The fire risks of pest control
Did you know that the gas from professional pest control products can be poisonous and lead to explosions and fires when not used properly?
To help keep residents safe, we’ve put together some advice and guidance for staying safe in the event you discover pests in your home.
Pests and pest control
A pest is any animal or plant harmful to humans. Common pests found in the home include rats or bed bugs. If you discover pests in your home, you should report it to help keep you and your neighbours safe.
You can get in touch with us to report pests - we can provide treatment to remove infestations such as mice, rats, or bed bugs. As well as preventative treatments such as sewer baiting. While your service charges almost only cover communal areas, pest control in rented homes (non-leaseholder) is included in this charge as it’s likely to spread to your neighbours if not treated quickly.
The council also has an affordable pest control service that has experienced trained officers and effective treatments and can give advice on how you can stop pests from coming back.
The fire risks involved
Serious health and safety risks can occur when someone who isn’t trained treats pests without professional knowledge or help.
Two fatal incidents have taken place in Tower Hamlets, one resulting in the death of an 11-year old girl, and another left a woman with serious health issues and no savings. (Read more about this here).
Professional pest control products are believed to have caused these incidents. When used by untrained individuals, the gas from these products can be hazardous and cause explosions and fires.
The products in question are intended for professional use. It’s highly likely that, in these cases, the insecticide was shipped in from outside of the UK and bought from unreputable sellers. Pest control products sold in the UK go through rigorous testing to make sure they’re safe for amateur use.
Advice for staying safe
Should you choose to buy pest control products, the following advice is recommended for your safety:
- avoid buying pest control products from online marketplaces with multiple sellers.
- don’t buy from sellers where you can’t be sure if the product is suitable for amateur use.
- and only purchase from reputable UK sellers.
The safest course of action is to report pests to us, or to a professional service.