Building a Safer Workplace Starts with Listening

Safety in the pest control industry isn’t just about safe ladder usage protocols, reading product labels and best practices when using PPE, it’s about people. In the pest control industry, where technicians face daily hazards on the road, in crawl spaces, and in customers’ homes and businesses, a strong safety culture is essential. And like any part of your business, your safety culture can only improve if you’re willing to listen and act.

Whether you’re a mid-size company serving one market or a regional multi-branch operation, building trust with your team starts with making safety a shared responsibility. One of the most effective ways to do that? Ask for feedback and do something with the information you gather.

Why Safety Feedback is a Game Changer

Front line pest control professionals know the job better than anyone, and they often see risks or improvement opportunities before management does. But if they don’t feel comfortable sharing concerns or don’t think their feedback will lead to action, you’re missing a critical piece of the safety puzzle.

Collecting and responding to feedback isn’t just about checking a box. It’s a proven way to:

• Reduce accidents and near misses
• Boost morale and engagement
• Strengthen your company’s reputation and retention rate
• Protect profitability through fewer claims and lost work time

Creating a Culture of Trust and Transparency

To foster a meaningful feedback system, you need to create clear, easy pathways for employees to share information. That could include:

• Creating QR codes in training/break rooms at branch locations linking to quick-response forms
• Mobile-accessible surveys following service calls or monthly training/safety meetings
• A dedicated email or hotline for reporting safety concerns anonymously

But here’s the key: Asking for feedback is just the start. Acting on it and communicating what you did is where the real change happens.

If a technician highlights a risk, such as improperly stored chemicals or malfunctioning equipment, they need to know leadership will take it seriously. That means:

• Acknowledging the feedback
• Reviewing it promptly
• Communicating next steps
• Following through with visible improvements or corrections

This builds credibility and encourages more people to come forward with their insights.

Turn Feedback into a Safety Action Plan

The feedback you collect should drive your ongoing safety plan. Use it to identify priority areas such as driver safety, ladder use, slip and fall prevention or PPE compliance, and outline specific actions and timelines to improve.

Set expectations for reporting safety incidents and explain how those reports are tracked and followed up on. When your team sees the loop completed from feedback to action to communication, they’ll be more likely to engage again.

Where to Start

If you’re unsure how to start or need help regaining trust, working with an outside safety expert can provide clarity and valuable feedback. At PestSure, our risk management experts help pest control companies build customized feedback and safety programs that match the realities of our industry.

A third party can:

• Offer an unbiased perspective
• Help identify blind spots or gaps
• Bring proven systems for capturing and acting on feedback
• Help establish a safety-first culture that everyone can rally around

Bottom Line: Safety Starts with Listening

Your safety program isn’t something you set and forget. It’s a living, breathing part of your operation that evolves with your team and your company. By giving your team members, a voice and showing that their input drives real change, you create a culture that values safety not just in theory, but in action. Listen well, act boldly, and you’ll build a safer, stronger future for your team.

PestSure – Your Partner in Safety

Founded in 1980, PestSure is the only insurance and risk management provider that is 100 percent dedicated to the pest management industry. It offers industry professionals a full suite of insurance, risk management, and safety training and education offerings.

PestSure provides insurance, safety and risk management consulting to pest management companies representing $2 billion in revenue, $750 million in payroll and more than 16,500 service vehicles. The program is administered by Alliant Insurance Services.

Call 888.984.3813 or visit our contact page for more information.