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This document has been prepared by the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation as the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for visitors to farming enterprises to prevent the inadvertent introduction or spread of animal diseases, especially Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).

The SOP below should be implemented by all persons and entities entering farming enterprises, irrespective of the purpose of the visit. In other words, the SOP should be applicable to all farm visits, including those for delivery or collection of animals or products, for service delivery or for mandatory inspections, irrespective of whether the persons entering the farm are private individuals, representatives of any company, or officials, staff or subcontractors of government (national, provincial and local) or state-owned enterprises with statutory rights, such as Eskom, Department of Labour, SAPS, Department of Water Affairs etc. 

Any visits to the farm that are not absolutely necessary must be avoided, regardless of purpose.  This includes, but is not limited to, routine patrols, inspections, and meter readings.

  • All planned visits to farms must be evaluated on merit and urgency, and only occur if no other alternative exists. Any visits to the farm that are not absolutely necessary must be avoided, irrespective of their purpose. Meter readings for electricity, for example, can be collected by phone rather than in person.
  • The biggest biosecurity risk occurs when there is movement between farms (e.g., feed trucks, milk collection vehicles, animal transporters, meter readings, electric line or water pipeline inspections). Visits for a specific intent (arrest/investigation/repairs) to a single farm from a non-farm location, such as the office/depot, are considered relatively low risk, but this does not mean the biosecurity measures are not applicable.
  • Owners/occupiers of farms must ensure that access by people, vehicles, or animals is controlled and does not occur without prior permission. This needs to be done by keeping all entrances to the property locked and putting up signs at these entrances explaining the biosecurity measures and providing contact details for the visitor contractor to arrange access (please refer to Addendum A: Example of Biosecurity Board).
  • Visitors/contractors must arrange access with the owner/occupier before entering the property. Preferably at least 24 hours prior to arrival, or upon arrival at the gate.
  • However, NO visits to farms under FMD quarantine, or within the high surveillance 10km radius around an infected farm, or within a declared DMA should be done without at least 48 hours’ prior notification and arrangements with the owner. These properties can be identified using the RMIS FMD Incident Map (https://rmis.co.za/rmis-traceabilityplatform/) by clicking “Incidents” next to the “Search Box” on the map.
  • All vehicles, as well as the shoes and hands of people, must be disinfected before entering the property. Ideally, all visitors should be provided with protective clothing. Although the owner/occupier of the property should be able to perform this task, it must be remembered that access may need to be granted to statutory bodies during emergencies or to unoccupied properties. Persons entering the farm should therefore carry a registered disinfectant in case immediate access is needed. Self-disinfection should also be done when access is gained through servitude gates, for example, those along Eskom lines.
  • All contractors/visitors should declare visits to high-risk properties or areas (FMD DMA, positive, or high surveillance) during the past 7 days. The owner/occupier may deny immediate access to a farm based on the declaration, and an alternative date should be arranged.
  • No interaction with animals is allowed, unless for a specific intent and with the permission of the owner/occupier of the land.
  • The owner/occupier of the property should be notified when the intended work/visit to the farm is completed. The owner/occupier must ensure that visitors’ vehicles, shoes, and hands are disinfected before they leave the property, and that protective clothing is removed and sealed for disinfection. If the property is visited after the visitor self-disinfects their vehicles, shoes, and hands, the visitor must ensure disinfection is repeated when they leave the property.