There's at least one disease you can contract from pigeon droppings (is it psittacosis???), and I would think that large concentrations will give off ammonia as a decay product, but does that come under what you've described as hygiene?

John

Thanks John.

It was in the back of my mind (which is a scary place) there was a disease to be caught. I don't think the spore issue will be a concern as it will be wet washing with little or no dust creation.

Wondering if anyone else had any ideas or tips?

Aspergillosis ( Spp?)

You say nitrile gloves. Which type of nitrile glove? Are you referring to a relatively thick nitrile gauntlet or the thin single-use nitrile gloves that I so often find being used (inappropriately) for protection?

AHA!

Think of the environment! Reuse and recycle eh? I like the idea...

roshqse

Yep - I was thinking of the increasing number of exhortations in the UK for people to re-use and recycle waste wherever feasible. Also, several years ago I saw an artificial island off the coast of Namibia in Africa which had been created during colonial times as a bird roost/nesting venue so that their guano could be collected and exported for processing as fertiliser. However, I guess that the birds on the island produced rather more guano than the pigeons at your location.

Also, if the guano were to be transported elsewhere, various requirements enforced by the Environment Agency could well apply. :-(

You're not making this anymore attractive....

Try using a specialist Bird Control Contractor.

I used to use a company call PC Pest Control from Leeds, not sure if they are still in businees havent had to arrange a big clearance for a few years. But they do this day in and day out so have all the Risk Assessments Method satatements etc already in place.

The big pest control companies ECOLAB and Rentokill also do this kind of work

Nope it's for a client and part of other works.

Although I could say it was uneconomical to remove all the poop and that under the EU PPRRCC Regs 2012 paragraph 4, section 2 , subsection IV... they have to replace it.?

(PPRRCC = Pigeon Poop Removal Recycling Cleaning and Control)

But hey, I'm not doing the work so why do I care? :)

I would think about netting or wiring while you are at it to stop a repeat performance from the rats with wings...........

smitch's idea of removing the machine for cleaning elsewhere has a parallel with situations where asbestos-coated pipework (or similar) can be moved to another location where the asbestos can be removed safely under controlled conditions and with less cost and disruption than in the original location. A variant of this process is to remove the pipework and then dispose of it as asbestos waste with the asbestos insulation left on it. If the pipework has a relatively low value this latter option can be cheaper than removing the asbestos from it using strict precautions. In either case, appropriate precautions are needed for a) pre-wrapping the sections of coated pipework to protect it from damage during transit and b) for disconnecting the sections.

My comments above stem partly from experience when I was with HSE. During a visit to a paper mill I was told that a project to remove asbestos from overhead pipes had recently been completed at great expense because of i) the scaffolding, temporary enclosures and other precautions involved, and ii) the need to cease production during the lengthy period of the removal work. My response was that the firm had been conned by the specialist asbestos removal contractor involved because the pipework could have been disconnected and removed from the mill as described above. Though this option would have been quicker and easier, and notably cheaper for the firm, it would not have reaped much money for the asbestos contractor.

I guess that the firm would avoid using the contractor for any subsequent removal work and be more canny/thoughtful when planning such work. Also, if the firm's senior managers and engineers talked about the matter to other paper-making firms and/or other employers, I hope the asbestos contractor "scored an own goal" regarding its prospects for future contracts!

No doubt fellow devotees of the TV comedy series "Fawlty Towers" will recall the 'Basil the Rat' episode in which a public health inspector concludes a verbal list of the shortcomings he has found with "two dead pigeons in the water tank". Though we know that Manuel the waiter was sent to remove them we don't know what measures were subsequently taken for disinfecting the water and tank interior! We can only guess that this was done because the inspector returned next day to carry out a check visit, found that all the shortcomings had been remedied, and furthermore stayed to have lunch at the hotel.

While inspecting a public library in a very old building for HSE over 30 years ago I was shown the loft area and noticed two dead pigeons on the floor of a room containing a water tank. Fortunately the tank either had a cover or only contained top-up water for the building's central heating system. Even so, when it came to sending a letter about a number of matters noted during the visit I couldn't resist including "two dead pigeons in the water tank room" plus the need to repair the broken skylight through which they had entered the building. Hopefully the phrase induced some smiles among those who read the letter or the copy for staff at the library!