Effective procedural biosecurity is a mindset and series of actions
It’s easy to think that the solution for disease outbreak prevention is found within a product or chemical. However, the reality is far more complex. One of the most valuable and important things to change is the mindset, strategy and approach. This is at the heart of effective procedural biosecurity.
Procedural biosecurity starts at the top
Strong biosecurity does not come from the actions of an individual. It comes from the collective processes of all farm staff – and its visitors. Ultimately, responsibility lies with senior management to ensure that all staff have been provided with appropriate training and resources to implement the best biosecurity practices. The same applies to processes to oversee all biosecurity measures. There are no shortcuts. The time and money invested in staff training pays dividends for everyone in the future.
Developing a strong culture of procedural biosecurity comes through living and breathing biosecurity every day, at every point on the farm. At Livetec, we encourage our growing community of farmers and farm managers to assume that everything outside the shed is contaminated. The challenge, then, is to take an assumed rate of 100% contamination outside of the shed and turn it into 0% contamination at the point of entry to the birds. From this starting point, all actions – however small – can contribute to the farm’s biosecurity profile.
One vital component that can contribute to this process is the quality of structural biosecurity. This focuses on the very layout of the site and buildings itself. As much as these big structural issues are important, however, it is the little changes and consistencies that have the most impact.
The shorter the visit, the greater the risk
We naturally have instincts to create shortcuts in most scenarios. However, this perfectly natural approach on a farm could be deadly. Especially when a farm is faced with visitors.
It makes logical sense that when visits are planned, often those of a longer duration, that suitable biosecurity measures will be put in place and followed. All the required clothing and equipment checks and changes will be actioned. If the overarching intention is to turn a hypothetical 100% infection rate into the desired 0%, this is how people would act. But what about shorter visits?
Research suggests that for farm visits lasting from five to 17 minutes, there is a 50% less probability of compliance with boot changing protocols than there is for visits of an hour or longer. For longer visits, compliance can fall as low as 12%. It’s easy to understand why. Short visits might take just as long to complete the biosecurity protocols as to conduct the purpose of the visit.
However, it is precisely at unguarded moments like these – when the biosecurity guard is down – that transmission by fomites, whether they be clothing, boots or wheels, can happen. It is these small lapses that need to be eradicated through a changing mindset – at every level of farm personnel. Such tiny lapses can lead to devastating impacts on flocks, farms and finances.
Attention to detail
These tiny lapses can easily occur in other areas as well as farm entry. It is easy to understand why some cleaning and disinfectant products might be diluted due to a multitude of reasons. However, this will quickly render them useless. So, blinded by a false sense of security, the door to disease is open and unguarded.
Small alterations to protocol, whether through complacency, time-pressures, cost-pressures or other factors in areas like record keeping, vehicle cleaning and monitoring, along with lowering the quality of things like feed and bedding can leave a farm and flock wide open to disease.
How Livetec can help
With decades of on-farm experience and extensive research we provide the UK poultry and swine industries with our award-winning biosecurity products, services and training.
Livetec understands the biosecurity challenges facing the UK’s farmers and are eager to help. We want to help create a biosecurity-focussed mindset from the top of your farming business down. We want to help embed cultures and practices that make biosecurity measures as natural as breathing.
With our unique Biosecurity Advisory Service and plans, our expert advisors are ready to help you take your biosecurity to the next level and secure your animals, staff and business.
Find out more about our range of services and products here.
