Deterring birds from flying around your factory or warehouse, diverting employee attention is a nuisance in the workplace. It can cause a momentary lapse in concentration causing risks to employees.
There are four levels of bird pressure that could be present.
Socializing. Birds are using the property to communicate with one another. They come and go as they please and can show up at any time. This is the lowest level of bird pressure.
Feeding. If feeding, birds are finding food or water sources around your vegetation and landscape.
Roosting. Birds are now finding shelter in addition to food and water at your facility and are beginning to stay overnight.
Nesting. Birds are breeding and taking up permanent residence in or around the property. This is the highest level of bird pressure.
Physical Hazards This is the most common type of workplace hazard. Birds contribute in the following manner.
Slip Trip Hazards in Australia account for between a quarter and a third of all workplace injuries. How does that equate in your workplace?
Slippery concrete floors due to wet, oily or soiled surfaces are a major factor in employee days off. When was the last time you remember having a little slip?
Bird excrement is extremely slippery, there are many ledges & rafters inside a warehouse area, high above a doorway is a good vacant spot for a bird to perch and roost. Can you visualize a perching spot? Undercover car parking is a classic example.
Biological cross contamination through the warehouse in the tread of boots, wheels of trolleys, forklifts through production areas, over racking and on pallets.
With the seasons bring more factors for slip trip hazards: Winter & Spring rain - make the concrete floors slippery, employees or customers rushing in to get out of the weather, hastily making decisions on short cuts to and from the entry points. Where are the critical points in your workplace? Watch as people hurry walking in the rain.
As soon as you see bird droppings in the warehouse, it is time to act before the birds bring all their friends with them, it's only a matter of time, as your property has ease of access and provides a safe warm environment.
People movement is escalated around entrances and fire escapes, by volume and speed, combine this with birds perching above the doorway and making a slip hazard mess below on the concrete. Start assessing this by inspecting your entrances, by looking down, then up!
A huge legal liability to the public and private enterprise is waiting quietly, then very loudly when a small but long term injury can take place. The single thing that has long lasting impact for both parties.
Have no regrets and plan your preventative maintenance.
Chemical Hazards Chemical hazards are present anytime workers are exposed to chemical substances. Examples include cleaning solutions and solvents, vapors and fumes, carbon monoxide and any other gases.
When bird issues present themselves, the workplace area should ideally be washed and sanitised. This means, high pressure hoses to move the corrosive bird dropping off the walls, floors and equipment.
The risk breakdown means inhalation of pollutants in the air from the high pressure cleaning, mixed with chemicals required to sanitise the area.
There are several biological diseases that are spread through bird droppings dispersed into the environment.
Biological Hazards Healthcare professionals are at most risk for this type of hazard. Biological hazards occurs due to working with people, animals or infectious plant material. Examples include blood or other bodily fluids, animal care, insect bites, bacteria or viruses.
The biggest threat to worker health and safety is their work environment. Please take necessary precautions to protect yourself and your employees by maintaining a safe work environment.
Fire Hazard
Bird nests, full of feathers and flammable materials can be a potential fire hazard around anything electrical. Pests like rodents chew through wiring and the feathers and nesting materials are the fuel, so the final place the stock or product sits, ready to distribute is at risk, simply because no one is looking up. The lesson here is preventative maintenance.
Nests
Nests are quite problematic, nesting birds are fiercely defiant in staying with their nests. In Australia, it is illegal to remove nesting birds, without a 'just cause' permit, so it is imperative to act well before the birds start nesting. With extra strain on cleaning budgets, this extra capital cost may have to go through capex to proceed. This will result in a slower process in the timely removal of the nests. Then, you will have to wait till the season is finished. The lesson here is scheduled preventative maintenance.
What is the solution?
Contact Bird Beam to solve your bird issue.
Organise your preventative maintenance schedule.
Make sure it is not in nesting season
Deter birds from returning by removing old nests from the space
Now is a good time to clean the area! (wearing appropriate PPE)
Mount your Autonomic Laser on the rafters high above in the warehouse or dispatch area
Position the Autonomic Laser to cover the pest bird roosting, nesting and perching areas 24/7, silently and humane, fully autonomous and sustainable.
Use programs to deter birds efficiently, that they do not get used to unlike other equipment.
Don't underestimate the risk associated with having pest birds in the workplace. It is a hazard that can be managed effectively, ignorance is not an effective solution.
