Nationally Agreed Standard Operating Procedures

Nationally Agreed Standard Operating Procedures (NASOPs) have been developed for use by jurisdictions during responses to Emergency Animal Disease (EAD) incidents and emergencies.

NASOPs support national consistency and provide guidance to response personnel undertaking operational tasks.

NASOPs underpin elements of AUSVETPLAN and describe the actions typically undertaken during a response to an incident. As some elements of NASOPs are generic in nature, it may be necessary for jurisdictions to develop local procedures and work instructions, to further support the application of the NASOPs.

NASOPs cover a wide range of topics – and although they have been developed in the context of an EAD response, many will have application in all types of biosecurity incidents and emergencies. NASOPs are prepared using a template to ensure consistency of format and contents. Each NASOP has information on:

• Purpose
• Application/scope
• Resources/equipment
• Warnings
• Description of activities
• References
• Appendices (where applicable)

EAD-specific NASOPs are overseen by the Animal Health Committee (AHC)^[1].

NASOPs do not form part of AUSVETPLAN; however, they complement many of the AUSVETPLAN manuals with highly-detailed, operational information. NASOPs cross-reference to AUSVETPLAN manuals where appropriate.

NASOPs are reviewed as necessary to ensure they remain up to date. Nearly thirty NASOPs are currently at various stages of development. This website will progressively list NASOPs once they have been approved by AHC.

• Establishing checkpoints for EAD movement control (pdf - 21 KB)
• Biosecure transport of contaminated carcasses and material – during road transport (pdf - 22 KB)
• Decontamination of groups of people – entry and exit procedures (pdf - 28 KB)
• Ordering of FMD vaccine and distribution to states and territories (pdf - 439 KB)
• Determining whether an EAD can be eradicated (pdf - 61 KB)
• Working safely in estuarine crocodile habitats (pdf - 24 KB)
• Manage security of a saleyard – during a stock standstill (pdf - 21 KB)
• Management of livestock in transit at the time a national standstill is declared (pdf - 33 KB)
• Vaccinating livestock on a property for FMD (pdf - 300 KB)
• Assessing and inspecting a property prior to admin FMD vaccine (pdf - 21 KB)
• Control of FMD vaccine at a designated vaccination centre (pdf - 77 KB)
• Managing aerial shooting – principles for consideration (pdf - 26 KB)
• Decontamination of large equipment (pdf - 27 KB)
• Collecting EAD samples for lab testing (pdf - 26 KB)
• Stop and search vehicles at checkpoint (pdf - 19 KB)
• Inspection of property before operational activities (pdf - 20 KB)
• Loading and unloading of carcasses and materials for biosecure transport (pdf - 20 KB)
• Selecting an LDCC location (pdf - 30 KB)
• Personal decontamination – entry and exit procedure (pdf - 19 KB)

In addition to the NASOPs overseen by AHC, the National Biosecurity Committee’s National Biosecurity Emergency Preparedness Expert Group (NBEPEG) has accepted responsibility for the development of NASOPs that are of a generic nature and have application to all biosecurity responses. The NASOPs developed by NBEPEG are also included below to provide a single point of access to all available NASOPs.

• Conducting debriefings in a biosecurity response (pdf - 127 KB)
• Conducting and receiving handovers (pdf - 162 KB)
• Conducting briefings in a biosecurity response (pdf - 106 KB)
• Property status identification (pdf - 118 KB)

For more information on NASOPs overseen by AHC, please contact the AHC secretariat:
email – ahc@agriculture.gov.au.
For more information about generic NASOPs developed by NBEPEG, please contact the NBEPEG secretariat:
email – NBEPEG@agriculture.gov.au

Page reviewed: March 1, 2016