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IPM
Committee Tasks: Developing IPM Plan Components: Roles of
Facility Employees
Designating Pest Management Roles within a School Community
as well as Roles & Duties of
IPM Coordinator
Administrators
Administrators and school boards set the tone for the IPM
program. Administrators should have a general understanding of
state laws pertaining to IPM in schools and knowledge of state
laws regarding application of pesticides in schools. The first
responsibilities of the administrative staff is forming an IPM
Advisory Committee, designating an IPM Coordinator and
developing a pest management policy. The most critical role of
administrators is assigning priorities for building
maintenance requirements submitted by the IPM Coordinator.
Without administrative support for such requests, IPM programs
will have limited effectiveness.
Superintendent of Schools - The superintendent of schools is responsible for final authorization or denial of pesticide use proposals forwarded by the Superintendent of Facilities and Grounds. The Superintendent is also responsible for taking action, based on recommendations from the Environmental Health and Safety Committee, in response to parental, staff, or neighbor complaints regarding pest management policies or procedures. Such action may include postponement or cancellation of planned pesticide use until further alternatives can be considered, a decision to proceed with pesticide use plans, or other measures to accommodate the concerns of parents or staff. The Superintendent of Schools should respond to the complainant in writing to explain that the complaint has been reviewed and discussed, and to describe any follow-up actions deemed necessary to resolve the issues in
dispute {44}.
Principal-
The school Principal is responsible for ensuring that all pest sightings on the school site are reported promptly to the Superintendent of Facilities and Grounds, and for working with the building custodial and grounds staff to ensure that pest prevention and control measures are carried out within the guidelines of the school’s IPM policy.
The Principal is responsible, in cooperation with school administration, for ensuring that posting and notification provisions of this policy are carried out if pesticides are
used {44}.
Decision-Makers
Generally, persons who authorize the pest management
program and control the money for pest management are people
involved in the direct management or administration of the
school or schools, such as a superintendent or assistant
superintendent of schools. However, a person indirectly
involved with the site may become a pest management
decision-maker, e.g., the health department inspector. On
other occasions, the purchasing agent or contracting officer
for a school system or district may be a major decision-maker
for a school site {7}.
For decision-makers, concerns about costs, liability, time
expended, method effectiveness, safety, and customer or
occupant satisfaction are foremost. These decision-makers also
determine if the pest manager is performing at an acceptable
level and if the pest management objectives are being met.
Among other methods, this assessment can be done by monitoring
complaints from the occupants, by observing the site
environment, or by a combination of both. Decision-makers must
also provide the necessary level of financial commitment for
any IPM program to succeed.
A great deal of understanding, cooperation, and commitment
from everyone in the system--students and parents, school
staff, managers, administrators, and the public--is needed in
order for an IPM program to succeed {7}.
School IPM Coordinator is the person who decides what IPM
practices are needed at the school site. The coordinator is
designated by the school administration or by the IPM Advisory
Committee and could be the school principal, the custodian, a
teacher or someone under contract to the school.
The activities and requirements of this role are quite
extensive and can be view through the following link: School
IPM Coordinator
Kitchen Staff
Food handling and preparation areas are among the most
critical areas for pest management. It is essential that
kitchen staff understand the importance of good sanitation and
proper food storage.
(Texas)
Maintenance Staff
Custodians and grounds-keepers both play important roles in an
IPM program. Custodial staff are responsible for recognizing
and correction conditions that may lead to pest problems such
as water leaks, potential pest entryways and poor sanitation
practices.
(Texas)
School Nurse
The school nurse should have access to MSDS sheets for any
chemical used on school property and be aware of any children
with asthma or chemical sensitivities. The nurse may also help
coordinate notification about the use of chemicals at the
school. Headlice are a common problem for children between 3
and 10 years old: where they are a potential problem, the
school nurse should educate parents and staff about preventing
their spread.
Teachers & Students
Educational activities will be conducted to gain cooperation among school staff, students and community.
Occupants are concerned about the safety of the pest control
methods used, about their effectiveness, and about possible
adverse effects. School staff, students, and their parents
should receive information addressing these concerns and their
roles in the school's pest management system.
The most important responsibility of the students and staff is
sanitation. Much of the prevention and reduction of pest
infestation at the school site depends on whether or not
students and staff clean up food leftovers, food in lockers,
gum under desks, paper clutter, etc., or perform proper
maintenance. In addition, because people at the school site
may observe the presence of pests, they should report any
evidence of pest activity.
Other actions may be required of students and staff or
undertaken by them, depending on their interest in the site
and the pest management system. The more occupants "buy
in" to this, the better the pest management system will
work.
Parents - have the most responsibility for their children, and
they are their children's natural advocates. Thus, parents can
bring the need to reduce dependence on pesticides to the
attention of school personnel, and they can assist greatly in
the transition to an IPM program {7}.
Parents' first school pest management responsibility is to
learn about IPM practices and follow them at home so that
pests are not carried to school in notebooks, lunch boxes,
clothing, or the children's hair. Second, parents should be
aware of the current pest management practices in their
children's schools. The schools should welcome questions by
the parents and encourage the parents to seek information.
Visible interest and concern on the parents' part is a
valuable resource and stimulus for the implementation of a
school IPM program. Parents may express their views to the
school superintendent, School Board, school district
management, and the school's Parent Teacher Associations
(PTA). Parents may participate on IPM advisory or oversight
committees with school and government management {7}.
Parents should be aware of pest management practices in their
children’s schools. Schools should welcome questions and
encourage parents to seek information. Visible interest and
concern by parents serves as a stimulus to the school to do
the best job it can to provide effective safe pest control.
Parents should express their views to the IPM coordinator,
school superintendent, school principal, school-based
improvement committees, PTO or PTA. (Texas)
Vendors and Contractors
While it is in the interest of vendors and contractors to
foster good customer relations, the only mechanism to enforce
good sanitation practices by vendors is through specific
language in their bid specifications and contracts. Contracts
should specify regular maintenance service, cleaning under and
behind machines during service visits and immediate correction
of problems which may foster pests (e.g. breakage, leaks or
excessive condensation from machinery).
Pest Management Professional
As with other contractors, a professional pest manager is
responsible for adhering to a contract. This contract should
include such elements as maintaining and using pest and
pesticide logs at the school site, inspections, consultations
with the IPM coordinator, providing specific recommendations
to correct pest-promoting conditions, and implementing of
appropriate least-toxic procedures to correct pest
problems.
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