Card 07.01 Swine breeding

THE RISKS:

Bio hazard (due to direct animal contact)
Intoxication (due to inhalation of both dry food preparation and distribution phase and in animals and rooms cleaning for use of disinfectant and/or disinfesting)
Muscles, back and articulations injuries (due to manual load transport)
Fall (due to slipping caused by remains and stagnations)
Cuts, abrasions and crushing (due to machine, systems and equipment use, such as augers and hoppers)
Operator coming in contact with uncovered electrical parts (due to machines and systems presence)
Bites and attacks (interaction with animals)

It is necessary to remind that:
An appropriate facility designing and a strict observance of measures countering the zoonosis risk are the fundamental for accident prevention in a breeding. It is necessary to pay attention particularly to:
- inspection, assistance and animal intervention operations vaccinations, therapies, castrations and delivery help); and
- used facilities, equipment and materials hygiene (risks due to filthy surfaces, tainted food, insects, biological fluid contact, droppings and contaminated instruments).

PRACTICAL AND OPERATING INDICATIONS:

No entry notices and suitable barriers shall be placed to avoid the entrance of non-experts and motor vehicles.

In case continuous personnel presence is not guaranteed, sheds shall be provided with adequate lock (padlocks and chains).

Rooms, transit ways, vehicles and walkways shall always be kept clean and free from animal droppings.

Rooms shall have:

waterproof floors, easy to clean and disinfect to help water evacuation; and<
an adequate ventilation and natural/artificial illumination systems.

At shed's entrance shall be set load/unload material and animal areas with washable and disinfectable floors.

It is necessary to constantly clean 1 m surface all long the external length of the shed.

The protection of working material storage are as shall be guaranteed.

At the entrance of the farm a filter zone shall be provided and shall be completed with locker room, wash-basin and cleanser.

Facilities shall be provided with suitable cold chambers for dead animals. Make sure the loading operations of these animals are carried out outside the breeding areas and the withdrawal must be made by authorized firms.

Dead animals shall be sent to authorized factories, according to current regulations, complete with vet certifications.

Operator shall always use the following P.P.E.:

gloves;
anti-skid shoes/boots;
overall; and
respirators.

The livestock housing shall be provided with a division between the filthy and clean zone, inside the same stockyard or loose box.

In livestock housing, the operator shall be facilitated with metallic grid floors and tanks below for collection and vehiculation of droppings to avoid their stagnations.

It is necessary to reduce manual load within sensible limits:

25 kg for men
15 kg for women

Operator shall manually transport anything but small new-born animals and small containers.

If manual transportation demands considerable effort to operators (e.g. food transport during preparing or distributing phase and transport of injured or dead heavy animals) workers shall carry out these tasks in two or with mechanical vehicles (fork-lift truck, transpallets and wheel-barrows).

Fixed systems shall be projected to integrate with facilities in which they will be introduced and shall be validated by the installer.

FURTHER INDICATIONS AND ADVICE

Adequate procedures and good behaviour shall be adopted to safeguard worker's hygiene and safety.
Operator shall follow scrupulously animals prophylaxis and hygiene to avoid contagious disease (serological examinations, vaccinations etc).
It is necessary to avoid stockyard overcrowding.
It is necessary to periodically disinfest and exterminate rats from the facilities preventing feed contamination.
Stockyard hygiene shall be scrupulous and animal droppings and food waste disposal shall be prompt.
It is necessary to check animals regularly according to the breeding system and guarantee the inspection is carried out with suitable illumination (working tools and equipment shall always be disinfected).
Adequate ventilation shall be guaranteed.
The floor shall be even to avoid any accident; if possible, the stockyard floor shall be grilled to guarantee immediate droppings disposal.
It is necessary to form and inform operators about bio hazard.
It is necessary to cooperate with the National Veterinary Service for prevention.