Advantage Good Agricultural Practices Manual

2.5 Access

If visitors, workers, livestock and wildlife have uncontrolled access to or within the farm, contamination can occur in a variety of ways.

This Good Agricultural Practice applies to:

All farms.

What needs to be done

Control or manage access to or within the farm to reduce contamination.

How to do it

Limit visitor access

• Determine areas of restricted access.
• Use restricted access signs or have building security, such as locked doors,to prohibit entry.

Establish visitor access practices

Have practices in place for visitors such as agri-business service providers or tour groups. These practices could include:

• Requesting visitors have clean clothing and footwear
• Using preventive measures (e.g. single-use boots, coveralls, boot wash stations or footbaths)
• Designating parking or loading/unloading areas
• Designating traffic patterns for vehicles and visitors
• Providing a Visitor Log

Protect water and feed sources

If necessary,limit access to water sources by livestock and wildlife by using deterrents such as fencing or noise bangers.

Drain and clean water troughs regularly to remove livestock manure and bird droppings.

Avoid leftover feed in bunks and clean up spilled feed that may attract wildlife.

Reduce the spread of disease

Implement preventive measures to reduce the spread of disease in livestock and poultry. These measures could include:

• Quarantining or separating new arrivals where possible
• Adopting all-in-all-out or staggered starter/grower/finisher management cycles
• Managing worker and livestock movements from high-risk to low-risk areas
• Adopting sanitary measures between high-risk and low-risk areas.
  

Did you know?

In the fall of 2006, over 200 people in the U.S. and Canada became seriously ill with E. coli O157:H7 after eating raw spinach from California. Although the direct route of contamination is still unknown, investigators found at the farm a pathogen in samples from cattle and wild animal feces, soil and water. This pathogen was identical to the one found in the people who were sick and also on the spinach. Cattle in the nearby area had access to water supplies that might have been used to irrigate the spinach. Wild animals (feral pigs) also had access to the spinach fields.

If you need an audit

Be prepared for the auditor to:

• Observe restricted access areas and the appropriate signage
• Possibly review visitor access practices and/or a Visitor Log
  

Sample template

If you require a Visitor Log, we have provided a record template for your use in the Training and Support Tools section. A printable version is also available.

Laws and regulations that apply

There are a number of laws that regulate biosecurity and disease management in agricultural production, but few impact on food safety directly. This section refers only to the control of diseases that may be spread to humans through food consumption. Many animal and plant diseases that are regulated to prevent their spread to other animals or plants have no impact on food safety for humans.

The Milk Act, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 761 sets out the following requirements that are related to biosecurity:

• S. 4, no animal that is suffering from an illness or infected with a disease that adversely affects the quality of milk or cream shall come into contact with animals from which milk or cream is obtained for sale or be stabled on premises used for production, handling, storing or transportation of milk or cream.
• S. 10, no animals other than bovine or caprine genus are permitted in any part of a stable used for the stabling or milking of animals.
• S.12 (5), no animals or fowl shall be permitted to enter a milkhouse.
  
  

Legislation to be aware of

Ensure any animals received are not prohibited under biosecurity regulations that prohibit or restrict the import of certain live animals under the Health of Animals Act (Canada), 1990, c. 21 and Regulations. For example, these regulations place import restrictions and quarantine requirements on a number of animals, including a prohibition against the import of cattle from non-BSE-free countries, honeybees and other animals.

Under the Health of Animals Act (Canada), 1990, c. 21, s. 5 and s. 6, producers who own or have possession, care or control of an animal that has a reportable disease or toxic substance or any fact indicating its presence in or around the animal must notify the nearest veterinary inspector and take samples as required. S. 7 requires that where there exists a disease or toxic substance that is capable of affecting animals, the owner or person in possession, care or control of the animal shall post a notice forbidding entry without the person's permission. The animal in question may not be put out on unenclosed land; brought to market, fair or other location; or be sold or transferred without a licence issued by an inspector or officer [s. 9-s. 11]. The Reportable Diseases Regulations, SOR/91-2 set out the list of diseases that cannot be concealed and must be reported.

See also Health Promotion and Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7, s. 17 and Food and Drugs Act (Canada), R.S., c. F-27, s. 4.

Other legislation to be aware of

To the extent that a workplace hazard may be associated with disease, workers must be informed and trained. See Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1990, c.O.1, s.26 [as of June 30, 2006 - see O. Reg. 414/05 Farming Operations]. The new Guidelines, Section Three: Large Animal Handling require that workers in contact with animals should wear appropriate personal protective equipment, and should be aware of any transmissible diseases that animals may carry and be instructed on how to prevent transmission to themselves and other animals.

Proceed to 3.1 Equipment Maintenance and Calibration