Guidance

Biosecurity protocol and capital items

Updated 18 November 2024

Applies to England

Within this document you will find biosecurity protocols to be followed on all sites and a list of funded biosecurity items associated with each pest or disease supported by the tree health pilot (THP) scheme.

Biosecurity is important when entering any land, or other premises where there is a risk of spreading harmful organisms such as:

• pests
• diseases
• parasites
• invasive non-native species

This includes all:

• forestry and agricultural land (including grassland and arable or horticultural crops)
• nurseries
• hill ground
• moorland
• farm steadings
• other woodland

Biosecurity protocols also extend to:

• parks
• gardens
• premises for the processing and storage of timber

Biosecurity protocol

This protocol is designed for personnel entering and leaving the sites already mentioned. It must be followed, to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

The same principles of arriving on site clean and leaving site clean also apply to machinery.

Arrive clean

Ensure all transportation, tools, and personal equipment, including boots and clothing, are clean. They should be visually free from any soil or organic material, and ideally, disinfected before arrival to each site.

Find a suitable parking location

This should ideally be on hard standing for 2 reasons:

1. It provides you with a suitable surface to undertake your biosecurity measures.
2. It keeps your vehicle clean and reduces the risk of it picking up any potentially infected material from the site you are visiting.

The parking location should also be at least 10 metres away from a water course so you can undertake your biosecurity measures without the risk of spreading water-borne diseases.

If you do need to use your vehicle to get around site, avoid driving off-track. Remove build-up of soil and debris including in cabs, footwells and the boot before leaving the site using washdown facilities, if available.

Make use of off-site washdown facilities often and always after you have driven into an area where a damaging tree disease is known to be present.

Leave clean

Ensure all footwear, personal equipment and tools which have come into contact with any soil, water or organic material are visibly clean before leaving each site. Use a brush, boot pick and clean water supply. Ideally follow this by applying an appropriate disinfectant. Remember to clean hands using soap and water or hand sanitiser.

Biosecurity capital items

The THP scheme is looking for landowners and agents to actively engage with biosecurity measures on sites that are known to host a damaging tree pest or disease.

We recommend using this kit to uphold good biosecurity practices for a range of sites infected or infested by:

• Phytophthora ramorum
• sweet chestnut blight
• eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus)
• oak processionary moth (OPM)

Personal biosecurity kit items

A personal biosecurity kit is made up of basic cleaning equipment to be used on boots, clothing, tools, and other personal equipment when entering and leaving sites.

A personal biosecurity kit should be available on all site visits regardless of what pests or diseases are present.

The kit should contain:

• a container or bucket large enough to immerse a boot in such as a gorilla tub
• enough water for your daily tasks (approximately 5 litres)
• a long handled, stiff plastic bristled brush
• a boot pick or a tool to remove debris from in between boot treads
• cleansing wipes for hands or alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• disinfectant
• a vapour-proof container for disinfectant
• eye protection
• protective gloves
• portable pressure washers (battery powered or 12 volts)

Phytophthora ramorum: additional biosecurity guidance and kit items

You should:

• carry recommended biosecurity equipment when visiting infected woodland
• ensure that footwear, tools, equipment, plant and machinery are free from any soil and plant debris before leaving the site, by brushing off as much soil and plant debris as is reasonably practicable

This is already common practice when moving machinery from site to site via main roads, and we suggest it be extended to all movements of plant, machinery, tools and equipment within the forest.

In areas where either Phytophthora ramorum or Phytophthora kernoviae infection is detected, a statutory plant health notice (SPHN) will impose additional measures including disinfection with an appropriate fungicide.

In addition to a personal biosecurity kit, you should have:

• petrol-powered pressure washers and water bowsers for washing down vehicles and larger machinery
• static wheel washing stations for sites with high traffic volumes
• static boot washing stations for sites with high personnel volumes
• signage for path diversions, awareness raising and site biosecurity protocols

Read a more detailed protocol on Phytophthora control sites operational precautions.

Sweet chestnut blight: additional biosecurity guidance and kit items

You should:

• carry recommended biosecurity equipment when visiting infected woodland
• destroy infected plants as soon as possible after detection, preferably on site
• not move infected plants, bark or wood
• practise high standards of biosecurity, such as washing and disinfecting tools, vehicles, equipment, footwear, clothing after visiting or working at infected sites, and before visiting or working at new sites

In areas where sweet chestnut blight infection is detected, a SPHN will impose specific measures to ensure biosecurity.

