The Transport of Animals (Cleansing and Disinfection) (England) (No.3) Order 2003

Cleansing & Disinfection of Vehicles Carrying Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Pigs, Racing Pigeons & Poultry

PDF version of leaflet for printing (32 KB) - An Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in may be required.

Drivers - Know Your Law

Every vehicle used for the transport of the above animals must be cleansed and disinfected before being loaded and as soon as reasonably practicable after unloading and in any case not more than 24 hours after the journey is completed.

In the following circumstances, the vehicle, must be cleansed, but only disinfected where necessary, before the animals are loaded.

1. If you use your vehicle exclusively on a single day, for the carriage of the above animals between the same two points (other than two sales premises).
2. Journeys made within a single farming enterprise in one ownership.
3. The unloading of animals solely to be fed, watered or for some other temporary purpose and then reloaded during a journey.
4. The transport of animals to livestock shows from the premises of origin and return, provided the means of transport does not leave the show before the return journey.

However, the requirement for the means of transport to be cleansed and where necessary disinfected, does not apply when the transport listed in points 1 - 4 above is:

1. Not of a commercial nature.
2. An individual animal accompanied by a person having responsibility for the animal during transport.
3. The transport of pet animals, accompanying their owner on a private journey.

Cleansing and Disinfection of Means of Transport

1. Level of cleansing and disinfection - All cleansing and disinfection shall be carried out so as to reduce the transmission of disease.
2. Method of Cleansing - Cleansing shall be by removing any feeding stuff to which the animals have had access, bedding, excreta and other material of animal origin, mud and other contaminants using appropriate means and then cleaning with water, steam or when appropriate chemicals, until free of dirt.
3. Disinfection after cleansing - After cleansing has been completed, anything to be disinfected shall be disinfected, using an 'approved disinfectant'.

Disposal of Material After Cleansing

All material removed from vehicles after cleansing has been carried out must be:

• Destroyed
• Treated to remove the risk of transmission of disease
• Disposed of so that animals have no access to it.

Means of Transport Leaving a Slaughterhouse or Sale Premises (Markets)

If a vehicle:

• Has been used to transport stock to a slaughterhouse or sale premises (market) and,
• Is to leave empty without being cleansed and disinfected, the driver shall before leaving give a written declaration to the occupier of the slaughterhouse or market, stating where the cleansing and disinfection shall take place.

Definitions

Poultry means domestic fowls, turkeys, geese, ducks, guinea-fowls, quails, pigeons, pheasants, partridge & ratites

 

This advice is designed to provide basic guidance to traders. It is not a complete or authoritative statement of the law. For further assistance on this or any other Trading Standards legislation, please contact your nearest office. We will be pleased to offer this information in larger print or translated into any language on request.

Bus/132/162/001/Nov04