Addendum for Containment Zones where Low-Risk Exotic Invertebrates are Displayed

This addendum was developed from the "Containment Standards for Facilities Handling Plant Pests" to describe requirements and recommendations for display containment zones, such as conservatories, public displays and mobile exhibits, where low-risk exotic invertebrates are held for public display purposes. This addendum excludes any type of laboratory facilities and experimental or research work.

For more information on physical and operational requirements for PPC-1 laboratories please refer to "Containment Standards for Facilities Handling Plant Pests".

Display containment zones can include permanent structures such as greenhouses and screenhouses in which butterflies can fly freely, and may also include terrarium displays where invertebrates are housed. In these zones, containment is achieved primarily through operational practices including training in safety and containment precautions with respect to rearing and eclosion areas, effective sanitation and housekeeping, monitoring for and controlling undesired invertebrates and/or organisms, and the use of good practices.

Regardless of the containment level of the zone, the physical attributes of the facility and the operational procedures must be suitable for containing the invertebrate(s) under consideration and should be tailored to that purpose. In view of the variables involved, the appropriate containment of invertebrates must be determined on a case-by-case basis and specific applications may require modifications to those described for each of the containment levels.

Display Containment Zone: Room(s) intended for the breeding, rearing and public display of live low-risk exotic invertebrates that are either free among greenery, or held in display case(s). Trained personnel typically handle and study invertebrates in a separate work and/or rearing/eclosion areas within the containment zone. Some requirements/recommendations are specific to the structure of the display case(s), and others are specific to the room. Some exclusions for mobile exhibits also exist.

Mobile Exhibit: A public display that is temporarily housed at one location for a fixed period of time, and may be relocated to other temporary locations.

Physical Containment Requirements

The following tables describe the physical containment and operational requirements for display containment zones.

The following symbols are used:

 Required
 Recommended ^{Table Note 1}

Structure, Location and Access
1	Appropriate security should be provided for the building.
2	Signage should be installed at the containment zone point(s) of entry indicating contact information and entry requirements.
3	Signage should be posted on the display case(s) indicating contact information and list of organism(s) including species.
4	Access to the containment zone must be provided via self-closing doors. Note: not applicable for mobile exhibits.
5	Access to the containment zone should be provided via lockable doors. Note: not applicable for mobile exhibits.
6	Access to the containment zone should be provided through an anteroom or via a darkened corridor in order to deter insects from exiting the containment zone. Inner anteroom door should be fitted with a forced-air curtain. Multiple sets of overlapped flaps hung from the ceiling (at least 1m apart) can be used to create an anteroom.
7	Audible alarms that are activated when emergency exit doors are opened should be provided when applicable. Alarmed emergency exit doors that open only from the inside should be provided. "Emergency Exit Only" signage should be posted on the exterior and interior of the emergency exit doors to deter unauthorized access. Note: not applicable for mobile exhibits
8	Dedicated clothing for authorized personnel, if worn, should be stored separately from street clothing.
9	Containment zones, including greenhouses and screenhouses, should be designed to withstand extremes of local weather (i.e snow and ice loads, as well as wind, windborne debris and hail).
10	Work and/or rearing/eclosion areas must be located within the containment zone.
11	Display cases (e.g. terrarium) to be screened, sealed or kept closed.
Containment Perimeter
12	Effective and acceptable means of waste treatment/disposal (e.g., hot/cold treatment) are to be located within the containment zone, or procedures are to be in place to safely transport waste to the treatment/disposal area.
13	The containment perimeter to have continuous floor, ceiling and wall surfaces to form a barrier against the ingress or egress of invertebrates, including all windows, doors and service penetrations into the area.
14	Adequate supplies (i.e., spare window panels, glazing and screening materials) should be available for emergency repair of greenhouse and display case(s) panels.
Facility Services
15	Containment zone air supply and exhaust vents are to be equipped with appropriate mesh screening to prevent escape of invertebrates. Note: not applicable for mobile exhibits.
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
16	A handwashing sink should be located within, and near the point of exit, of work and/or rearing/eclosion areas . Note: not applicable for mobile exhibits.
17	Soil traps, or other means to prevent escape of invertebrates, to be installed in drains as required.
18	Containment zone personnel to comply with all conditions specified on permits to import.

