C4 Africa

Vehicle Disinfection and Control Procedures Practice

Jun 17, 2017

Vehicles Arriving at Poultry Sites:

  • Control of all movements (e.g. of equipment and personnel) must be given immediate priority in the event of a disease outbreak The following biosecurity measures should be adopted by all personnel in the poultry industry in the vicinity of premises where a disease outbreak has occurred or is suspected:
  • A record should be kept of all visitors to the premises, including the dates of visits, the names of visitors, and the purpose of the visit.
  • Do not drive onto the contaminated farm or quarantined premises.
  • Park the vehicle at least 100 m from the poultry site area or outside the entrance to the contaminated premises.
  • Vehicle wheel baths do not constitute an effective disinfection method for vehicles entering and leaving contaminated premise.
  • Infectious disease organisms can be introduced to or removed from contaminated premises on vehicle tires and underneath vehicle frames. Driving slowly through a wheel bath will not remove caked soil and manure, and the removal of these deposits by high-pressure water is therefore mandatory prior to disinfectant application.
  • Vehicles should be disinfected as follows before entering the poultry sites:
  • Wheels, tires, wheel arches, mud-guards and underneath the vehicle must be given special attention.
  • The external areas of the vehicle should be disinfected thoroughly.
  • Loading ramp, tail gate lift etc. shouldn’t be ignored.
  • Keep vehicle windows closed to prevent insects from entering.
  • A supply of sealable plastic bags should be kept in the vehicle; these may be used to store equipment, etc., on returning to the vehicle from the contaminated premises.
  • Before entering the property, change into biosecurity clothing. This includes freshly-laundered fabric coveralls or disposable coveralls. Use only rubber boots which have been cleaned, washed and properly disinfected. Use headgear covers and disinfected hardhats, as necessary. Wear short-sleeved undershirts (or roll sleeves above elbows) before putting on protective coveralls.
  • Do not bring lunch coolers and boxes, or drinks and other consumable items onto the contaminated premises. If food and liquids must be carried onto the premises, use disposable water containers, cups and other items. Properly dispose of all containers before leaving the premises.

Cleaning and Disinfection of Vehicles at the End of the Day:

  • At the end of a work day all trucks should be cleaned in the following manner:
  • Wheels, tires, wheel arches, mud-guards and underneath the vehicle must be given special attention.
  • The external areas of the vehicle should be disinfected thoroughly.
  • Loading ramp, tail gate lift etc. shouldn’t be ignored
  • Internal surface areas are included as well.
  • One of the most contaminated areas are the steps towards the cabin.
  • It is important not to forget to disinfect the feed delivery pipes of the feed trucks.
  • Bulk carriers can be disinfected by misting or fogging
  • Every washed tool and equipment must be soaked in a disinfectant solution.
  • Once, the cleaning and disinfecting process are executed successfully, you must place the vehicle in a clean environment free of contamination to dry completely. Before using the vehicle again, it is essential to evaluate the entire vehicle and check out whether there are any debris remaining or not. It is important to carry out the process every day so that there is no spread of diseases.

Cleaning and Disinfection Agents and Equipment:

  • The choice of cleaning materials and equipment is a very important consideration to ensure that all cleaning is thorough and complete.
  • On the outside of the vehicle there is the “traffic film”. This is a buildup of dirt consisting of dust and grease (or petroleum and exhaust residues) that is attached to the body by the electrostatic load on the vehicle.
  • During summer time, dead insects will be added to the traffic film (by themselves already a carrier of different bugs). 
  • At the inside, the dirt depends on the load that the vehicle carries: it can be albumen and yolks from broken hatching eggs; fluff and droppings from day old chicks, droppings from broilers ready to slaughter, feed left overs etc. 
  • Thus both inside and outside the vehicle, the dirt is mainly organic.
  • Therefore, a slightly alkaline detergent should be used (alkaline products remove organic dirt like fats and certain proteins; acids remove inorganic dirt like lime scale). However, if the product is too alkaline, or contains high levels of sodium hydroxide or chlorine, it will corrode the body of the truck, especially the aluminium parts.
  • A product should be used containing sodium hydroxide and chlorine, but rich in surfactants or wetting agents that will decrease the surface tension and break through the dirt). If only water with high pressure is used, it won’t be possible to remove these specific types of dirt. 
  • Ideally, the detergent should be applied as a foam, using a foam lance and a high pressure sprayer (min. pressure 500 psi), starting at the bottom and going up with the lance.
  • The foam allows for a better coverage, and doesn’t dry up that fast, ensuring the chemical works effectively.
  • After the cleaning, the detergent should be rinsed off with plain water, before the disinfectant is applied.
  • Effective cleaning should remove approximately 80 % of the microbes.
  • On a clean surface, it’s possible to eliminate log 4 (i.e. 99.99 %) of the remaining 20 % microbes with an adequate disinfectant.
  • Gluteraldehyde, QAC’s and Virkon S can be used as disinfectants at the highest concentration recommended by manufacturer. Vantocil can also be used as an effective vehicle spray and has shown good results with less corrosive effects on vehicles and equipment.