Farm access represents the first critical control point for entry of an infectious disease organism into the farm. It is essential, therefore, to have a perimeter that discourages or prevents unauthorized entry by people and their equipment, while allowing authorized entry when certain conditions have been met. All visitors, including casual and professional, and equipment entering the area behind the access control, referred to as the Controlled Access Zone, should be subjected to conditions and procedures that will minimize the chance of a disease infecting the flock.

While all producers will agree that keeping disease out of their flock is the ultimate goal of a biosecurity program, it is equally important to keep any pathogen that may make its way onto the farm contained within the farm. Biosecurity is a two-way process.

All visitors must comply with the entry and exit procedures required by the farm’s biosecurity procedures when entering the Controlled Access Zone. Those refusing to comply should be refused entry. Vehicles should be kept out of the Controlled Access Zone unless absolutely necessary. If a vehicle or equipment is required to enter the Controlled Access Zone, procedures to be followed should include cleaning and, when necessary, disinfection. Those people accompanying the vehicles or equipment should be required to pay attention to personal sanitation, which includes wearing Clean protective outerwear, especially foot covering, and washing and sanitizing hands. The Controlled Access Zone has only one secure primary access. Visitor entry into the Controlled Access Zone must only be through the primary access or residence access. Any secondary accesses are for farm use only.

It is the responsibility of the farm owner to have a record of all traffic and visitors entering the farm. Delivery invoices may be used as records, however a list may be needed quickly in the event of a disease outbreak to facilitate rapid response. For this reason it is suggested that the farm owner fill in the visitor log at least weekly with information on invoices left at the farm.

Technical Service Personnel and allied trades (hatchery, feed, veterinarians, inspectors, government regulators, equipment representatives, etc.) serve an important function in poultry husbandry, trouble shooting, sales and communication but at the same time may pose a significant threat to the biosecurity of the farm and poultry industry. Movement from farm to farm is a requirement for technical service personnel. They must be particularly diligent in adhering to their biosecurity protocol. The producer should monitor this to ensure it is happening.

Secure barriers are the first line of defense in minimizing the transmission of infectious diseases both to and from the farm operation.

a. The barrier should be a fixed gate, chain or equivalent that restricts access.

b. The secure barrier must remain closed other than when a vehicle is passing into or out of the Controlled Access Zone.

c. The secure barrier should deter unauthorized foot traffic.

d. The barrier must be capable of being secured with a lock.

e. Secondary accesses must be locked and secure at all times.

f. Driveways that do not provide vehicular access to the Controlled Access Zone do not require a secure barrier.

g. For safety reasons, the primary access should provide sufficient room for all vehicles to get completely off a public road.

h. Where feasible, farm residences should be accessed from outside the Controlled Access Zone.

The secure barrier is designed to impede vehicular traffic and discourage unauthorized foot traffic. It must remain closed and latched, other than when a vehicle is passing into or out of the Controlled Access Zone. Regardless of the structure used, the barrier must be lockable. While it is not always necessary to lock the gate, at times of biosecurity emergencies, it is expected to be mandatory to keep it locked.

The preferred barrier is a fixed gate. The gate should be high enough to be visible from a car or truck cab and to prevent the vehicle from moving through without opening the gate. It should be made of sturdy, rust-resistant metal with permanently fixed posts (e.g. set in concrete) at both the hinge and latching ends. Approved biosecurity signage must be securely fixed to the gate and clearly visible to approaching traffic. 

Figure 3 Tapered Metal Pipe Gate

If a gate is not feasible, then the barrier should be, at the very least, a metal chain. It should be high enough to be visible from a car or truck cab, yet low enough to prevent small vehicles from passing under it. A height of approximately 1 meter at the lowest point should be sufficient. The biosecurity signage must be securely fixed to the chain or right hand post and clearly visible to approaching traffic. If the sign is attached to the post, a reflector or sign should be attached to the chain to make it highly visible, especially at night. Figure 4 shows an example of a chain barrier.

        Figure 4 Metal Chain Barrier

Secondary accesses may provide easy entry to the Controlled Access Zone for unauthorized traffic. Therefore it is necessary to have a secure barrier at these locations as well. Construction of these barriers must be similar to that of barriers at the Primary access. Whether the barriers are gates or chains, secondary accesses must be locked and secure at all times. Appropriate signage must also be attached and visible.

Driveways that do not allow entry to the Controlled Access Zone do not require a secure barrier.

While only manually operated gates or chains are required, remote control, automatic, or power-assisted structures would be a significant enhancement.

Primary access should provide sufficient room for a truck to get completely off a public road. An enhanced measure would be to relocate the primary access and decontamination site to a location that would accommodate all trucks, regardless of length.

Farm residences should be accessed from outside the Controlled Access Zone where possible. When the Controlled Access Zone and residence share a driveway, construction of a separate driveway for access to the residence, allowing most farm visitors to avoid the Controlled Access Zone, would be a substantial enhancement.

