Quarantine Approved Premises
7.10 - Fertile poultry hatching egg facilities - postarrival quarantine
Criteria
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7.10 - QAP for Fertile poultry hatching egg facilities - post-arrival quarantine
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section, 2015, QAP for Live laboratory rodents - post-arrival quarantine, (QAP for Live laboratory rodents post-arrival quarantine criteria - prepared for the Department of Agriculture), Canberra.
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Version control
Updates to this document will occur automatically on the department’s website and the revision table
below will list the amendments as they are approved.
Date
Version
Amendments
Approved by
09 May 2011
1.0
Revised document
Co-regulation and
Support Program
30 Jun 2013
1.1
Updated departmental branding
Industry Arrangements
Reform Program
Sept 2015
2.0
Updated departmental branding and template.
Incorporated nonconformity rates.
Approved
Arrangements section
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7.10 - QAP for Fertile poultry hatching egg facilities - post-arrival quarantine
Table of contents
Guide to using this document
4
Definitions
4
Other documents
4
Nonconformity guide
4
QAP criteria
5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Premises location ........................................................................................................................... 5
Security .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Building and storage areas .............................................................................................................. 6
Construction................................................................................................................................... 6
Hygiene .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Facilities and equipment ................................................................................................................. 7
Waste disposal ............................................................................................................................... 7
Work practices ............................................................................................................................... 7
Office and record requirements ...................................................................................................... 9
Administration ........................................................................................................................... 10
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7.10 - QAP for Fertile poultry hatching egg facilities - post-arrival quarantine
Guide to using this document
This document sets out the requirements that must be met before the Director of Quarantine will
consider approval of a premises to operate as a place for the performance of quarantine under section
46A of the Quarantine Act 1908, otherwise known as a Quarantine Approved Premises (QAP).
This QAP criteria specifies the requirements to be met for the approval, operation and audit of this class
of QAP. Compliance with the QAP criteria will be assessed by audit.
In the event of any inconsistency between the QAP criteria and any Import Permit condition, the Import
Permit condition applies. If the Applicant chooses to use automatic language translation services in
connection with this document, it is done so at the Applicant’s risk.
Unless specified otherwise, any references to ‘the department’ or ‘departmental’ means the Department
of Agriculture. Any references to contacting the department mean contacting your closest regional office.
Further information on QAPs, QAP regional contact details and copies of relevant QAP documentation is
available on the department’s website: agriculture.gov.au.
Definitions
Definitions that are not contained within the Approved Arrangements Glossary can be found in the most
recent edition of the Macquarie Dictionary or in the Quarantine Act 1908.
Other documents
The QAP Conditions of Approval and QAP General Policies should be read in conjunction with this QAP
criteria. They will assist in understanding and complying with the obligations and requirements for the
establishment and operation of a QAP.
Nonconformity guide
The nonconformity classification against each criterion is provided as a guide only. If more than one
nonconformity is listed against a criterion, the actual nonconformity applied will correspond to the gravity
of the issue. The nonconformity recorded against any criteria remains at the discretion of the Quarantine
Officer.
Nonconformity classifications are detailed in the QAP General Policies.
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7.10 - QAP for Fertile poultry hatching egg facilities - post-arrival quarantine
QAP criteria
Criteria
Nonconformity guide
1 Premises location
1.1
An effective pest control system must be in place to ensure that facilities are
managed in a way that effectively isolates goods subject to quarantine from
environments in which pest and disease are likely to become established. As
a minimum this will require the premises to implement and keep associated
records of a periodic inspection regime and ensure knockdown spray (i.e.
standard household aerosol insecticide spray) is kept on-site. The QAP must
be able to demonstrate the inspection regime and the on-site location of the
knockdown spray, this may include:

the use of insecticides, fumigation, rodenticides, periodic inspection,
baits and/or traps,

a site plan with numbered bait stations

if applicable, contract details.
Major
Note: The operations of adjacent facilities must be considered when
determining any additional pest control measures to be implemented.
1.2
The premises is to be located away from any planned or existing poultry
establishments. This will require one of the following location requirements
to be met:

