Land managers, government and non-government agencies expect contractors and work crews to arrive at the worksite with clean vehicles, equipment and materials.
In fact, anyone who shows up at a property or worksite who hasn’t cleaned up first risks being turned away. This is because soil, water and plant material can carry tiny unwanted pests, diseases or weed seeds that have the potential to devastate our natural environment, spread disease to our native animals, or make our farmland expensive to manage – or even unusable. These organisms can hitch a ride in a vehicle, on a piece of equipment, in the gravel or timber we bring onto site, or even on our clothes and boots.
Through our Arrive Clean, Leave Clean campaign we’re working to reduce the chances of contractors, construction and roadside work teams from accidentally introducing an unwanted pest, weed or disease where it’s not wanted.
We ask that you Check, Clean and Dry your vehicles, machinery and equipment between uses. If you can’t be sure your gear will dry before you next use it, Disinfect as well.
- When washing, hose off all the mud you can find, and pay particular attention to the hard-to-reach places such as tyre tread, mudguards and under cowlings.
- Don’t forget to wash your muddy gear and clothing too.
- If your vehicle or equipment is unlikely to dry completely, use F10 disinfectant to kill any microorganisms that might be hiding (be careful where you drain it – although it is a biodegradable, low-toxicity disinfectant F10 should be kept away from waterways).
Check, Clean, Disinfect, Dry is good for business. If you follow good field hygiene practices then you’ll be welcome on site with open arms. Being turned away is a hassle no-one wants.
Please watch our videos to get a better idea of the problem we face and how you can help to protect our bushland, farmland, wild places and waterways. NRM South can help too. Grab a copy of our Keeping It Clean manual, and stock up with a biosecurity kit for each of your vehicles. For biosecurity kits and F10 prices click here.
For more resources to help you with biosecurity planning for work sites, check our online resources sheet.