Farmers are encouraged to have a designated parking area for visitors, either inside or outside the Controlled Access Zone, so that vehicles are never parked right beside the Barn. Ideally, no visiting vehicles would go into the Controlled Access Zone, unless absolutely necessary

The security of the Controlled Access Zone is strengthened by effective signage.

a. Biosecurity signage must be those approved by the appropriate board or commission.

b. Signs must be readily visible, clean, legible and in a location where they can be readily viewed.

c. The sign for secondary accesses must include instructions to locate the primary access.

d. Signs must communicate that the zone to be entered is a biosecure area.

Signs must be readily visible, clean, legible and attached to the secure barrier where they can be readily seen. The signs must clearly indicate that biosecurity is in effect and that access is controlled. Contact information should be part of the primary access signage and instructions to locate the primary access must be included on the secondary access signage..

Standing water can harbor infectious diseases that may be transported to or from the premises by vehicular traffic and people. Such protected pathogens also serve as a reservoir that may re-infect the farm after cleaning and disinfection.

a. Persistent standing water must not be evident on the driveway.

b. All driveways, particularly gravel driveways, must be maintained to prevent grades or potholes that allow the persistent accumulation of pooled water.

Driveways must be properly graded and maintained at all times. The test for an effectively maintained driveway is that there will be no standing water evident at any time. All driveways, and particularly gravel driveways, must be maintained to prevent potholes and grades in which water may accumulate.

The construction of the driveway should be adequate for the area and conditions under which it will be used. It is recommended that the driveway be planned and constructed by a reliable company. A well-constructed and engineered driveway will mean significantly less ongoing maintenance.

Paved or concrete driveways are an enhancement over gravel.

Visible accumulations of organic matter can harbor and protect infectious organisms that can then be transported onto or off of the premises. As with water-protected organisms, this organic debris can serve as a reservoir that may re-infect the farm. These accumulations must be removed to reduce the risk of disease transmission. In the event of an infectious disease outbreak, disinfection may be required to further reduce the opportunity for disease to spread to or from the premises.

Cleaning and decontamination is the removal of accumulations of organic matter and other debris that, if not removed, could be dislodged while a vehicle, equipment, or personnel are on the farm. Any vehicles or equipment entering the Controlled Access Zone that has not been previously cleaned must be cleaned at the decontamination site.

It is important to differentiate between "Cleaning and decontamination" and "disinfection". Cleaning and decontamination removes any dirt or organic debris that may carry disease-causing organisms from vehicles and equipment. Disinfection is another step in which the vehicle or equipment is treated with a chemical that is designed to kill viruses and bacteria. During routine operations, when there is no specific disease threat, only cleaning and decontamination is required. During certain disease events, such as Notifiable Avian Influenza, the additional step of disinfection will be required.

The Cleaning and Decontamination Site must be designed so that effective, thorough cleaning can be carried out at any time. It must be graded in such a way that runoff is directed to a ground area that may be seeded with vegetation to allow good drainage and filtration. If a waterway or watercourse is nearby, the runoff must be contained in such a manner that it can be removed and disposed of according to appropriate regulations. There must be a readily available source of water and cleaning agents for use as necessary. An effective method of cleaning, such as a hose and nozzle attached directly to a water source or a pressure sprayer with sufficient pressure to enable removal of organic debris, must also be available.

Under emergency disease outbreak conditions, disinfection may be required. Therefore, the decontamination site must also be designed so that disinfection of vehicles and equipment can be done. 

There are a number of enhancements that can be made to the decontamination site, including runoff collection capability, disposal field improvements, concrete with berms to direct runoff, and a shed to house disinfectants, cleaners, and a powered pressure washer.

While a collection container is necessary only where regulations require, the ability to collect any chemical runoff would be a major improvement. This might include a sunken container or a concrete trough.

Surface runoff from cleaning and decontamination of vehicles and equipment may be acceptable if prevented from flowing into a watercourse. Seeding the area with grass or similar vegetation that will trap and help filter the runoff enhances control. Concrete curbs around the decontamination site will direct any runoff into the appropriate area, even if heavy rainfall or extraneous runoff occurs.

A powered pressure washer with cleaner and disinfectant available can be used to clean vehicles and equipment as they enter the Controlled Access Zone. This will be enhanced with a shed or storage area that houses the equipment and supplies. The shed will also protect the electrical and water supply. A further enhancement would include a supply of hot water.

Rationale: Visible accumulations of organic matter can harbor and allow transport of infectious organisms onto or off of the premises and can serve as a reservoir for reinfection.

a. Any organic material accumulation in the Controlled Access Zone that might result in infectious material being transported onto or from the farm by footwear, vehicle tires or a vehicle’s undercarriage must be cleaned up.

b. A high standard of on-farm housekeeping will reduce the work required to clean the controlled accessed zone.

Beyond construction that is designed to prevent standing water, it is important to ensure that organic debris does not accumulate on the driveway. Allowing only Clean vehicles onto the premises will be an important first step in preventing such accumulation. Should any debris or clutter be dropped onto the driveway, it should be immediately removed.

Good routine maintenance cannot be improved upon. Enhanced driveway surface in the form of pavement or concrete will ease cleaning efforts, and could be considered a maintenance enhancement.