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Biosecurity for On-farm Service Providers
Biosecurity guidelines when entering farms or animal facilities
Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility. Good biosecurity protects businesses and jobs in primary production and related industries such as eco-tourism, hospitality and travel.
Utility workers, contractors, volunteers and community support providers (and anyone else visiting properties) need to be aware of basic biosecurity measures. Even if a disease cannot infect humans, people can still transfer disease to livestock without realising.
These guidelines apply when visiting farms or animal facilities such as saleyards, stables, kennels, abattoirs and catteries. If followed they will help minimise the risk of spreading infectious diseases such as equine influenza and foot and mouth disease.
What’s the risk?
People - can carry disease-causing organisms - clothes, shoes, hands and even nasal passages can harbour organisms.
Vehicles - tyres and the undercarriage of a vehicle can pick up dirt or manure which contains disease causing organisms.
Equipment - can carry disease to livestock. This is even more likely if it is equipment used regularly on or near animals.
What you need to know
- Avoid all unnecessary contact with livestock.
- Consider boots, shoes, work clothes and overalls - do they need to be cleaned or changed?
- Wash hands after contact with any farm animal, including working dogs and pets.
- As vehicles are hard to clean, park your vehicles away from places that are trafficked by animals, such as sheds, livestock thoroughfares and paddocks. Where possible leave vehicles at gate to property.
- Avoid moving soil (including on your boots) from property to property.
- Check that equipment used with stock is properly cleaned and disinfected.
- Keep informed - know about disease issues in your district and observe all biosecurity measures in place.
If you spot unexpected or unusual signs of disease, abnormal behaviour or unexpected deaths in animals, act immediately. Call a veterinarian, local government animal health authority or the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.
Biosecurity guidelines when entering farms or animal facilities 
PDF [84kb]
Guidelines for visits to farms or animal facilities during an animal disease outbreak
During the outbreak of an emergency animal disease biosecurity measures are essential to help stop its spread.
People, vehicles, equipment and clothing can transport infectious animal diseases. Anyone who has contact with infected animals or their environment can transfer infection.
The guidelines below are for visitors (e.g. visits by utility providers, service providers, contractors, or community support providers) who attend properties or animal facilities during an animal disease outbreak.
Animal facilities include places such as saleyards, stables, kennels, abattoirs and catteries.
Visitors must follow all the guidelines below to help contain the disease.
Is your visit necessary?
- Check if the visit is necessary. Only essential vehicles/visitors should enter farms or animal facilities.
- Use other methods of communication with property owners, for example, phoning for meter readings.
Before you enter a property
- Contact the property owner.
- Plan your vehicle and personal decontamination. If the property owner advises that suitable disinfection equipment is not present on the property, bring disinfectant, water, bucket, towel and scrubbing brush. Also, bring a change of clothes and a sealable laundry bag.
When you enter a property
- Where possible, leave your vehicle at the front gate or away from animals.
- Drive or walk on driveways or hard surfaces where possible.
- Go directly in and out of the property.
- Do not physically go near any animals. Keep away from animal products such as manure, urine, feathers or hair, equipment and bedding.
Procedures to follow during visits
- Do not come into direct contact with animals, their products, equipment or housing.
- No special procedures are required for visitors who only use sealed paths or roads and have no contact with animals or people in direct contact with animals.
- More decontamination is required if a visit involves direct or close contact with animals or people with close contact, or driving across roads or paddocks.
Leaving a property
- If a vehicle enters a property, cleaning is required if it gets mud or manure over its surface.
- If you come into direct contact with an animal, full personal decontamination (below) is required. You should avoid contact with other animals for 24 hours.
Personal decontamination
- After coming into direct contact with an animal, wash all exposed skin with soap and water, and disinfect footwear. Change clothes, including hat and footwear before handling healthy animals.
- Launder clothes in hot water and laundry detergent.
- Even if you haven't come into direct contact with animals, wash your hands with soap and water, and clean and disinfect footwear. A change of clothes is not required if you did not come in contact with animals.
Decontaminating vehicles
- Clean and wash vehicles thoroughly with water to remove all matter. Wash wheels and wheel arches (and undercarriage) thoroughly with detergent and water.
- Drivers should ensure that they clean inside their cabin (including seat, steering wheel, door and door handle) and change their clothes and shoes. Place the dirty clothes and shoes in a plastic bag and perform personal decontamination of these items.
Emergency outbreak guidelines PDF [80kb]
