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Health, Safety & Environmental Bulletin No 047

J Brown – 5 July 2007

Vermin

Recently one of our crews was involved in a near miss involving vermin on a BP site
de-brand. I am pleased to advise that Dan Aberdeen and Carl Vaughan’s diligence and
application of their thorough training, the incident was reported and dealt with quickly
and efficiently, ensuring no members of the public, site staff, other contractors or Xmo
Strata operatives were put in a position where there was a possible health risk.

The team identified a large number of dead pigeons and their droppings in and on the
canopy; they immediately informed their supervisor who instructed them to cease work
with immediate effect until he arrived on site to assess the severity of the situation.
After an on site inspection and consultation with the site owner, and support from The
Global Alliance, the site was closed until an approved pest control contractor could
attend site and remove the pigeons and their droppings in a controlled manner.

Vermin is a term applied to various species regarded as pests or nuisances and especially
those associated with the carrying of diseases. Pigeons and rats are two typical
examples of vermin that we may encounter regularly whilst carrying out our jobs on site.

Pigeons have thrived in our cities by adapting to life, learning to roost and breed in
seemingly inhospitable places such as tall buildings, petrol station canopies etc. Feral
pigeons are sometimes referred to as “the flying rat” and over recent years there has
been a marked increase in their numbers.

Pigeon droppings have a high acid content which can cause damage to property and also
can block gutters etc. The droppings can lead to severe slip hazards on pavements and
also carry Pathogenic Organisms which can be fatal to the health of people who come
into contact with it.

Pigeons carry a number of potentially infectious diseases such as Salmonella,
Tuberculosis, Ornithosis, Histoplasmosis , Cryptococcosis and even Bird Flu. There is
potential for these illnesses to spread to people through contact with pigeon droppings,
feathers, parasites or where dead infected pigeons get into food or water sources.