Option 1: minimum distance of 400 m from other poultry

Option 2: minimum distance of 2 km from commercial poultry and 400
m from backyard poultry.
Critical
1.3
Premises must generally be located within the metropolitan area of a
declared port that has a permanently based Quarantine Officer. Applications
are subject to approval by the Director of Quarantine and will be considered
on their individual merits with consideration being given to the quarantine
risk and serviceability associated with the location of each premises.
N/A
2 Security
2.1
Access to the quarantine areas must be limited to persons employed by the
premises. Premises employees at all times must accompany visitors to the
quarantine areas including Quarantine Officers.
Major
2.2
The premises must implement 24 hour security arrangements to effectively
secure goods subject to quarantine from movement or interference by
unauthorised persons. The proposed security arrangements must be
detailed at the time of application for approval and receive endorsement by
the department. This may include the use of video surveillance, alarms or
other security monitoring methods may also be used.
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Minor
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7.10 - QAP for Fertile poultry hatching egg facilities - post-arrival quarantine
Criteria
Nonconformity guide
2.3
Quarantine registers must be kept containing details of:

persons entering or leaving the premises

reason for visit.
Major
3 Building and storage areas
3.1
Quarantine signs must:

be securely affixed

be durable

be prominently displayed and able to be clearly read by persons
approaching the area at all times

have black lettering on yellow background

contain the words 'Quarantine Area - No unauthorised entry or removal
of goods, Penalties Apply' or words to similar effect.
Major
4 Construction
4.1
Quarantine buildings must be maintained such that there is a net inflow of
air creating a negatively pressured environment.
Critical
4.2
Quarantine buildings must be constructed with impervious surfaces on
floors, walls and ceilings.
Major
4.3
Quarantine buildings and equipment (e.g. HEPA filter housings and
ductwork) must be constructed such that they can be sealed to enable
decontamination formaldehyde gas or an approved alternative.
Critical
4.4
Supply and exhaust air must be filtered.


Where Option 1 in criterion ref# 1.2 is applied to operating
arrangements, supply and exhaust must pass through HEPA filters.
Critical
Where Option 2 in criterion ref# 1.2 is applied to operating
arrangements, dust filters for supply air, panel and deep bed dust filters
at exhaust outlets to remove feathers, dander and dust must be fitted.
HEPA filters optional.
5 Hygiene
5.1
Disinfectant baths for feet and vehicles must be maintained at the entry to
all quarantine buildings.
5.2
Major
Major
Quarantine buildings, feed storage areas and effluent and disposal pits must
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7.10 - QAP for Fertile poultry hatching egg facilities - post-arrival quarantine
Criteria
Nonconformity guide
be bird-proof, rodent-proof and insect-proof. The method of achieving this
must be detailed at the time of application for approval and must receive
endorsement by the department. Periodic checks by the QAP Operator must
be undertaken to ensure hygiene is maintained.
6 Facilities and equipment
6.1
The premises must be equipped with an emergency power supply to ensure
uninterrupted operations of essential services in the case of a power outage.
Critical
6.2
The premises must incorporate changing rooms and shower amenities at the
entry to quarantine building.
Critical
6.3
Where re-usable covering garments such as overalls and gowns are used in
quarantine operations, the premises must be equipped with laundry
facilities for cleaning of those items.
6.4
The premises must have refrigeration facilities for use as required.
Critical
Minor
7 Waste disposal
7.1
Details of effluent treatment and disposal systems must be submitted at the
time of application for approval and receive endorsement from the
department.
N/A
8 Work practices
8.1
Incubators and hatchers utilised for quarantine operations must be located
within the quarantine building. Where it is proposed that incubators be
located outside the quarantine building, these arrangements must be
submitted at the time of application for approval and receive endorsement
from the department.
Critical
8.2
Equipment must be available and procedures developed for the effective
decontamination and, where necessary, disposal of potentially
contaminated or known to be contaminated refuse such as faeces, litter and
liquid effluent.
Critical
8.3
Equipment and procedures for the effective filtration of exhaust air for dust
and dander including a negative pressure system (or some equivalent
system) to facilitate the ingress and egress of persons and objects into and
out of the establishment.
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Critical
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7.10 - QAP for Fertile poultry hatching egg facilities - post-arrival quarantine
Criteria
Nonconformity guide
8.4
Procedures must be in place to ensure the safe ingress and egress of
personnel and material including decontamination prior to removal or exit
from the quarantine building.
Critical
8.5
Procedures (including identification and approval of facilities) must be in
place for the safe disposal of birds should there be an outbreak of one of the
prescribed diseases.
Critical
8.6
Procedures must be in place to ensure records are kept of any poultry
medication stored or used on the premises. Permission must be obtained
from the Director of Animal and Plant Quarantine prior to any medication
being used on the quarantined birds.
Critical
8.7
If post mortems are to be conducted by a technician under the supervision
of a veterinarian, equipment and procedures must be in place to provide for
good visualisation by the veterinarian of lesions in the chickens being
autopsied and auditory contact between the veterinarian and the
technician. It is a requirement that the veterinarian supervising the
technician put on coverall clothing and clean footwear when entering
through the security fence and remove these and shower on exiting through
the security fence.
Critical
8.8
Procedures must be in place to approve and control the staff which operate
the facility including procedures to ensure that staff operating the facility
will have no other contact with poultry or other birds during prescribed
times. Anyone entering the facility must not have any contact with other
poultry or birds at least 48 hours prior to the visit and for a minimum period
96 hours after the visit.
Critical
8.9
Procedures must be in place to ensure the department's supervision of the
facility and consignment, including agreement on the level of that
supervision as well as the department's inspection of each consignment
and/or (if necessary) supervising destruction of the consignment. This is the
quarantine performance procedure. As a minimum, the Quarantine
Officers/Veterinarians would have to be present to oversight the following
activities:

