It is the expectation that all people working in the DHIA system, lab, office, field, and sample haulers, will follow procedures to prevent the introduction and spreading of diseases.

Measures for DHIA employees on farm:

1. Wear clean clothes. Coveralls may be necessary on some herds, and are suggested when more than one herd will be done in a morning or evening(including Owner Sampler visits).
   
2. Clean and sanitize boots and equipment upon arrival at each the dairy. It is necessary that footwear be rubber so it can be disinfected. All foreign material such as manure and mud must be thoroughly removed for sanitizer chemicals to be effective.
   
3. Avoid entering feed storage or feeding areas if at all possible.
   
4. Whenever possible, avoid going between cows. Exchangeable tube meters are designed for milkers to hand flasks out to DHIA personnel. This is an important employee safety issue as well
   
5. Calf tagging is the responsibility of the herd owner. If you do tag calves sanitize your boots before and after you visit the calf area.
   
6. Clean and sanitize boots, sampling stand, meters, and other equipment before leaving the farm. This includes cleaning the computer and sample case.
   
7. Store items that have not been disinfected separately from clean items. For example, dirty coveralls should not be stored with clean meters or boots.
   
8. Respect farm signs and procedures that the customer has posted or discussed relative to biosecurity.
   
9. Park in an area free of animal waste or runoff. Avoid driving through areas where manure is present or where animals are present. Wash vehicle regularly, including the undercarriage.
   
10. If travelling from another country, you should not enter the dairy for at least one week following your return. Thoroughly clean all clothing and sanitize all footwear.
    
11. Do not bring visitors to the dairy. Do not bring children or pets. This is also an important liability issue, and there is a long-standing Minnesota DHIA policy against bringing non-DHIA personnel to the dairy.

DHIA will supply sanitizer, a stainless steel pail, and a brush for the Field Rep's use. Combination sanitizer/soap mix like Betadine Scrub is preferred over straight disinfection chemicals. It is a lot easier to get the boots clean if there is some soap in the product.

Supplies leaving DHIA labs and offices need to be free from contamination and may need to be sanitized on site as well.

Meter cleanliness will be checked at annual calibration. Meters in violation of the policy will be cleaned and sanitized before being returned to the field, with appropriate charge to the association. A report of any problem meters will be sent to the association president.

Measures the Farm may take to help assure effective biosecurity:

1. Make available a supply of hot water, and a sink to clean and sanitize equipment.
   
2. Walkways be scraped and limed as appropriate.
   
3. Pets need to be controlled to prevent them from contaminating the DHIA equipment or personnel.
   
4. It is suggested the dairy have one visitor entrance. It should be equipped with a place to disinfect boots and hands.
   
5. Have parking available on a hard surface that is not contaminated by dairy vehicles or runoff.