In addition to a personal biosecurity kit, you should have:

• petrol powered pressure washers and water bowsers for washing down vehicles and larger machinery
• static wheel washing stations for sites with high traffic volumes
• static boot washing stations for sites with high personnel volumes
• signage for path diversions, awareness raising and biosecurity site instructions

Read a more detailed protocol on sweet chestnut blight.

Ips typographus (eight-toothed spruce bark beetle): additional biosecurity guidance and kit items

You should:

• carry recommended biosecurity equipment when visiting infested woodland
• ensure clothing, vehicles and machinery are cleaned and free of debris and vegetation before they leave the site, when working with spruce

Pests such as Ips typographus can be spread through infested bark and vegetation. To protect the country against this pest, under powers conferred by The Official Controls (Plant Health and Genetically Modified Organisms) (England) Regulations 2019, the Forestry Commission has introduced a SPHN to demarcate an area around the confirmed outbreak sites. This restricts the movement and methods of forest operations.

Chipping to G50 (average chip size of 50 millimetres) or burning are suitable methods of destruction of susceptible spruce material. If this is not possible the wood can be:

• sawn
• dragged into a pile
• covered with a tarpaulin with the edges tucked in and weighed down

This will speed up the rotting process, rendering material unsuitable in time.

Where an infestation is found, a SPHN will impose operational requirements to ensure biosecurity.

In addition to a personal biosecurity kit, you should have:

• petrol-powered pressure washers and water bowsers for washing down vehicles and larger machinery
• static wheel washing stations for sites with high traffic volumes
• static boot washing stations for sites with high personnel volumes
• signage for path diversions, awareness raising and biosecurity site instructions
• tarpaulin to cover small stacks of spruce that are susceptible to infestation or are known to be infested (tarpaulin will prevent any Ips typographus beetles from infesting the stack or emerging from it if it is already infested - covering stacks will also speed up the decay process, rendering material unsuitable for infestation in time)
• chipper capable of chipping to G50 or smaller
• mulcher - to be used to remove stumps (which can be susceptible to infestation) following felling activities
• stump grinder - as above but for smaller scale operations
• debarker - fully debarking spruce logs prevents Ips typographus from be able to infest them
• incinerator or fire bin - for the destruction of small amounts of susceptible or infested spruce

Read further guidance on Ips typographus.

Oak processionary moth (OPM): additional biosecurity guidance and kit items

To protect tree, public and animal health, owners of infested trees should engage tree or pest control professionals to survey and appropriately manage oak trees affected by oak processionary moth.

For the management of OPM, the THP scheme only supports the hire or purchase of:

• tape and posts to cordon off infested areas
• boot cleaning item
• signage for path diversions, and to raise awareness of site biosecurity protocols

Grant payment rates

You can apply for the hire or purchase of biosecurity capital items listed in this table.

You can also apply for the actual cost of items not listed in the table if they are:

• relevant to the biosecurity of your site
• approved by the Forestry Commission

You must contact your THP woodland officer at thpilotenquiries@forestrycommission.gov.uk before you apply for items which are not listed.

Type of biosecurity item	Hire	Purchase	Additional notes
Personal biosecurity kit	Not eligible	£18	Relevant to: all pests and diseases covered by the grants
Portable pressure washer	Not eligible	£41	Relevant to all pests and diseases covered by the grants except for OPM
Petrol powered pressure washers and water bowsers for Phytophthora ramorum, sweet chestnut blight and Ips typographus	£80	Not eligible	Relevant to: Phytophthora ramorum, sweet chestnut blight and Ips typographus
Static wheel washing stations for sites with high traffic volumes for Phytophthora ramorum, sweet chestnut blight and Ips typographus	£216	Not eligible	Relevant to: Phytophthora ramorum, sweet chestnut blight and Ips typographus
Static boot washing stations for sites with high personnel volumes for Phytophthora ramorum, sweet chestnut blight and Ips typographus	£16	Not eligible	Relevant to: Phytophthora ramorum, sweet chestnut blight and Ips typographus
Signage for path diversions	Not eligible	£50	Relevant to: Phytophthora ramorum, Ips typographus and OPM
Tarpaulin for Ips typographus	Not eligible	£0.50 per m2	Relevant to: Ips typographus
Hire of road sweeper	60% of actual costs	40% of actual costs	Not applicable
Welfare unit	60% of actual costs	40% of actual costs	Not applicable
Portable washing facilities for workers and machinery	60% of actual costs	40% of actual costs	Not applicable

Return to the THP scheme guidance

Apply for these capital items

You can apply for these capital items with other THP grants.

Submit an expression of interest or return to the THP scheme guidance.