The Help Resource Page for the Field Technicians

modified 2003-03-18 19:58 , cduke

Questings, Ideas and, Suggestions

What to have in your vehicle while on farm visits

• Your usual clothes, boots, etc. that are required for farm visits. You should have at least 5 coveralls, more if you find you are able to visit sometimes five farms in a day.
• Plastic disposable "booties". Ensure that you have a good reserve on hand. Let Chris know if you need more.
• Disposable overalls for special circumstances or in a pinch when you run out of the cotton coveralls. They come in a box of 25, let me know when you need more.
• Hibitane and iodine supplies. You likely could leave the 4.5l bottles at home, but have the iodine bottles and water sprayer filled up before you start your day. A small funnel might be handy to fill the iodine bottles. The Hibitane should be a 5% solution.
• Disposable anti-microbial hand wipes.
• Your Diana Krall CD.
• Cell phone and iPAQ battery chargers.
• Road atlas and local road maps.
• Would a phone book come in handy?
• Your day timer/log book.
• Spare change for car washes.
• In the winter, ensure that you have extra clothing in case you get cold.

Transmissible Gastroenteritis

As of mid March, there has been several rumours of Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE ) in some of the counties. This time of year TGE is most active. TGE is found only in swine and the virus most commonly spreads from animal to animal and among herds by direct pig to pig contact or through virus infected manure. The movement of TGE can be tracked by anything that is likely to be contaminated by manure. This includes feed, equipment, and people. People may carry the virus on their hands and clothing as well as their foot wear.

The field technicians are aware of this issue, and we are taking precautions as usual to minimise any risks. We will ensure to have clean footwear at each barn location and if tracking through manure on the way to the barn, the technicians will be diligent to clean up when leaving that location.