Evaluating biosecure entry and exit protocols and education methods in a mock livestock facility

Area of Science:

• Animal Agriculture
• Biosecurity Protocols
• Farm Worker Training

Background:

• Maintaining healthy livestock requires strict biosecure protocols for farm workers and visitors.
• Evaluating the impact of protocol complexity and educational methods on adherence is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess how varying biosecure protocol steps, education methods, and retention intervals affect errors and completion time.
• To identify optimal strategies for training farm personnel in biosecurity measures.

Main Methods:

• University participants learned biosecurity protocols via listening, reading, or watching.
• Three protocols with increasing steps (3, 6, or 7 procedures) were tested in a mock livestock facility.
• Error rates and time were recorded for entry/exit, with assessments at short-term and mid-term (after >1 month).

Main Results:

• Educational method did not significantly impact errors or time.
• Mid-term retention (Round 2) resulted in more errors (1.37x entry, 1.19x exit) compared to initial learning (Round 1).
• Protocol complexity significantly increased errors: Protocol 2 (1.47x) and Protocol 3 (1.87x) had more errors than Protocol 1.

Conclusions:

• Protocol complexity is a significant factor in biosecurity adherence, with more steps leading to higher error rates.
• Mid-term retention challenges highlight the need for ongoing training reinforcement.
• Standardized biosecurity training should consider protocol simplicity and regular refresher courses.