where they pass through walls;
• drain covers in place and intact;
• no holes in ceilings, walls or around equipment.

Housekeeping takes away food, water and shelter:

• food stored in sealed containers off the floor;
• spills and crumbs cleaned up during service, not only at closing;
• no grease build up under and behind cooking equipment;
• bins lidded, emptied daily and the refuse area kept clean;
• no clutter, old equipment or cardboard stored in corners;
• deliveries checked for pests before they come inside.

Choosing a pest control operator and what the contract should say

Use a pest control company whose technicians are registered as pest control operators under the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act 36 of 1947. Anyone who applies pest control products for reward or as a business needs this registration, so ask for and keep a copy of the registration certificate of each technician who services your premises. Then make sure the contract spells out what you are paying for. A one line quote for “monthly pest control” will not satisfy an inspector or protect you. The contract should state:

• the scope: every area inside and outside, including storerooms, the refuse area and staff areas;
• the pests covered, such as rodents, cockroaches, flies and stored product insects;
• the frequency of routine visits;
• the response time for callouts between visits;
• the number and type of monitoring devices and where they go;
• that only products registered under Act 36 and suitable for food premises are used, with information supplied for each;
• that a written report is left after every visit, with findings and recommendations;
• how trends will be reported to you over time.

Base the scope on your own risk, not on the contractor’s standard proposal. The Pest Control Risk Assessment Template (RA05) assesses access, harbourage, monitoring and eradication and sets the inspection frequency your risk justifies, which gives you a sound basis for agreeing the contract.

The pest control file: reports, map and chemicals

The file is what the EHP asks for first. Keep it in one place in the office, up to date and in this order:

1. The signed contract and the contractor’s contact details for callouts.
2. Copies of the technicians’ registration certificates.
3. A current site map showing every numbered bait station, trap and fly control unit.
4. Service reports for every visit, signed by the technician and by someone on site.
5. Information on every product used: the product name, its Act 36 registration number and a safety data sheet.
6. Trend reports showing activity by device and by month.
7. Your own sighting log and records of the actions taken.
8. Recommendations from the contractor and evidence they were closed, such as a repaired door or sealed hole.

Read each service report before you sign it. If it says “activity at station 7” or “door seal damaged at back entrance”, that is your action, not just paperwork. An inspector who finds the same recommendation on six reports in a row will draw the obvious conclusion.

Between visits: daily checks and sighting reports

Your contractor might visit once a month. Pests are active every night. Build simple checks into opening and closing routines:

• Opening check: look for droppings, gnaw marks, dead insects, smears along walls and damaged packaging in stores.
• Check that fly control units are switched on and working.
• Check that doors, screens and drain covers are in place.
• Closing check: food covered or put away, floors clear, bins emptied and lidded.

Keep a sighting log in the kitchen where staff can reach it. Each entry should record the date, time, location, what was seen and who saw it. Train staff that reporting a cockroach is the right thing to do, not something to hide. A log with no entries for a year in a busy kitchen usually means nobody is using it, not that there are no pests.

When you find pests: the response that keeps you open

A sighting is not a disaster if you respond properly and can show it. Follow these steps:

1. Record the sighting in the log.
2. Protect food: cover or move exposed food away from the area and check it.
3. Discard any food, packaging or ingredients that may have been contaminated.
4. Clean and sanitise affected surfaces and equipment.
5. Call the contractor for a callout visit. Do not use your own sprays or baits; leave treatment to the registered operator.
6. Find and fix the cause: a gap, a spill, a damaged seal, a delivery.
7. File the callout report and record the actions taken and when they were closed.

A worked example from a takeaway in Soweto

A takeaway in Soweto had cockroach sightings around the pot wash every week despite monthly service. The reports kept noting activity and recommending treatment. When we looked closer, the cockroaches were living in the warm, damp space behind the dishwasher, where the wall tiles had lifted and grease had built up. The contractor treated the area on a callout, the owner had the tiles replaced and sealed, and the dishwasher was pulled out and cleaned as part of the weekly schedule. Within two months the sighting log was clear, and the file showed the full story from first sighting to closure. At the next inspection that file was the evidence the EHP needed.

The person in charge carries this duty, so training matters. Our Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises (R638) course covers the duties R638 places on the person in charge, so you can run the system and answer the EHP’s questions with confidence.

What to do this week

• Open your pest control file and check it holds every item on the list above.
• Read the last three service reports and list every open recommendation.
• Walk the outside of the building and look for gaps under doors, open drains and an untidy bin area.
• Check that the site map matches the devices actually in place.
• Put a sighting log in the kitchen and brief staff on how to use it.
• Read your contract and confirm it states scope, frequency, callout response time and reporting.