American Roaches Move Full Steam Ahead

An office building located in the complex of buildings for a power company in Indiana was experiencing a problem with American cockroaches. The service technician had been treating the infestation by dusting into voids in the bathrooms and dining area and treating the baseboards. When complaints of cockroach sightings from the customer became more frequent, the supervisor visited the office building.

The supervisor met with the maintenance engineer and inquired about the construction of the office building: Did it have a crawl space? Was it a slab? The engineer explained that a small basement was present but it was kept locked because it connected to a steam tunnel leading to another building. The supervisor remarked this would be an ideal harborage site for American cockroaches.

Lesson learned: The service technician must have access to all areas of a building for inspection. If a door is locked, the technician must request it be unlocked. The sales representative is also at fault for not discovering during his initial visit the presence of the basement and steam tunnel. The sales representative has a responsibility to secure with the customer access to all areas to be inspected and treated.