IMPLEMENTING an IPM PROGRAM in RESEARCH LABORATORIES

Abstract:
From October 1997 through April 2000, the Occupational Safety and Health Branch located in the Division of Safety, Office of Research Services, National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., initiated a pilot IPM program in research laboratories. The program was conducted to examine application of IPM methodologies under the unique challenge of minimizing disruptions to laboratory staff while protecting the research environment and controlling pests. The objectives of the study were to: identify the resident pest complex, examine monitoring procedures and factors that impede monitoring, assess the perceptions of laboratory workers regarding pest management, clarify how laboratory workers handle requests for structural repairs and sanitation, and determine the level of IPM service needed to maintain pests at acceptable levels.