Farms set up footbaths
with the goal of preventing groups of animals transferring pathogens amongst themselves.
However, boot bath maintenance on most farms is quite poor, with gross
contamination by organic matter frequently observed. People tend to avoid
stepping in boot baths or they simply choose to step through the bath without
stopping to clean their boots.
Organic material
frequently inactivates or decreases the activity of disinfectants. So, it is
important to remove all visible contamination with soap and water to optimize the
effectiveness of disinfection.
Using the following 5 easy tips will minimize the
risk of getting pathogens on your footwear.
- Clean visible dirt
off boots before disinfecting.
- Use water and a
brush over a well-drained area. A boot cleaning station is also an option.
- Soak boots in a
cleaning solution.
- Always look at the
label recommendations for dilution rate and exposure time.
- Select disinfectants
that are based on on-farm efficacy, cost, ease of use and environmental
friendliness.
If you’re working on a
farm or just visiting, it is vital that you wear farm boots, but it is also
important that they are kept clean at all times to avoid serious infection.
At L&A Safety, we have a wide range of PPE clothing, including gumboots which can be used for basically any line of work, including farming. Contact us today or visit us at one of our branches!
