Orkin Commercial Services Offers Pre-audit Pest Control Checklist

New tool helps food manufacturers prepare for audit success.

ATLANTA, August 28, 2006 – Orkin Commercial Services announced today the publication of a pest control “Pre-Audit Checklist” for food manufacturers available for download at no charge from Orkin University Online.

Developed by the same Orkin quality assurance experts who helped design the company’s Gold Medal Protection program for the food industry, the checklist provides step-by-step pest control recommendations for food processing, manufacturing and storage facilities preparing for third-party food safety audits. Respondents to a July 2006 survey of Orkin’s Gold Medal Protection customers averaged better than 95 percent on the pest control portions of their most recent third-party audits (read more on this survey below).

“Orkin’s Pre-Audit Checklist can help food manufacturing facilities through a thorough preparation process for their third-party audits,” said Orkin Director of Quality Assurance Zia Siddiqi, Ph.D. “This checklist should complement a facility’s ongoing Integrated Pest Management program.”

Orkin’s experts compiled the checklist based on the pest control requirements set forth by five major third-party auditing companies serving the food industry: American Institute of Baking (AIB), American Sanitation Institute (ASI), Cook & Thurber (NSF), Silliker Laboratories and YUM Brands. Each of these auditors reviews pest management as a separate section during an inspection.

The checklist provides instructions for detailed audit preparation, offering steps to be completed one week prior and 24 hours prior to the inspection. Preparation tips include reviews of onsite pest control documentation and examinations of pest control device placements.

“Since the pest control portion of an audit can account for as much as 20 percent of a facility’s total score, a facility’s success in this area can have a big impact,” said Siddiqi. “There is no day more important to a food manufacturer’s business and reputation than the day of an audit.”

The checklist supplements a library of useful tools on Orkin University Online, including a “5 Steps to a Better Audit” training video and a “Sanitation and Storage Quiz” for foodservice operators.

Visitors to Orkin University Online benefit from Orkin’s experience and training expertise through free educational materials that draw on the knowledge of Orkin’s national subject-matter experts. Orkin’s internal training program, Orkin University, sets the standard for training in the pest control industry and continues to receive third-party accolades. In 2006, Training magazine honored Orkin for the fourth consecutive year as one of its prestigious Top 100 organizations that excel in human capital development.

Audit Performance Survey Methodology

The Orkin Quality Assurance Team conducted an audit performance survey of Gold Medal Protection customers in June and July 2006 as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to maintain the highest performance standards. Orkin fielded the eight-question online survey via email and telephone to nearly 350 of its Gold Medal Protection customers in the United States and Canada. A third-party firm followed up with non-respondents at least twice during different times of the day to acquire additional data. Seventy-seven customers responded to the survey either by completing the online questionnaire or confirming their answers via phone.