A technician travelling between farms has a job to complete and a timetable to keep. If the first useful instruction appears only after they have driven into the wrong area, the visit has already become more complicated than it needed to be.
Farm biosecurity is easier to put into practice when the instructions reach visitors before they arrive. That applies to regular service providers as well as people coming to the property for the first time.
Make the arrival message useful
MPI's farm biosecurity guidance explains that disease can move on clothing, vehicles and equipment, as well as through animal contact. Its visitor guidance encourages calling ahead, checking the property's requirements and confirming where to drive and park.
A short booking message can identify the correct entrance, parking area, on-site contact and any equipment or clothing requirements. Explain whether the visitor should wait to be met and which areas are outside the scope of the job. Keep those directions current as farm activity changes.
The instructions should be practical for the work being done. If cleaning facilities are required, confirm where they are and how they are to be used. A sign telling someone to clean equipment is less effective if there is no clear arrangement for doing it.
Plan the departure as well
A visitor heading to another property needs to leave with the same care used on arrival. MPI's farm-visit guidance covers cleaning footwear and gear, recording visits and meeting biosecurity requirements before moving on.
Discuss the details with contractors who visit several sites in one day. Their experience may reveal a gap in the plan, such as a cleaning step that cannot be completed with the equipment available. Resolve it in advance rather than relying on someone to improvise.
Keep the farm's own animal-health and biosecurity advice at the centre of the process. The administrative improvement is simple: make it obvious what a visitor should do, who can answer a question and when the requirements have changed.
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Related reading: Biosecurity readiness starts before the emergency.
