Pestworld Magazine Focusing on the Business of Pest Management
Take a moment to think about someone you know whose life has been impacted by a preventable accident at work. Maybe it’s a family member, a friend, a colleague or even yourself. Also consider that person’s employer—the cost of insurance, the cost of a person missing work, and above all, the feeling of responsibility for the health and happiness of the team and the desire to prevent anything like that from happening again. NPMA members have shared stories of safety successes and failures and have given clear direction on how the association can help. This year, the QualityPro & NPMA Safety Task Force will revise the QualityPro accreditation standards that pertain to safety and recommend member benefits that NPMA can offer to help companies meet the QualityPro standards and help individuals pass the QualityPro core exam.
“Technology is moving at a much faster clip than our laws can keep up with,” said Deborah Hersman, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. It is up to industries to set their own standards to keep members at the forefront of best practices. “At NPMA, our mission is your protection. Our existing benefits and this safety task force are examples of how we make that statement come to life,” said Dominique Stumpf, CEO of NPMA. The industry sets its own standards through QualityPro and NPMA helps companies meet the standards with member benefits and resources for all.
The QualityPro & NPMA Safety Task Force is made up of safety experts from 10 pest management companies, as well as representatives from insurance and manufacturing. “Everyone involved has come to the task force with the thought that safety is not proprietary. The willingness to share for the benefit of all is a testament to the goodwill of NPMA members and the importance of doing this right.” says Allison Allen, executive director of QualityPro.
The QualityPro standards serve as our industry’s checklist for how to be a professional company. Many standards already require components of a safety program and the QualityPro exam tests an individual’s knowledge of some safety practices, but there is an opportunity to expand the guidance that the standards provide and help companies prove their employees’ knowledge of safety through the exam. Through staff- or committee-created resources and partner programs, NPMA can help companies implement safety programs. This task force will highlight existing resources and help shape future work. “We have multiple NPMA committees contributing to the safety resources already available from NPMA, but having the QualityPro standards to guide us will help ensure we don’t miss any topics or opportunities to educate members,” said Michael Bentley, NPMA’s director of education and training.
Interested in learning more about how QualityPro and NPMA can help your company’s safety program? Want to give input or share resources? Contact [email protected]
