Systematic Biosecurity Execution
Biosecurity protocols are scheduled activities that must be performed regularly. Daily health checks, weekly sanitisation, monthly inspections, quarterly feed safety assessments.
Without systematic tracking, protocols get forgotten, delayed, or executed inconsistently.
Kora's biosecurity protocol management transforms ad-hoc "remember to do this" into scheduled, tracked, compliance-monitored systematic biosecurity practice.
What Are Biosecurity Protocols?
Biosecurity protocols are repeating tasks designed to prevent disease introduction, detect health issues early, or maintain facility biosecurity standards.
Common biosecurity protocols:
Sanitisation Protocols:
- Daily footbath maintenance
- Weekly vehicle disinfection
- Monthly facility deep cleaning
- Quarterly equipment sanitisation
Health Monitoring Protocols:
- Daily visual health checks (all animals)
- Weekly quarantine animal health checks
- Monthly body condition scoring
- Quarterly veterinary inspections
Movement Control Protocols:
- Daily movement log review
- Weekly zone access audits
- Monthly movement compliance verification
Feed and Water Safety Protocols:
- Daily water quality checks
- Weekly feed inspection
- Monthly feed storage sanitisation
- Quarterly feed supplier audits
Visitor Control Protocols:
- Daily visitor log review
- Weekly incomplete check-out follow-up
- Monthly visitor risk assessment review
Documentation Protocols:
- Weekly biosecurity event documentation review
- Monthly compliance report generation
- Quarterly biosecurity plan review and update
Each protocol defines what must be done, how often, who is responsible, and what documentation is required.
Creating Biosecurity Protocols
Protocols are created once and executed repeatedly according to schedule.
Protocol creation workflow:
- Navigate to Biosecurity Protocols
- Select "Create New Protocol"
- Enter protocol details:
- Name: Descriptive title ("Daily Quarantine Health Checks", "Weekly Vehicle Sanitisation")
- Description: What needs to be done, how to do it, expected outcomes
- Category: Sanitisation, Health Check, Movement Control, Visitor Management, Feed Safety, Documentation
- Frequency: Daily, Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Annually, or Custom (e.g., "Every 3 days")
- Priority: Mandatory (must be done) vs Optional (recommended but flexible)
- Responsible Role: Who should execute (Farm Manager, Veterinarian, Biosecurity Officer, All Staff)
- Requires Documentation: Yes or No (should execution be documented with photos, forms, notes?)
- Requires Veterinarian Approval: Yes or No (must veterinarian review and approve execution?)
- Add checklist items (optional):
- Step-by-step tasks within protocol
- "1. Prepare footbath with disinfectant"
- "2. Ensure adequate solution depth (2 inches minimum)"
- "3. Test disinfectant concentration"
- "4. Replace solution if contaminated"
- Checkboxes ensure all steps completed
- Link to biosecurity zones (optional):
- Specify which zones this protocol applies to
- "Quarantine Zone only" vs "All animal zones"
- Set required risk level (optional):
- Protocol required when facility reaches specific risk level
- "Execute daily when risk level is High or Critical"
- "Execute weekly when risk level is Medium or above"
- Save protocol
Protocol automatically schedules based on frequency. Daily protocols schedule every day. Weekly protocols every 7 days. Monthly protocols every 30 days.
Example protocol:
Protocol: Daily Quarantine Health Check
Category: Health Monitoring
Description: Visual health assessment of all animals in quarantine to detect disease symptoms early
Frequency: Daily
Priority: Mandatory
Responsible: Farm Manager or designated staff
Documentation Required: Yes
Veterinarian Approval: No (unless abnormalities found)
Checklist:
- Observe all quarantined animals for abnormal behaviour
- Check appetite (food consumption, water intake)
- Assess general condition (coat quality, posture, activity level)
- Look for disease symptoms (discharge, coughing, lameness, lesions)
- Record temperature if abnormalities suspected
- Document observations in health check record
- Report any concerns to veterinarian immediately
Applicable Zones: Quarantine Zone(s) only
Required Risk Level: Any (always required when animals quarantined)
Scheduled Assessments
Once protocols are created, Kora automatically generates scheduled execution dates. These appear on the Biosecurity Dashboard (11.1) and create task reminders.
How scheduling works:
Daily protocols: Execute every day.
- "Daily Quarantine Health Check" schedules for today, tomorrow, day after, etc.
Weekly protocols: Execute every 7 days.
- "Weekly Vehicle Sanitisation" schedules for specific day of week (e.g., every Monday)
Monthly protocols: Execute every 30 days.
- "Monthly Feed Inspection" schedules for specific date each month (e.g., 1st of month)
Quarterly protocols: Execute every 90 days.
- "Quarterly Biosecurity Plan Review" schedules every 3 months
Custom frequency: Execute at specified intervals.
- "Every 3 days" protocol schedules Day 1, Day 4, Day 7, Day 10, etc.
Scheduled dates appear:
- Biosecurity Dashboard Protocol Tracker (11.1)
- Task list (Chapter 7.2) as recurring tasks
- Calendar view showing upcoming protocol due dates
- Mobile notifications as execution dates approach
Executing Protocols
When protocol execution date arrives, staff execute the protocol and record completion.
Protocol execution workflow:
- View scheduled protocols on dashboard or task list
- Select protocol due today: "Daily Quarantine Health Check: Due Today"
- Review protocol details: Read description and checklist
- Perform protocol: Execute all required steps
- Complete checklist: Check off each item as completed
- Add execution notes: Document observations, findings, or issues
- Attach evidence (if documentation required):
- Photos showing sanitisation completed
- Signed forms
- Test results
- Mark protocol executed with timestamp
- Save execution record
Execution creates:
- Protocol execution record documenting who executed, when, what was done
- Next execution date automatically calculated (today plus frequency interval)
- Compliance update improving facility compliance score
- Task completion removing protocol from "due today" list
Example execution record:
Protocol: Weekly Vehicle Sanitisation
Executed By: John Smith
Execution Date: 2025-01-15 14:30
Execution Notes: "All farm vehicles sanitised with approved disinfectant. Truck beds, wheel wells, and cab floors thoroughly cleaned. Solution concentration tested at 2 per cent (compliant)."
Checklist Completed:
- Prepare disinfectant solution (2 per cent concentration)
- Spray down all vehicles (4 vehicles total)
- Clean truck beds and cargo areas
- Disinfect wheel wells and undercarriage
- Wipe down cab interiors
- Test disinfectant concentration
- Dispose of used solution properly
Evidence Attached: 3 photos showing cleaned vehicles
Next Execution: 2025-01-22 (7 days from now)
Compliance Monitoring
Protocol compliance is tracked automatically. Shows which protocols are current, which are overdue, and overall facility compliance score.
Compliance metrics:
On-Time Execution Rate:
- Percentage of protocols executed on or before due date
- 95 per cent or more equals Excellent compliance
- 80 to 94 per cent equals Good compliance
- 60 to 79 per cent equals Fair compliance
- Less than 60 per cent equals Poor compliance
Overdue Protocol Count:
- Number of protocols past their scheduled execution date
- 0 overdue equals Perfect compliance
- 1 to 2 overdue equals Acceptable (if non-critical)
- 3 or more overdue equals Significant compliance gap
Average Delay:
- For overdue protocols, average days late
- 1 to 2 days equals Minor delays
- 3 to 7 days equals Moderate delays
- 8 or more days equals Severe compliance issues
Compliance Score (0 to 100 per cent):
- Calculated from on-time rate, overdue count, and delay severity
- Appears on Biosecurity Dashboard Risk Overview
- Drops when protocols become overdue
- Improves when protocols executed on time
Example compliance report:
BIOSECURITY PROTOCOL COMPLIANCE: Last 30 Days
On-Time Execution: 28 of 32 protocols (87.5 per cent)
Overdue Protocols: 2 (Daily Health Check times 2)
Average Delay: 1.5 days
COMPLIANCE SCORE: 82 per cent (Good)
OVERDUE:
- Daily Quarantine Health Check: 3 days overdue (CRITICAL)
- Weekly Visitor Log Review: 1 day overdue
DUE TODAY:
- Monthly Feed Inspection
DUE THIS WEEK:
- Weekly Vehicle Sanitisation: Due in 2 days
- Bi-weekly Zone Access Audit: Due in 5 days
Compliance monitoring provides accountability. Biosecurity is not just "we try to remember". It is "we execute 87.5 per cent of protocols on time and track the rest".
Overdue Protocol Alerts
When protocols become overdue, automatic alerts ensure they do not remain forgotten.
Alert triggers:
- Protocol becomes overdue (1 day past due date): Yellow alert
- Protocol 3 or more days overdue: Orange alert
- Critical protocol overdue (mandatory, high priority): Red alert
- Multiple protocols overdue: Escalating alerts to management
Alerts appear in:
- Biosecurity Dashboard (11.1) Protocol Tracker (Overdue section)
- Biosecurity Dashboard Compliance Tracker (Items Requiring Attention)
- Email notifications (optional, configurable)
- Mobile push notifications (if enabled)
- Task list with "OVERDUE" status
Alert actions:
- Execute protocol immediately
- Document delay reason (why protocol delayed: staff shortage, weather, emergency priority shift)
- Adjust schedule if protocol frequency unrealistic (change from daily to weekly if daily unsustainable)
- Reassign responsibility if current assigned role unable to execute consistently
Overdue protocols reduce compliance score until executed. This creates incentive for timely completion.
Protocol Templates
Common protocols can be templated for quick creation.
Available templates (examples):
- Daily Health Checks (customisable for individual vs mob animals)
- Weekly Sanitisation (vehicle, facility, equipment variations)
- Monthly Inspections (feed, water, biosecurity, compliance)
- Quarterly Reviews (biosecurity plan, risk assessment, protocol effectiveness)
Using templates:
- Select "Create from Template"
- Choose template type
- Customise details (frequency, responsible role, zones, checklist)
- Save customised protocol
Templates accelerate protocol setup. They ensure best-practice protocols are implemented consistently.
Best Practices for Biosecurity Protocols
Start with critical protocols: Do not create dozens of protocols at once. Start with most critical (daily health checks, sanitisation). Add more as capacity allows.
Assign responsibility clearly: "Farm Manager or designated staff" is clear. "Someone should do this" is not. Specific role assignment increases execution reliability.
Use realistic frequencies: If daily protocol is consistently delayed, consider whether weekly would be more sustainable. Still meeting biosecurity needs.
Build checklist into protocols: Step-by-step checklist ensures protocol executed completely. Not just partially.
Require documentation for critical protocols: Photos, forms, test results prove protocols were executed properly. Important for regulatory compliance.
Review protocol effectiveness regularly: Quarterly review assessing whether protocols are preventing disease and improving biosecurity. Or just creating busywork.
Link protocols to risk levels: Some protocols should intensify when facility risk increases. Daily health checks during outbreaks. Weekly during normal operations.
Do not ignore overdue protocols: Overdue protocol means compliance gap. Either execute immediately or document why delay occurred.
Celebrate compliance: When facility achieves 90 per cent or more compliance for sustained period, acknowledge team effort. Positive reinforcement encourages continued adherence.
Integration with Other Features
Biosecurity protocols connect with other Kora features.
Biosecurity Dashboard (11.1): Protocol status tracker shows all protocols organised by status (Overdue, Due Today, Due Soon, Pending). Compliance tracker flags overdue protocols.
Tasks (Chapter 7.2): Protocols auto-generate recurring tasks appearing in task lists. Task completion records protocol execution.
Biosecurity Zones (Chapter 9.4): Protocols can be zone-specific (Quarantine Zone protocols vs Public Zone protocols). Zone assignment ensures protocols executed in correct areas.
Quarantine Management (11.2): Quarantine health check protocols track health monitoring during isolation periods.
Visitor Management (11.4): Visitor log review protocols ensure check-in and check-out compliance. Incomplete visit follow-up.
Traceability (Chapter 12): Protocol execution creates traceability events. Documents systematic biosecurity practice.