SOP – Community Care

315: Specific Work Order Issues

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Special handling work order issues:

  • Health and Safety Concerns (general info)
  • Birds
  • Bees/Wasps
  • Contamination of Public Pools (FECES/ VOMIT/DEAD ANIMALS IN THE POOL)
  • Dead Animal Removal
  • Irrigation:  What is an emergency and what isn’t?
  • Pool lights out
  • Work Orders for Public Utilities
  • Tree Trimming
  • Termite Activity in Fences

HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS (general info)

  1. Any time a caller reports a health and safety concern a rush work order must  be opened (within reason) so appropriate action can be taken as soon as possible. If an immediate repair cannot be made, cones or caution tape may need to be put up. If you need any assistance, please ask for help.
  2. If the caller reports that they have been personally injured the manager should be notified immediately as well as a Rush ASAP work order opened to address whatever needs to be addressed. 
  3. If the caller reports that they fell, slipped, something fell on them, etc. but were not injured, it should still be reported to the manager immediately either way so they have record of what occurred. This includes damage to their person property, like their vehicle. Always have them report it to the manager immediately. 

BIRDS

During nesting season birds sometimes choose to build nests in areas that are inconvenient or that cause human health concerns.  Whenever possible these nests should be removed before eggs are laid and some sort of barrier installed to ensure that another nest will not be built in that same area.

After eggs are laid or while young are in the nest, some birds are protected by law and cannot be removed.  When a caller is requesting nest removal get as much info as possible and include it in the work order you send to the pest control vendor:

  • Are there eggs or young in the nest?
  • Type of bird (if known)
  • Exact location of nest

BEES/WASPS

During certain times of the year bees are very active and we get a lot of calls from people who are very frightened over the presence of bees. As with any safety concern, the request for bee treatment/removal should be taken very seriously. One of Action’s Preferred Vendors, Animal Pest Management put together an excellent summary of bee activity to help us understand what bees do and what a pest control vendor can do to assist.  Please read, “It’s Bee Swarming Season!”  and, “It’s Africanized Bee Swarming Season!”

It is important to remain calm and get all the facts from callers before reacting.

  1. Location. Ask if the caller can see the swarm or hive and if so, where is it located?
    1. Some common locations for hives are:
      • Irrigation boxes
      • Meter boxes
      • Tree branches
      • Under roof tiles
      • Attics
      • Wall voids (any opening in a building that leads to an open area)
    2. Usually bees can be seen coming and going through a small opening. The structure may have to be opened to remove the hive
    3. Unless the tech is given a very specific location they may not be able to find and treat the bees. They cannot “spray” an area or seek out and kill individual bees.  They must locate the swarm or hive.
    4. ALL BEE WORK ORDERS SHOULD BE OPENED OPENED AS A RUSH. IF THE SWARM OR HIVE IS LOCATED IN AN AREA FREQUENTED BY PEOPLE (ESPECIALLY CHILDREN) CREATE A RUSH W/O AND SEND A VENDOR OUT ASAP.
    5. If the swarm is located in an out of the way area, you can ask the caller to monitor the swarm and call back in 48 hours if they have not moved on. IF A WORK ORDER NEEDS TO BE OPENED FOR BEES IN AN AREA THAT IS NOT FREQUENTED BY PEOPLE, THE WORK ORDER WOULD STILL BE A RUSH WORK ORDER AND WE WOULD TELL THE VENDOR TO INSPECT AND ADDRESS ASAP DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS. 
  2. Length of stay? Ask how long the swarm has been in its current location.
    1. If the swarm has been there for less than 48 hours they may be resting temporarily and no treatment is required.
  3. Hive Formation. Ask if a hive has been formed.
    1. Once a hive has been formed it is unlikely the bees will move on. If the bees are in an area maintained by the HOA open a rush work order.  If it is in an area frequented by people (especially children) sent the vendor out asap.  If it is in an out of the way area it should still be a rush work order but ask the vendor to go out asap during normal business hours.
  4. Treatment is usually a 2-step process.
    1. A licensed professional must always be called out. Landscapers or other vendors are not allowed to treat bees.
    2. First the tech goes out and sprays the hive. This will typically kill the majority of the bees.  However, it is normal for some bees to remain in the area for several days.
    3. A few days after the first treatment (typically 2-3 days) the tech will go out and treat again and (if necessary) remove the hive and any honey they find.
    4. Finally, if the hive was in a structure, the opening must be closed as soon as possible after removal. IF IT IS NOT CLOSED IT IS VERY LIKELY ANOTHER HIVE WILL START IN THE SAME LOCATION.  Sometimes the pest control vendor will be authorized to close up the opening.  Other times the HOA will select another vendor.  Either way, it must be done immediately.