arrival of egg consignment at port of entry and dispatch to the private
quarantine facility

fumigation/disinfection of eggs on arrival at the private quarantine
facility and disposal of packaging materials

collection of sera from sentinels chicks at six weeks of age and dispatch
of sera to AAHL or approved government laboratories

any follow-up quarantine/testing procedures arising from laboratory
results or any decision by the Director of Quarantine
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Critical
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7.10 - QAP for Fertile poultry hatching egg facilities - post-arrival quarantine
Criteria

Nonconformity guide
(v) inspection of the imported flock within 24 hours prior to release from
quarantine.
8.10
Procedures must be established, and followed, to ensure the department is
notified immediately if any of the following occurs:

clinical disease

mortalities out of the normal

breakdown in exhaust air filtration system

breaks in procedures which could potentially impact on quarantine
integrity.
Critical
8.11
As a minimum the consignment must successfully pass tests for diseases
specified in the import conditions and random departmental inspections
during the period of quarantine, including examination of records on:

eggs set

chicks hatched, and

detailed daily mortality records and culling records.
Critical
8.12
Procedures must be in place to ensure proper husbandry and management
of the hatching eggs and birds.
Minor
8.13
Procedures must be developed to ensure the thorough clean out and safe
disposal of refuse at the end of the all in/all out quarantine program.
This will require documenting general procedures covering how this will be
achieved as well as preparing specific work instructions for individual tasks.
Certain core regulatory functions will still be performed exclusively by
Quarantine Officers such as ordering the consignment into quarantine and
releasing the hatched birds from quarantine.
Major or critical
It must be stressed that in order to have the birds released from quarantine,
the company must comply with procedures and requirements detailed in
import permits and the class 7.10 QAP criteria for Fertile Poultry Hatching
Egg Facilities. In addition, directions issued by Quarantine Officers must be
complied with.
9 Office and record requirements
9.1
Records are to be made available, within a reasonable time, for inspection
by Quarantine Officers. In addition, these records must be retained at these
premises for a minimum period of 18 months during which time they will,
upon request, be made available to a Quarantine Officer.
Critical
9.2
Office and general premises requirements must provide the department
with the confidence that applicable work health and safety standards have
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Minor
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7.10 - QAP for Fertile poultry hatching egg facilities - post-arrival quarantine
Criteria
Nonconformity guide
been met, this is achieved by:

providing a first aid cabinet/kit which is fully stocked and meets the
minimum commercial Australian Standard (AS2675-1983: Portable first
aid kits for use by consumers)

providing vehicle parking for visiting Quarantine Officers (note: this may
require department identified parking or providing a parking permit)

ensuring adequate security for any departmental technical equipment
left on the premises

providing access and the availability of:

a desk, chair and a telephone with direct outside call access

toilet facilities

hand washing facilities and a hygienic means of drying hands

suitable arrangements to ensure amenities are clean.
9.3
Records for each consignment of goods subject to quarantine must include:

quarantine direction

Import Permit number (if applicable)

description of the goods subject to quarantine

date of receipt of goods and country of origin

dates of leaving of the birds

owner/importer name and address

name and address of any private or company veterinarians involved with
the consignment (also refer to Procedure 6)

veterinary treatments administered including type of treatment and
date administered

animal deaths and numbers

post mortem of mortalities (which must be conducted by a veterinarian)
and results.
Critical
10 Administration
10.1
To ensure conformance to the QAP criteria, the department must be
notified in writing, at least 15 working days prior to any:

alterations to QAP management arrangements

modification to, or closure of, quarantine areas where goods subject to
quarantine are stored or treated/processed or otherwise dealt with.
Critical
10.2
At the time of application for approval as a QAP, a site plan of the premises,
which clearly identifies proposed quarantine areas and the associated
operations, must be submitted to the department.
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N/A
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Criteria
Nonconformity guide
10.3
Equipment and procedures must be developed for the safe and effective
transfer of the imported hatching eggs from the airport of arrival to the QAP.
N/A
The transport plan and proposed methods of containment during transport
must be submitted to DAFF and receive endorsement at the time of
application for approval as a QAP. These procedures must be followed upon
import of all consignments.
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