Appendix 4 - Visits to premises under specific restrictions

SIM 01/2010/02

Introduction

1. Inspectors should not normally visit any farm premises subject to specific animal health disease restrictions.

2. Where a visit to farm premises on which animals have been or are about to be slaughtered for disease control reasons is unavoidable (eg to investigate a fatal or major accident, etc), such visits can only be made with the permission of Animal Health's Regional Field Manager (RFM) (in England, or the Divisional Veterinary Manager (DVM) in Scotland and Wales) who will issue a licence where necessary.

3. RFM/DVMs will only normally authorise visits providing appropriate biosecurity measures are taken and after preliminary cleaning and disinfection of the premises has taken place. In exceptional circumstances, such as a fatal accident, inspectors may require access to farm premises before preliminary cleaning and disinfection has been completed. Again, such visits can only be made with the permission of the RFM/DVM, under the authority of a licence.

4. The RFM/DVM may require the inspector to be accompanied by an officer from the Animal Health Regional Office, to comply with the conditions in the schedule to the restrictions and/or to comply with any additional requirements of the licence. Inspectors should follow the precautions set out below and particularly note the need to observe relevant 'quarantine' periods.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Risk Assessment                                                    

5. Current information on the status of an individual farm, or the extent and restrictions in places within a local control zone can be obtained from the relevant Animal Health Regional Office or from the DEFRA website.

6. Veterinary risk assessments for some diseases have been published and are also available on the DEFRA website. The Sector will monitor DEFRA's website and inform operational Band 1s/2s of relevant information.

Additional biosecurity measures

7. In addition to the general biosecurity measures listed earlier in this guidance, FOD staff should:

1. Follow the additional measures detailed in Appendix 2;
2. Visit only with the permission of the RFM/DVM who will issue a licence where necessary;
3. In the absence of a specific instruction in any licence issued by the RFM/DVM, inspectors should wear waterproof protective clothing and waterproof boots at all times;
4. If the RFM/DVM licences a visit to a restricted premises before preliminary cleaning and disinfection has taken place, the following condition must be observed:
   1. After a visit to such premises a specified 'quarantine' period must elapse before the inspector can either visit another farm which has susceptible animals or have contact with such animals while outside of work (eg the period for Foot and Mouth Disease is 72 hours). For example, the inspector should not keep or tend to susceptible animals (they may live on a farm or keep susceptible species such as chickens) and should not walk their dog across fields containing susceptible species. If the inspector cannot adhere to such quarantine conditions outside of work, then they should not visit farms where quarantine restrictions apply;
   2. Any additional measures required by the RFM/DVM's licence.