National Biosecurity Standard for Livestock, Poultry and Deadstock Transportation
Annex 6: Biosecurity guidance for choosing a wash station
The following general criteria should be considered for choosing a wash station for cleaning and disinfection;
- Access pathways
- Ideally clean transport units do not take the same route as dirty transport units.
- Pathways are maintained and are kept free of manure and other organic matter.
- Pathways are graded and made with a surface material that allows for year-round drainage.
- Site organization
- There is physical and functional separation of clean and dirty areas to ensure that there is no cross-contamination between dirty and clean transport units.
- There are designated storage areas for clean versus dirty transport units.
- Vehicles (flow and parking), equipment (flow and storage) and staff (flow and duties) are organized to ensure that there is no cross contamination between clean and dirty areas.
- Scrape-out locations are completely separated from the wash site and pose no risk of cross-contamination of the wash site or of cleaned and disinfected transport units leaving the site.
- There is physical and functional separation of clean and dirty areas to ensure that there is no cross-contamination between dirty and clean transport units.
- Wash bays/Washing areas
- Designed in a way that prevents wash water from contaminating other areas and equipment on the site.
- Floors are bermed to prevent water from flowing and contaminating areas outside of the wash bay.
- Walls or curtains are used to prevent contaminated wash water from splashing out of the washing area.
- Floors are sloped to provide good drainage and direct water towards a wastewater collection system.
- The floor and walls or curtains are made from a material that can be cleaned and disinfected.
- Wash bays are cleaned and disinfected between transport unit washes. See Annex 4a: Example of a wash bay protocol for swine and ruminant transport Units.
- Wash area is drive-through so that clean trailers do not have to take the same route as dirty trailers.
- Kept at a temperature above freezing year round.
- Designed in a way that prevents wash water from contaminating other areas and equipment on the site.
- Water
- Quality
- Water that does not contribute to the level of contamination or pathogen load and available in sufficient quantity to perform the clean and disinfection process.
- Using recycled wash water without treatment is a risk.
- Hardness (presence of ions of calcium and magnesium may interfere with the effectiveness of detergents and degreasers).
- Neutral pH water is recommended since alkaline and acidic water will impact the efficacy of detergents and disinfectants.
- Water that does not contribute to the level of contamination or pathogen load and available in sufficient quantity to perform the clean and disinfection process.
- Capacity to achieve the manufacturer's recommended water temperature for the detergent and disinfectant.
- Detergents or disinfectants are less effective when water temperature is outside of the recommended range.
- Quality
- Effluent collection systems
- Has the capacity required for the site (there is no backup of dirty water that can contaminate wash bays or washing areas, access pathways or storage areas).
- Stores effluent in a biosecure manner until it can be disposed or treated.
- Wash water, manure and organic matter are managed and disposed of in accordance with municipal, provincial and federal legislation and regulation.
- Use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) (see Figure 13 as an example)
- Wear PPE that provides effective protection for the process and chemicals used.
- PPE recommendations can often be found on the detergent and disinfectant manufacturer's label.
- Another source of recommendations is the chemical Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). An MSDS is a document that contains information on the potential hazards (health, fire, reactivity and environmental) and how to work safely with the chemical product.
- Most importantly, do not re-contaminate the transport unit after final pathogen inactivation step.
- Wear PPE that provides effective protection for the process and chemicals used.

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