The Importance of Biosecurity and the Benefits of Insulation

November 06, 2019

When it comes to farm safety and biosecurity, GNI takes matters seriously. Our expert insulation installers follow every rule of biosecurity for your farm accurately and on a tight schedule. This means your farm experiences less down time during your upgrades and a strict adherence to all safety precautions during the installation. Our insulation consultants are able to answer any questions you may have about using different types of insulation for different purposes, and can help ensure that you have chosen the most cost-effective option for your needs.

Recently, GNI used spray foam insulation to help improve the heat management of a poultry farm in Ontario. Since biosecurity is of the utmost importance on a farm with poultry, it was vital that the GNI team was able to complete their upgrades in a short amount of time and abide to every precaution specific to that farm. On the GNI YouTube channel, you can find a more in-depth look into the upgrades that were made to this specific poultry farm, along with a number of other interesting case studies for you to enjoy at your leisure.

If you have any questions about how GNI can help improve the biosecurity of your farm, or if you would like to schedule a free assessment of your farm by our expert insulation consultants, give our Customer Experience Team a call at 1-800-265-1914, or send us a message online at http://www.gni.ca/contact.

What is Biosecurity?

In terms of farm safety, biosecurity involves all of the preventative measures taken to prevent biological agents from spreading; protecting both livestock and crops, as well as farmers and their customers. Depending on the type of farm (and other factors such as the location of the farm’s buildings and their size), the level of biosecurity required for proper operation differs.

Since many biological contaminants are airborne, strong airtightness is almost always required in order for a building to reach a high level of biosecurity. Also, as the airtightness of a building increases, the need for intentional and controlled ventilation does as well. With GNI’s help, you can not only improve your farm’s air quality, working to control any airborne contaminants, but you can also be sure that you are reaching your upgrade goals for the lowest possible cost.

Due to GNI’s comprehensive approach to farm upgrades, our insulation consultants will work to find the most cost-effective option for you to meet your goals and your timeline. That way you can improve your farm exactly the way you want or need, in the littlest time possible, and for the lowest up-front investment.

What Precautions Does GNI Take for Biosecurity?

GNI strictly adheres to all the safety precautions and biosecurity measures that are necessary for each individual farm we upgrade. Our insulation installers are equipped with full body PPE (personal protective equipment) and a biological particulate respirator when necessary. Each of our installers have been trained to follow proper sanitation measures to prevent contamination and ensure the highest level of farm safety possible.

Additionally, GNI is able to work on a tight schedule to minimize your farm’s downtime during your upgrades, and to further reduce the risk of biological contamination while undergoing renovations. If you would like to learn more about GNI’s standard precautions for farm safety during biosecurity upgrades, our Customer Experience Team will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Simply give us a call at 1-800-265-1914, or chat with us online at http://www.gni.ca/contact.

Spray Foam Insulation Improves Farm Safety

When it comes to performance per inch, spray foam insulation is impossible to beat. It is able to form its own protective barrier that prevents air leaks, temperature changes, and moisture problems. For this reason, spray foam insulation is a common choice to help improve the biosecurity of a farm or building. It can be applied in an extremely wide range of applications, making it extremely versatile for improving many different types of farms.

GNI’s insulation consultants can help you determine if spray foam insulation is the best choice for your needs (and which type, such as open cell vs. closed cell), and help you aim for the most cost-effective upgrades possible. This may include enlisting the help of a building envelope consulting firm - such as our friends at Barrier Sciences Group - to check for and locate issues such as air leaks.

The Benefits of Insulation go Beyond Biosecurity

Biosecurity is important, but it is not the only thing that improves when GNI upgrades a farm’s insulation and airtightness - temperature control and air quality improves as well. This means a lower risk of heat stress placed on livestock or crops, as well as a number of other potential benefits (depending on the farm), such as lower water and cooling needs.

When upgrading a farm, GNI can help you reach any and all of your goals for improvement. Whether you are looking to improve temperature control, airtightness and biosecurity, or energy costs, insulation from GNI is never a wrong choice. Our expert insulation installers are trained and experienced at following guidelines for farm safety and biosecurity, and are able to upgrade an entire building with extreme swiftness and accuracy.

This means less time is spent waiting for upgrades to finish, without having to compromise for a rushed job. In the case of the Ontario poultry farm that was mentioned earlier, GNI installed spray foam insulation in their barn over a single weekend. This helped the farmer meet their deadline for the new flock of birds that were to arrive by the end of Sunday.

GNI’s Customer Experience Team can help you arrange your upgrades so that they fit your schedule, and are happy to answer any questions you may have about your upgrade goals or your future plans for your farm. Give us a call at 1-800-265-1914, or message us online at http://www.gni.ca/contact to schedule a time for a free inspection of your farm.