As part of our fumigation services, we offer warehouse fumigation to ensure that stored products and materials are kept free from pest species that can cause damage and health concerns. Warehouse fumigation is often essential for companies to ensure they remain compliant with the latest rules, regulations and laws surrounding imports/exports and for the storage of food goods.

Here we will be walking you through warehouse fumigation and explaining what it is and how it works.

What is warehouse fumigation?

Warehouse fumigation is an important pest control method in which warehouses storing goods are fumigated with toxic gases in a controlled setting to eradicate various insect infestations. The space will be sealed off for the safety of the public and surrounding area, and the gas will be held at a set concentration for a period of time until the pest species is dealt with.

A wide range of goods requires fumigation treatments, such as raw food ingredients and consumer goods that may be stored in the warehouse either long or short term.

What is the fumigation process in a warehouse?

Typically, the process of successfully fumigating a warehouse can take anywhere between one to ten days, depending on the size of the space and suspected infestations. Our highly trained Fumigill team will carefully seal off the area before releasing the fumigation gases into the warehouse.

Phosphine can be used to treat pests such as stored product insects in most bulk food produce. It is an incredibly safe and effective gas and will not leave any pesticide residue in the space or products. This can have a treatment time between 1 – 21 days dependant on pest, commodity and temperature.

Sulfuryl Fluoride (SF) is used to treat stored product insects, moth and wood boring insects in empty structures. Typical treatment time with SF is 24hrs although, this can be reduced to as little as 12hrs.

The warehouse will then be left for a set amount of time for the pests at all stages of their life cycle to be eradicated.

During this time gas levels are monitored at various points around the site to ensure all areas have an equal level of gas distribution. Gas readings are collated and a Concentration Time Product (CTP) is produced. Each pest species has its own CTP and once thise has been achieved we can be confident of a 99.9% eradication.

Once the process is complete, our team will safely release the gas from the space and perform tests to confirm the air is now safe to breathe in and around the warehouse. The client will then be issued a Fumigation Clearance Certificate to verify that the procedure is complete and the space is safe.

Warehouse Fumigation Good Practices

We believe that warehouse fumigation and fumigation in any capacity should be undertaken by licenced, professional and experienced fumigation specialists. Our team will always comply with all regulations to ensure only safe and efficient fumigation services are carried out.

We pride ourselves on putting safety first to protect our team, our clients, and the general public. As such, just like any professional and reputable fumigation specialist, we always conduct a thorough risk assessment for all clients.

The initial assessment process will provide the client with a written instruction detailing the fumigants that will be used, the hazards to the site and the precautions we will be taking to mitigate these risks. During the process, there will always be a designated fumigator in charge who will be the point of contact for the client.

Our team will finish by offering a Testing & Ventilation Service to ensure your site is safe and free from gaseous substances. This is done by maintaining the safety of all those working in and around the warehouse by extracting the fumigants via forced ventilation. This helps any toxic gases to be quickly removed, which is then confirmed by our team with a gas clearance test.

We will ensure that levels are always below the legal Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL), and the client is provided with a clearance certificate.

From the health of workers and members of the public to the legal and financial implications for industries, at Fumigill, we understand the importance of dealing with infestations as soon as possible.

Legal Requirements for Warehouse Fumigation

There are a number of laws in place in the UK surrounding warehouse fumigation to protect consumers and the general public. Some of these laws pertain to the work carried out by fumigation specialists, and some address the responsibilities held by employers and landlords.

The regulation that we as fumigation specialists ensure is adhered to at all times is the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) 2002. This requires our team to ensure that the fumigants we use are properly contained to not harm humans or animals other than the targeted pests.

There are other legal requirements that pertain more to businesses, such as The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949. This legislation allows licenced businesses to carry out pest control where there is a risk of damage or contamination to things such as food products. Landlords, in particular, have a duty to keep properties pest free and should employ the help of licenced pest control specialists.

Another important piece of legislation that businesses should be aware of is The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This ensures that employers carry out any required pest control to protect anyone employed to work on their site. Whilst this is not directly related to fumigation, it is important to be aware of as it protects both your employees and your business.

Get in touch today

If you are interested in learning more about our Fumigation Services or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Fumigill team today on 01513456854 or email us at info@urbanhawks.co.uk.

With over 25 years of experience fumigating buildings throughout the UK, we are certain we can assist you in finding the right pest control solution for your site.