Mosquito Risk Management

Policy

This policy sets out the actions that schools must take to control any mosquito breeding grounds on school premises.

Summary

• The Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 (Vic) require that an owner or occupier of premises (school principals) must take reasonable steps to control any mosquito breeding ground on the premises and to abate any conditions on those premises that are conducive to the establishment of a mosquito breeding ground.
• Schools must conduct regular inspections of their grounds to check for stagnant water or unsealed water sources as water accumulating adds to the risk of mosquito breeding.
• Where necessary, schools must also consider other risk management measures to protect students and staff from mosquito bites and subsequent mosquito-borne disease.

Details

Regulation 15 of the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 (Vic) (the Regulations) requires that an owner or occupier of premises must take reasonable steps to control any mosquito breeding ground on the premises and to abate any conditions on those premises that are conducive to the establishment of a mosquito breeding ground.

Compliance and monitoring

The department is committed to assisting schools to effectively manage their compliance activities related to school infrastructure. This includes the management of mosquito breeding grounds.

The Asset Management Roles and Responsibilities Framework summarises the key responsibilities for corporate staff, principals and school councils for all key asset management activities.

The Buildings and Grounds Maintenance and Compliance Policy sets out the department’s compliance and monitoring process which consists of 3 principal steps:

• Identify
• Manage
• Monitor.

Identify

To comply with this requirement, schools must conduct regular inspections of their grounds to check for stagnant water or unsealed water sources as water accumulating adds to the risk of mosquito breeding. As with all routine maintenance, relevant actions should be included in school maintenance plans and funded through Student Resource Package (SRP) maintenance funding.

Manage

Grounds

Reasonable steps to control mosquito breeding grounds on the premises include the following:

• remove or regularly empty containers capable of holding water (including rubbish bins, pots and bird baths)
• ensure gutters and stormwater pits have been cleaned to allow water to flow freely
• where possible, remove trailer covers to prevent water pooling or place in an undercover area
• fix any leaking taps that may be causing water to pool
• identify areas where there is a sloping gradient where water commonly pools and arrange for this to be regularly pumped out or redirected
• check and maintain rainwater tanks and water storage vessels to ensure they are completely sealed or have insect proof meshing that is no bigger than 1 mm in size – it is recommended that mesh is placed to protect inlets and overflows around inspection and access points between the roof and the main body of the tank. A plumber may need to be engaged to assist with this
• keep swimming pools well maintained, and empty or securely cover if not in use
• fit removable screen mesh to the outlet end of overflow pipes and to all inlets
• where mesh is unable to be applied to a water tank, a chemical treatment should be added to inhibit mosquito larvae growth
• ensure grass is cut short in open areas
• use other controls like spraying areas with a mosquito adulticide substance, noting it is a hazardous substance and should be used outside of school hours (it is recommended to be applied by a pest controller service provider).

Indoor environments

In indoor environments, so far as reasonably practicable, schools must use the following precautions.

In areas with a large volume of mosquitos:

• prevent mosquitoes from entering school buildings by checking and repairing holes in flyscreens (where used)
• ensure windows and doors are sealed with no gaps
• where windows do not have flyscreens, consider installing flyscreens
• while the general health advice remains that ventilation should be maximised to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, during periods when a high level of mosquito activity is observed, windows and doors without flyscreens should be closed with air purifiers used. When mosquito activity is reduced, consider re-opening doors and windows.

Schools should include pest control and other routine maintenance actions to meet mosquito breeding prevention activities in their School Maintenance Plans and use their SRP maintenance funding to undertake these activities.

As part of the mosquito surveillance program, the Department of Health website is regularly updated with Local Government Areas where mosquito-borne disease may be circulating.

General protection from mosquitos

To protect students and staff from mosquito bites and subsequent mosquito-borne disease, it is recommended that schools:

• consider making insect repellent containing picaridin or DEET readily available to staff and students – advice about using and purchasing insect repellent is available in the Guidance tab
• encourage all students and staff to use insect repellent and wear long, loose-fitting clothing if outdoors when mosquitoes are observed – in most instances, school uniforms are appropriate when worn with repellent, however, this may require a relaxation of school uniform requirements for some students (particularly those unable to use repellent) for a short period
• consider limiting or rescheduling outdoor activity if mosquitoes are observed.

