Recently many of you will have been made award that the HSE has made the decision to enforce minimum standards of quality on bait boxes used in the UK (and if you have not then check here.)
Although the criteria for success or failure seems (and without context are) to be very subjective. It is clear that the UK HSE has taken measures to bring box designs into a more controlled level of standardization, such as that used by the EPA in the USA.
So why is this important? And how can you be sure?
Well firstly this is in no small part a move to increase bait security, to reduce the interactions between non-target animals and children to active bait and therefore to reduce the number of accidental primary poisoning cases.
At present many of the boxes available on the market are constructed from plastics and range from designs large enough to accommodate a concrete slab, to those which were no more than a short tunnel. The materials used in construction as well range from virgin plastics to eco blends, and from relatively high durability to cheap and fragile (with the two criteria not necessarily following on from one another).
The Crux of it is this though, if we wish to continue using active rodenticidal baits we need to not only ensure we are using them responsibly and diligently, but also prove that the tools we are using are going to be up to the same standards that we set on our craftmanship.
At present the HSE has not set methodologies for how to test boxes simply the criteria that is required to achieve a level of compliance.
Wade Environmental has extensive experience writing protocols, undertaking testing and providing detailed feedback on New Product Design.
If you want to discuss getting your boxes tested in the UK by a specialist product development company, then schedule yourself in for a free 30 minute consultation today by clicking HERE. Please note that space is limited as our available product development spots are filling up fast so we recommend getting your consultation scheduled in today.
