Field Biologist Training and Certification
What is a ‘Field Biologist’?
Food manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, packaging manufacturers, food warehousing companies and the like often work to supermarket or independent accreditation standards, such as BRCGS, AIB, SALSA etc. Some of these standards require Field Biologist (FB) inspections in addition to pest technician PPM (Proactive Pest Management)/Routine visits.
A Field Biologist is expected to delve deeper into site structure and processes than the servicing technician would, such as checking inside dismantled production equipment. They look at the quality of work of the technician, along with assessing the responsiveness of the client to IPM recommendations. Their responsibilities include:
- Pest Risk Assessments – to determine, on at least an annual basis, what pests need to be monitored and the frequency of pest inspections
- Trend Analysis – this is not just drawing graphs, it is analysing the data
- Reviews – some standards require annual or 6-monthly review meetings between the FB and the site contact with pest control responsibilities
- Pest Awareness Training – the FB will often be the one who designs and delivers the bespoke training required for the site employees
Biscuit Beetle (Stegobium paniceum)
Credit: Dr Steve Havers
In order to be able to perform these tasks effectively, a Field Biologist needs to have the following skills and attributes:
- Be able to identify stored product insect pest species, and know scientific names
- Be able to step back and consider the bigger picture, as well as having an eye for the detail
- Like the PPM technicians, they need to be able to investigate infestations and determine root cause
- Have good verbal communication skills – in order to encourage technicians and clients to implement and maintain optimum pest management.
- Be able to write clearly and concisely, so that written reports are functional and effective documents
- Be able to determine the most helpful way to present trending data so that it can be interpreted and understood
- Have advanced knowledge and experience of pest control, along with being familiar with food safety and health and safety principles and control measures
The NPTA Certificated Field Biologist Qualification
Passing the NPTA Certificated Field Biologist qualification demonstrates your FB abilities. The NPTA 2-day Field Biologist training course teaches the knowledge and skills required, including:
- Stored Product insect (SPI) identification
- Pest Risk Assessments
- Trend Analysis
- FB inspections
- FB report writing
So, if you are already working for these high-spec clients and need the Certificated Field Biologist qualification in order to comply with audit standards; or if you aspire to be working for these clients and want to learn more about their needs, the NPTA Certificated Field Biologist training and qualification could be for you. Also, some technicians are just participating in the training in order to learn from it, and possibly even taking the exam, but not completing the qualification (which requires copies of reports from audited sites).
For further information about the training and the qualification, please contact NPTA Director, Grahame Turner (grahame.turner@npta.org.uk)
Book a NPTA Certificated Field Biologist Course HERE
