COSHH - BATS - 13.03.2006

Going batty

The Legal Position

All bats and their roosts are fully protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and by the Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994. Bats can roost in modern houses as well as old churches, barns and other buildings and neither they nor their roosts can be harmed, or in any way disturbed (even if the roost is not being used).

Tip. It’s a legal requirement to contact English Nature before you do anything that might affect bats or their roosts. They can be contacted through their website http://www.english-nature.org.uk.

Health concerns

In Britain bats very rarely transmit diseases to humans, but recent increases in recorded deaths and illnesses relating to bats and their droppings illustrate the need to take steps to protect yourself against infection. The fatal rabies-related European Bat Lyssavirus (EBLV) can be contracted from a single bat bite, and the infectious disease Histoplasmosis can be caused by spores within the bat droppings being disturbed and subsequently becoming air-borne and then inhaled. Histoplasmosis affects the lungs; it materialises after an incubation period of approximately ten days as mild flu-like symptoms which need to be treated before the condition worsens into, in some cases, chronic lung disease.

What can you do to protect yourself?

Great care must be taken when working within areas where there is a risk of roosting bats or evidence of recent bat activity. Before entering these work areas a risk assessment should be carried out. The assessment should determine if safe access can be obtained into the working area, whether there’s a risk from being bitten or scratched by bats and whether, during the course of the work, dust and debris from bat droppings will be disturbed or become airborne. As particles contained within bat droppings are so fine, consideration should also be given to the risks under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) of unintentionally disturbing the surrounding area from, for example, removing a loft hatch, making the risk of breathing in the spores more likely. In such cases disposable overalls should be worn and a FFP3 respirator used (available from most PPE suppliers). Wherever practical, consideration may also be given to damping-down areas where bat droppings may be found. This will help to suppress airborne particles and dust and thereby reducing the risk of spores being inhaled.

Tip. If you’re unsure about the risks, don’t enter the space but seek further advice from an organisation such as the Bat Conservation Trust http://www.bats.org.uk or contact their National Bat Helpline on 08451 300228.

Handling bats

Unless you are an experienced bat handler, bats should never be handled even if they’re injured or appear disorientated. In such circumstances an expert should be called from you local Animal Health Divisional Office (AHDO) where a specialist worker will examine the bat and retrieve it if they feel it is appropriate to do so. A contact for your local AHDO can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/contacts/ahdo.htm.