Schools can visit the Better Health Channel's Protect yourself from mosquito-borne disease page for more information.

Monitor

The Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) monitors compliance with maintenance requirements using the Asset Information Management System (AIMS) and responds to non-compliance at a school and system level through direct support to schools or revision of policies and procedures.

Schools are advised to refer to the School Facilities Management Handbook (PDF) for further information on using AIMS work orders to manage routine maintenance actions.

Related policies

• Buildings and Grounds Maintenance and Compliance
• Outdoor Activities and Working Outdoors

Relevant legislation

• Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 (Vic)

Contacts

For school queries and further advice on preventing mosquito breeding grounds on school premises contact:

Victorian School Building Authority
Phone: 1800 896 950
Email: vsba@education.vic.gov.au

For school queries relating to reducing the risk of mosquito bites and subsequent mosquito-borne diseases contact:

Health Promotion, Prevention and Advice unit
Email: Health.advice@education.vic.gov.au

Insect repellent

Safety

All topical insect repellents sold in Australia must be registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (AVPMA), which assesses products for their efficacy and safety.

Topical insect repellents containing DEET and picaridin are safe and effective when used according to the instructions on the label. They are widely used and strongly recommended to reduce risk of mosquito bites. There are many products available. Always check the label for suitability.

A higher concentration of DEET or picaridin does not relate to better effectiveness, only how long the repellent lasts. A lower concentration (that is, 10 to 20%) is recommended – reapply regularly as required.

If a child is unable to use a recommended insect repellent, other mosquito prevention measures (such as remaining indoors when mosquitos are active and wearing long, loose clothing) should be followed.

Using insect repellent

Students and school staff should be encouraged to wear insect repellents that contain picaridin or DEET. Always follow instructions on the product label for recommended age use.

Schools may purchase insect repellent for staff and students to use. Repellent use is strongly recommended and express written parental consent is not required to provide repellent to students. However, parents and carers should be informed and encouraged to discuss use with their children.

A thin, even layer of insect repellent should be applied to all exposed skin and rubbed in to ensure no spots are missed.

Remind students to avoid applying repellent to their hands, eyes and mouth.

Staff and students should follow the below guidance for repellent use:

• Use only as directed by the instructions on the label.
• Sharing roll-on between students is safe, but students with skin infections should use their own product.
• If you need to apply both sunscreen and repellent, apply the sunscreen first.
• Repellent is not water-resistant. It may need to be reapplied frequently, particularly if sweating from heat or exercise.
• Do not use on cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
• Supervise use by younger children and store repellents out of reach of children.
• Always discontinue use if any skin irritation occurs and seek medical advice as required.

Where a student has a known allergy to insect repellent or opts not to use repellent, other mosquito protection measures should be followed.

Purchasing insect repellent

Schools can order insect repellent from a variety of retailers, including chemists, supermarkets and through the stationery state purchasing contract with Complete Office Supplies (COS), using the school’s login details.

Schools should select repellent with the lowest concentration of DEET or picaridin available (for example, 10%) and reapply as required. Lower concentration repellents may include Aerogard Odourless Protection, RID Medicated Insect Repellent Kids + Antiseptic Repellent, and RID Medicated Insect Repellent Low Irritant + Antiseptic Repellent. Higher concentrations do not relate to better effectiveness, only the duration of the effect.

Further information on ordering through COS can be found on the How-to guide for COSnet (PDF) (staff login required).

Resources

• For more information on reducing the risk of mosquito-borne viruses, refer to: Mosquitoes can carry diseases – Better Health Channel
• For support in considering the mosquito-borne disease risk for outdoor events, refer to: Decision support tool: Mitigating outdoor mosquito-related risk (DOCX) (staff login required)
• For a template to support communications about mosquito-borne disease with the school community in high risk areas, refer to: Template newsletter content for schools in high risk areas (DOCX) (staff login required)
• For a template to support communications about mosquito-borne disease with the school community outside of high risk areas, refer to: Template newsletter content for schools outside of high risk areas (DOCX) (staff login required)
• For frequently asked questions about actions to mitigate mosquito-borne disease in high risk areas, refer to: FAQs (DOCX) (staff login required)