CONTAMINATION OF PUBLIC POOLS (FECES/ VOMIT/DEAD ANIMALS IN THE POOL)

If a caller reports feces (human or animal feces – such as duck or geese), vomit, or a dead animal in the pool, ask the caller to instruct all swimmers to exit the pool. The pool vendor is to be called immediately (rush work order) to close the pool and treat.  The pool vendor will re-open the pool after appropriate treatment.

DEAD ANIMAL REMOVAL (COMMON AREA ONLY)

Most landscapers will NOT remove dead animals from the common area.  Occasionally a Janitorial vendor or a pest control  vendor will address this.  If a dead animal must be removed and Janitorial is not able to remove (call and ask),  search on the internet for dead animal removal in the appropriate city/county (Vector Control, Animal Control, etc.).  Be sure you select a government agency and not a private vendor who will charge the HOA.

IRRIGATION – WHAT IS AN EMERGENCY AND WHAT ISN’T?

  1. All irrigation issues are RUSH WORK ORDERS (Rush/Leak-Remediation if water is affecting a structure, and Rush-Comm Care if not) due to the high value of water, as well as the risk of plant loss.  However, certain factors determine how soon we should ask the landscapers to go out.
  2. If the issue occurs ONLY WHEN THE SYSTEM IS ON, instruct the vendor to go out ASAP DURING NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS. Vendor must be called to confirm W/O was received. If the W/O is opened after the landscaper’s office is closed, the W/O may be email to CCPriority and marked to call vendor in the morning.
    • sprinkler shoots up in the air
    • sprinklers need to be redirected because it is not hitting plant material properly
    • drip lines cut, disconnected or otherwise not working
    • sprinkler head is broken off
    • water isn’t coming on when it’s supposed to
  3. If there is ACTIVELY RUNNING WATER, instruct the vendor to go out IMMEDIATELY – EVEN IF IT IS AFTER HOURS. Vendor must be called to confirm the W/O was received and ask for an ETA.
    • sprinklers running for more than 20 minutes
    • break in the irrigation line that causes continuously running water
    • water flowing down the street
  4. If the water is HITTING A STRUCTURE open a RUSH-LEAK/REMED W/O. Vendor must be called to confirm the W/O was received. Depending on the severity of the situation, how long it has been going on, etc. the vendor may be asked to go out either immediately or asap during normal business hours.  Ask for assistance if you are uncertain which to choose.  Please also utilize SOP #312 when gathering information/opening the work order.
    • Sprinkler shooting into a door or window
    • Sprinklers saturating stucco

POOL/SPA LIGHTS OUT

  1. If a light is out in the pool/spa area (outside the water) the work order goes to the lighting vendor.
  2. If the light is inside the water/pool/spa itself, the work order goes to the pool vendor.

WORK ORDERS FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES

When opening work orders for public utilities companies (gas, electric, trash, telephone, etc.) do NOT email the work orders (unless the profile specifically says to do so).  Contact by internet or phone and document in the work order how you contacted, who you spoke to, etc.

TREE TRIMMING WORK ORDERS

  1. Tree trimming is not included in the Landscaper’s normal scope of work. Tree trimming requires special equipment (ladders, safety harnesses, etc).
  2. Tree trimming is usually done on a schedule (typically annually) and most associations send their tree trimming out to bid and select a vendor that may or may not be the association’s normal landscaper.
  3. Unless the profile says otherwise, you may open a work order when a resident requests tree trimming outside of the normal tree trimming schedule and send it to the landscaper to “Inspect and advise.” Please do not ever tell them to go out and trim the tree (but see #4 below)!  Tree trimming is very expensive and requires approval. Sometimes the landscaper may go out and find that they can trim a few lower branches (that don’t require a ladder) and that may satisfy the request.  If the tree is too tall the landscaper will let us know that it must be done by a tree trimmer.  At that point the W/O would go to the manager to advise.
  4. Unless the manager or the profile authorizes it, a work order can never be worded to imply that you are authorizing tree trimming. You must say, “Inspect and advise.”

TERMITE ACTIVITY IN FENCES

  1. Termite vendors do not treat fences for termites (they only treat structures).
  2. If a fence is infected the fence or that portion of the fence is replaced.