Feds seek pest control pros for 'bedbug situation in the national capital area'
Taylor Blewett, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: November 13, 2019
The federal government is rushing to hire pest control professionals who can deal with bedbugs that public servants bring home from the office, as the insects continue to pop up in government buildings around the national capital region.
According to a tender posted last Friday by Public Works and Government Services Canada, the feds are looking to issue up to five standing offers to pest management firms that can inspect and treat its workers’ homes and vehicles for bedbugs as needed, over the next five years.
The budget for each standing offer? Up to $400,000.
The procurement will close Nov. 22, and the tender offers an explanation for the short turnaround time.
“There is an urgency … considering the health and safety risks associated with the bedbug situation in the national capital area.”
It called the situation “unforeseeable, as this is something that is not expected in an office setting.”
It also notes that the problem has grown.
“Because of the increasing number of government buildings affected by bedbugs, a longer solicitation period is impracticable as the Government of Canada is required to proactively act in an expeditious manner to control (the) spread of bedbugs.”
According to Health Canada, bedbugs come out at night to feed on people and pets. Their bites can result in skin reactions and their presence has been known to cause anxiety and insomnia in those living with a bedbug infestation.
The presence of bedbugs has been confirmed in nine federal government office buildings in Ottawa-Gatineau in the past sixth months, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) said Tuesday. They’ve also been found in seven other federal offices across the country.
In Ottawa-Gatineau, affected properties are: 200 Kent St., 333 Laurier Ave., 150 and 170 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway, 200 Eglantine Driveway, 300 Slater St., 350 King Edward Ave., 22 Rue Eddy, and 70 Rue Crémazie.
Of the 16 affected buildings nationwide, PSPC said that in 13 of these the bedbug presence would be considered “very low” – a classification ranging from one to 20 insects. Two buildings would be in the “low” range (21 to 100) and one, 70 Rue Crémazie in Gatineau, would be at the low end of the “moderate” range. It had an estimated 150 bedbugs.
In a statement dated Oct. 30, PSPC instructed federal employees who suspect bedbugs in their workplace to notify their manager and call 1-800-463-1850.
A report triggers an expert inspection, treatment if bedbugs are identified, and post-treatment monitoring, according to the statement.
“PSPC is taking this issue very seriously and has been working closely with facility managers in affected departments to address detections as quickly as possible,” the statement reads. “Government actions to manage bedbugs are being guided by expert advice.”
Murray Isman, a pest management expert from the University of British Columbia had been working with the government on its bedbug problem. PSPC said it was also randomly testing high-traffic buildings, educating employees and cleaning staff on what to watch out for, and consulting with federal public sector unions on the bedbug issue.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the largest union representing federal public servants, has called on the government to cover all fumigation expenses for employees who find bedbugs in their homes, and work in buildings where the insects have also been found.
PSAC also asked the government to inspect all its buildings across the country using sniffer dogs to check for bedbugs, and to fumigate the entire building if the insects are discovered.
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...trol-pros-to-help-employees-with-bedbugs
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