Best practices for nuisance wildlife control operators in New York State

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Ch 2: Balancing the needs of people and wildlife

Six questions to consider - 1

Is it safe?

Roof work is one of the more common NWCO job hazards. Fall caused 11% of the deaths associated with job-related injuries in upstate New York (1993 statistics from the Dep't. of Health. How do other NWCOs stay safe and get the job done?

Many NWCOs are most concerned about safeguarding people: themselves, their customers, and the public. There are health and safety risks posed by the presence of nuisance wildlife, and by wildlife control techniques. Wild animals might expose people to diseases or parasites, for example, or cause fires or road accidents (see chapter four).

Those are the routine risks. Some NWCOs face unusual risks because they handle exotic wildlife, such as pet snakes left behind in dorms when the college term ends. It's not always easy to identify the species. Could it be venomous? Obviously, if you're tangling with an animal that could hurt nearby people, extra caution is needed.

The way you go about your business could also affect the safety of other species and of the environment. A careful NWCO can help prevent the spread of a wildlife disease into a new area, or to a different species. Likewise, by using traps and pesticides carefully, that NWCO can reduce the chances of catching or killing the wrong animal or contaminating the environment.

How safe is the situation, and the method you want to use? Consider such things as:

• Is the nuisance animal sick, aggressive, or otherwise dangerous?
   
• Do you have the right gear for the job?
   
• Is the building safe?
   
• How well can you control access to any pest control devices, such as traps or pesticides?
   
• Could children, pets, or other animals gain access to the animal, or to your tools, and injure themselves?
   
• Do weather conditions make the job too dangerous? (For example, icy, wet, or windy conditions could make it unsafe to walk on a roof.)

Next Section (What are the likely ecological consequences)