Key Takeaways
- Sensitive and high-risk sites in Queensland are the two types of premises that Queensland Health singles out for stricter pest management requirements.
- Sensitive sites include nursing homes, schools, kindergartens, childcare centres, hospitals with inpatient services, TAFEs, universities and surgeries.
- High-risk sites include poultry farms, piggeries, feedlots, dairy sheds, large food manufacturers and facilities handling unpackaged raw food.
- Retail food outlets, supermarkets and hobby farms are not classed as high-risk, which surprises many business owners.
- To treat urban pests at these sites, a technician needs the matching authorisation or must be supervised by one who holds it, and an activity risk management plan must be ready before work starts.
If you run a facility that looks after patients, children, residents or large volumes of food, the rules about who can treat your site, and how the work is planned, are stricter than they are for an ordinary shop or office. This guide explains which premises are covered, which are not, and what changes for pest control.
Control Pest Management is a 5-star rated commercial pest management company, and our licensed technicians are trained to work on sensitive and high-risk sites, including food production, healthcare and childcare facilities.
What Counts as a Sensitive Site in Queensland?
Queensland Health lists sensitive places by the type of facility, and the list covers more than hospitals and schools. These are the examples it gives:
- Care facilities: nursing homes, aged care and childcare centres.
- Schools and study: primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, TAFEs and universities.
- Health services: hospitals with inpatient services, doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries, and diagnostic facilities such as x-ray, pathology and radiology.
- Government: government agencies.
If your premises appears on this list, plan for sensitive site requirements from the first booking, not after a technician turns up. Tell your pest controller the type of facility when you ask for a quote, so the right technician and plan are arranged from the start.
What Counts as a High-Risk Site?
High-risk sites fall into two groups: intensive livestock operations, and food processing or manufacturing. Queensland Health gives these examples:
- Livestock: poultry farms with sheds or enclosures, piggeries, feedlots and dairy sheds.
- Food and drink manufacturing: canneries, breweries, large bakeries, and large food and frozen food manufacturers.
- Packing and handling: produce packing sheds, wholesale fish markets, pet food manufacturers and facilities handling unpackaged raw food.
Size matters. Hobby farms, small non-commercial farms, retail food outlets, supermarkets and small local food manufacturers are not classed as high-risk. If your business sits close to the line, ask your pest controller how your premises is classified before they quote.
Where Businesses Often Get the Classification Wrong
These borderline cases cause the most confusion, so check yours against the table before you brief a pest controller.
| Premises | Classification | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarket or retail food outlet | Not high-risk | Queensland Health lists both as not high-risk |
| Small local food manufacturer | Not high-risk | Only large food and frozen food manufacturers are listed |
| Large bakery | High-risk | Large bakeries are listed as food processing sites |
| Dairy shed | High-risk | Listed with livestock operations |
| Dentist’s or doctor’s surgery | Sensitive | Surgeries are listed as sensitive places |
| University or TAFE campus | Sensitive | Both are listed as sensitive places |
| Hobby farm | Not high-risk | Small non-commercial farms are excluded |
A site that is neither sensitive nor high-risk still has obligations. Our Queensland pest control compliance guide covers the wider rules.
What Changes for Pest Control at These Sites?
A licence is needed to apply pesticides or fumigants on a commercial fee-for-service basis in Queensland. At sensitive and high-risk sites, two extra requirements apply to urban pest treatments:
- Authorisation: the technician needs the high-risk or sensitive place authorisation, or must be supervised by a technician who holds it.
- Activity risk management plan: a plan for the specific place must be prepared before work starts, by a technician who holds the authority to prepare them.
Supervision does not have to be on site, because Queensland Health accepts phone or two-way radio. Timber pests and pest birds are the exception and do not need this authorisation. The full detail sits in Queensland Health’s guidance on high-risk and sensitive places.
How a Treatment Is Planned at Your Site
Whoever treats your premises should be able to walk you through these steps:
- Classify the site: confirm whether your premises is sensitive, high-risk or neither.
- Plan the work: an authorised technician prepares the activity risk management plan for your place.
- Share the contacts: the technician doing the work holds the contact details of the authorised technician supervising them.
- Follow the plan: the technician follows the plan and calls an authorised technician about anything they are unsure of.
- Keep the paperwork: you receive a record of the chemicals used and where.
How We Work at Sensitive and High-Risk Sites
Every service we complete is carried out in line with a Safe Work Method Statement, and our documentation helps you stay audit-ready for HACCP and other compliance requirements. Our clients include medical and dental clinics, schools and childcare centres, manufacturers and food processors, and hotels.
- Work order after every visit: we email a work order detailing the chemicals used and where, along with your invoice.
- Scheduled around you: every treatment is booked around your operating hours, so it stays discreet.
- Licensed and insured: our technicians are fully insured, police checked and carry professional ID.
- A dedicated account manager: they schedule your services, provide service audits and make sure there is continuity.
Before your first visit, you can read about what a commercial pest inspection involves to see what to expect on the day.
Talk to Us About Your Site
Not sure which category your premises falls into? Send us an enquiry through our form for a free quote, or call 1300 357 246, and we will talk you through what applies to your site.
One client described us as: “Very professional and knowledgeable.” (Tammy Game, Astute Realty)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a hospital a sensitive site in Queensland?
Hospitals with inpatient services are listed by Queensland Health as sensitive places, alongside nursing homes, schools, kindergartens, TAFEs, universities, government agencies, doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries, and diagnostic facilities. If your hospital has inpatients, treat it as a sensitive site for every pest control booking.
Is a restaurant or supermarket a high-risk site?
No. Queensland Health states that retail food outlets and supermarkets are not high-risk. High-risk food sites are the larger operations, such as canneries, breweries, large bakeries, large food and frozen food manufacturers, produce packing sheds, wholesale fish markets and facilities handling unpackaged raw food.
Does every pest treatment at a sensitive site need special authorisation?
Treating urban pests at a sensitive or high-risk site needs the matching authorisation, or supervision by a technician who holds it. Timber pests and pest birds are the exception. Ask your provider which of these applies to your planned treatment before any work begins.
What is an activity risk management plan?
It is a plan prepared for the specific place before work starts, by a technician who holds the authority to prepare them. The technician carrying out the work follows it and contacts an authorised technician if they are unsure about anything. It is not needed for timber pests or pest birds.
Does the supervising technician have to be on site?
No. Queensland Health accepts supervision by phone or two-way radio, so the authorised technician does not need to be physically present. The technician doing the work must still hold the supervisor’s contact details and follow the activity risk management plan prepared for your place.