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| Guidelines on Handling Bird Droppings and Bird Carcasses |
(For Serious Response Level, Emergency Response Level and Urgent Response Level on the Alert and Action Plan)
Please call the Security Unit at 3943-7999 if you come across suspicious sick or dead birds within the university campus.
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- Hypochlorite Disinfectant (bleach)
- Hypochlorite solution, commonly known as 'bleaching solution', is a very powerful disinfectant and with precautionary measures, should be safe to use.
- Hypochlorite solutions are available from supermarkets. Regular hypochlorite solution may contain up to 5.25% hypochlorite while concentrated solution has 6% of the active chemical.
- As an alternate source, USEO has concentrated hypochlorite solution available to users for disinfection (phone no. 3943-7958).
- For wetting of bird droppings before removal, a working solution of 0.1% (1:49) strength of hypochlorite solution should be used.
- Procedures and Safety Precautions in Diluting Hypochlorite Solution
- Remember:
- Do not mix hypochlorite solution with acids or alkaline.
- Do not add hot water to concentrated hypochlorite solution.
- Do not use hypochlorite solution in undiluted form.
- Store concentrated hypochlorite solution in secure places and away from sunshine or source of heat.
- Always ensure that proper label is adhered to container of solution. For diluted hypochlorite solution, the date of dilution should also be written onto the label.
- Call USEO (phone no. 3943-7958) for advice if in doubt.
- For your own protections:
- Prepare hypochlorite solution in places with good ventilation.
- Put on gloves, masks and eye protector/chemical face shield before handling hypochlorite solution.
- Prepare the quantity of diluted solution you are going to use for your work. Excessive chemicals mean additional risks and wastage.
- Wash with copious amount of water if your body has been in contact with hypochlorite solution.
- Procedures for Removing Bird Droppings in Public/Residential Areas
- Wet the bird droppings with 0.25% hypochlorite solution first and wait for one minute before removing them.
- Bird droppings after mixing with disinfectant may be dumped into garbage bags or washed off with copious amount of water.
- Apply additional hypochlorite solution onto the surface if there are still stains. Allow a few minutes for the disinfectant to soften the stain before removing it.
- Use a brush to scrub the footwear with 0.25% hypochlorite solution to remove stains of bird dropping adhered. The gloves should then be washed thoroughly with liquid soap and water. With the gloves still on, remove the protective clothing and dispose it properly. After that, wash the gloves again before taking them off. Wash your hands again after.
- Procedures for Removing Bird Droppings from Vehicles
- Wet the bird droppings with 0.25% hypochlorite solution and wait for one minute before removing them.
- Use a piece of cloth to scrub the bird droppings off the surface of the vehicle and dump the fabrics into garbage bags.
- Use another piece of cloth or waste dampened with water to rinse off residual of hypochlorite solution.
- Use a brush to scrub the footwear with 0.25% hypochlorite solution to remove stains of bird dropping adhered. The gloves should then be washed thoroughly with liquid soap and water. With the gloves still on, remove the protective clothing and dispose it properly. After that, wash the gloves again before taking them off. Wash your hands again after.
- Discovering Bird Carcass on Campus
- Notify the Security Unit (phone no. 3943-7999) when a bird carcass is discovered.
- The Security Unit will cordon off the area and inform the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Deprtment (AFCD) by calling 24-hour hotline 1823 to pick up the carcass.
- Procedures for Removing Bird Carcass by University Staff
In special situations where the AFCD service is not available and the bird carcasses have to be handled by University staff:
- The Security Unit will cordon off the area and inform EMO for collection of the bird carcass.
- For small carcasses, use disposable towels soakeded with 1% hypochlorite solution to cover the body. After a few minutes, use tongs to pick up the carcass and put it into a strong plastic bag for disposal.
- For larger carcasses, the same procedure applies. After putting the carcass into the plastic bag, add in a few cups of bleaching powder and then seal up the plastic bag using goose-neck technique.
- In all cases, the plastic bag should be put into a second plastic bag and tied up properly. The bags should be sent to the bio-waste collection site at Science Centre or Laboratory Animal Services Centre for temporary storage and further processing by the bio-waste contractor.
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