Operational Practices Requirements

The following table describes the operational practices applicable to the study and display of low-risk exotic invertebrates. Operational practices must be adequate to contain all invertebrates in use. Facility personnel, including scientists, technicians, and maintenance and greenhouse staff and visitors, all play an essential role in the successful containment of low-risk exotic invertebrates and the exclusion of unwanted invertebrates from containment zones.

Operational Practices
19	Access to rearing/eclosion areas to be limited to authorized containment zone personnel only.
20	A contact person to be designated for the containment zone.
21	Records of all imported invertebrates in the containment zone to be kept up-to-date and maintained for three years.
22	Personnel to be trained on invertebrate-associated hazards and the precautions necessary to prevent their release. Personnel to demonstrate evidence that they know and understand the required precautions.
23	Training records to be documented.
24	Refresher and retraining programs to be provided as appropriate.
25	Dedicated clothing, properly fastened, should be worn by containment zone personnel in work and/or rearing/eclosion areas.
26	Containment zone personnel to remove dedicated clothing, if worn, when exiting the work and/or rearing/eclosion areas.
27	All invertebrates to be rendered non-viable prior to disposal.
28	Good practices to be employed to prevent the escape of invertebrates (i.e., inspecting for hitchhikers on exit).
29	Doors to be kept closed to reduce the potential movement of invertebrates.
30	Containment zone should be locked when unoccupied. Access to receiving and rearing containment zone should be limited to authorized containment zone personnel.
31	Display case(s) to be kept locked when used as a public display exhibit. Note: not applicable for butterfly exhibits.
32	Eating, chewing gum, drinking, smoking, storing of food and utensils, storing of personal belongings, applying cosmetics, and inserting or removing contact lenses should not occur in work and/or rearing/eclosion areas.
33	For personnel in work and/or rearing/eclosion areas, long hair is to be tied back or restrained so that it cannot come into contact with hands, specimens, containers or equipment.
34	For transportation out of the containment zone, all invertebrates must be moved or transported in containers that are secure, leak-proof and not easily broken. The containers may only be opened within a containment zone that provides the appropriate containment level for the invertebrate(s) in question.
35	Contaminated materials and equipment are to be properly cleaned and decontaminated before leaving the containment zone for servicing or disposal.
36	All unintentionally introduced invertebrates are to be rendered non-viable as soon as they are detected. A follow-up to determine how the introduction occurred and implementation of measures to prevent future introductions is recommended.
37	Good sanitation practices should be implemented when working with invertebrates. These practices include: treating all plants and soils as if they are infected/infested; minimizing entry of personnel into work and/or rearing/eclosion areas; wearing gloves when handling invertebrates in work and/or rearing areas, or when cleaning insectariums, as appropriate. washing hands before leaving the containment zone work and/or rearing/eclosion areas, and at any time after handling invertebrates and/or materials known or suspected to be contaminated with plant invertebrates, if this poses a risk of inadvertently spreading invertebrates; cleaning and decontaminating work surfaces as appropriate with a suitable disinfectant; cleaning and decontaminating display case(s) after use, or using disposables that are decontaminated and discarded after use; eliminating unwanted invertebrates using a validated and acceptable means of waste treatment/disposal (i.e., hot/cold treatment, autoclave); inspecting for, and removing and destroying, host plants infected or infested with unwanted invertebrates; using good housekeeping practices to keep the area neat, clean and free of dead plant material and unwanted plants and invertebrates; and using dedicated cleaning equipment (e.g. brooms, mops, garbage cans) within the containment zone.
38	Autoclave, if used for the destruction of invertebrates, is to be regularly monitored using biological indicators to ensure efficacy (i.e., consider weekly or monthly monitoring, depending on the frequency of use of the autoclave). Monitoring records must be kept for three years.
39	Accidental release or escape of invertebrate(s) from the containment zone must be reported to the containment zone supervisor in addition to Plant Health Science Division (CFIA), and remedied as soon as possible. Written reports of such incidents must be maintained for three years, and the results of incident investigations used for continuing education.
40	An effective bird, rodent, weed and plant pest control program is to be maintained to prevent entry of and eliminate undesired pests from the containment zone.

Table Notes

Table Note 1

Recommended items are optional, depending upon the nature of the organism(s) requiring containment.

Return to table note 1  referrer