Give Disease the Boot

Guidance on cleansing & disinfection of animal transport

The Transport of Animals (Cleansing and Disinfection) (England) (No. 3) Order 2003 came into force on 1st August 2003. This Order revokes and replaces the Transport of Animals (Cleansing and Disinfection) (England) (No. 2) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/1336). It changes the provisions of that Order as follows:

it provides specific cleansing and disinfection requirements for the transport of horses (article 5);

it makes special provision where a means of transport leaves a slaughterhouse or sales premises (article 8); and

it provides for the cleansing and disinfection of the wheels, mudguards and wheel arches of a means of transport (paragraph 2(3) of Schedule 2).

The Order provides for the cleansing and disinfection (in accordance with Schedule 2) of means of transport before and after carrying specified animals (articles 3, 4 and 5, and Schedule 1).

It provides that driver's cabs are not required to be disinfected (article 6).

Article 7 specifies how the material removed from the means of transport must be disposed of after cleansing.

Article 8 requires drivers to give written declarations specifying where cleansing and disinfection will take place when means of transport (not carrying animals) leave slaughterhouses or sales premises.

Under article 9, an inspector is empowered, in the circumstances set out in that article, to serve a notice requiring a means of transport to be cleansed and disinfected.

The Order is enforced by the local authority (article 10).

Breach of the Order is an offence under section 73 of the Animal Health Act 1981 punishable in accordance with section 75 of that Act.

A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared for this Order and placed in the library of each House of Parliament.


Page last modified: June 12, 2008

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs