Come clean, go clean: vehicle and machinery clean-down
Last reviewed: November 2026
Come clean, go clean means reducing the risk of carrying soil, seeds and other biosecurity material into or out of a place on vehicles, machinery, footwear or equipment. Business Queensland includes this approach in its GBO guidance. CertMate records the cleaning and inspection evidence, but the practical work still comes first. Plan a safe clean-down, inspect the collection points and check what the receiving property expects before a certificate or declaration is signed.
Why is a clean-down procedure more than washing the bodywork?
A shiny exterior can hide material in wheel arches, chassis rails, radiator screens and attachments. NT Government guidance identifies a range of seed-collection points, while Farm Biosecurity discusses risks from vehicles, people and equipment. Use those resources to build a checklist suited to the machine. A clean-down procedure should say what is included, how workers can access it safely and how the result will be checked.
Different risks require different measures. Removing weed seed and soil is not the same as applying a disease-specific disinfection procedure. Follow the property's instructions and relevant official guidance. Keep runoff and removed material within a suitable designated area. If a facility cannot manage the material or equipment, arrange another option instead of assuming any truck wash will meet the purpose.
Is a hygiene certificate a legal requirement?
In Queensland, the Biosecurity Act 2014 places a General Biosecurity Obligation, or GBO, on individuals and companies to take reasonable and practical steps to prevent or minimise biosecurity risks under their control. It does not impose a universal requirement to carry a vehicle hygiene certificate. A declaration or inspection record can help explain what you did; the document is evidence, not the obligation itself.
Landholder access conditions, operator site rules and project agreements may ask for a particular record before entry. Confirm those requirements separately from the law. NSW and Tasmania use the term General Biosecurity Duty. Specific movement controls can also apply to particular carriers or routes. A general-purpose CertMate record does not replace a government-issued certificate, permit or prescribed form where one is required.
What should you confirm before the vehicle moves?
Start with the route, not the paperwork. Identify the departure location, the destination, any intermediate property and the work to be performed. Ask the receiving contact about known weeds, approved access tracks, parking areas and the type of evidence they accept. Find out whether trailers, attachments and support vehicles need their own identification on the record. A vehicle that was clean at the yard can collect fresh material on an unsealed approach road.
Write the agreed instructions where the driver and supervisor can find them. Include the person to contact if conditions change, a washdown location suitable for the vehicle and a place to wait without entering a production area. Check current official movement guidance when travelling from an affected area or crossing a state border. Do not treat a booking, old certificate or map screenshot as permission for a new movement.
How do you prepare a safe clean-down area?
Use a designated area that keeps removed soil, seeds and organic material away from clean vehicles and sensitive production areas. Confirm the facility accepts the vehicle's dimensions and the material being removed. A public truck wash is not automatically suitable for every hygiene task. Call ahead about attachments, livestock crates, access, equipment and any restrictions on contaminated loads. The directory is a starting point, not confirmation that a bay will inspect or certify a vehicle.
Follow the machine manufacturer's safe access instructions and your workplace procedures. Park securely, isolate equipment where needed and avoid reaching beneath unsupported plant or moving parts. Clean-down can expose workers to pressure, slippery surfaces, hot components and contaminated dust. Decide who will do the work and who will check it before starting. If a difficult area cannot be safely inspected, record the limitation and arrange an appropriate method rather than signing it off unseen.
Where can soil and weed seed remain after washing?
Inspect the places that retain material rather than judging the paintwork. Tyre treads, wheel rims, arches, mud flaps, steps, chassis rails, suspension and recessed panels can all hold debris. On plant, inspect tracks, rollers, guards, buckets and attachments using safe access methods. Trailers, floats and toolboxes deserve separate attention. Inside a cab, check footwear areas, mats and loose items that have been placed on contaminated ground.
Remove accessible loose material before the final wash. Choose cleaning methods appropriate to the equipment, the contamination and the receiving site's procedure. A brush, vacuum, air or water may be useful in different circumstances, but a weed-seed clean-down is not automatically disinfection for an animal or plant disease. Recheck collection points after cleaning. A photograph of one clean wheel does not establish that the underside, trailer and load were also checked.
What belongs on a useful washdown record?
Identify the vehicle by registration or fleet number and add trailer and attachment details. Record when and where cleaning took place, the method used, the areas checked, the person's name and their role. Keep the inspection outcome distinct from the cleaning activity. Add the intended destination and any agreed checklist reference so the receiving contact understands the scope of the record. Where training evidence is requested, record the relevant evidence rather than assuming a job title proves competency.
Describe exceptions clearly: an inaccessible cavity, an attachment not included, a remaining load or additional inspection still required. Take evidence photographs that show the identified vehicle and the relevant clean surfaces, not only a distant view of the truck. Keep the photos with the record and retain the original issue details. Never backdate a declaration, copy a previous sign-off to a new vehicle or say that an area was inspected when it was not.
Who can sign the record, and what are they confirming?
The important questions are what the signer actually checked, whether they have the appropriate vehicle-hygiene certification training where required by the receiving conditions, and whether current evidence of that training is available. The signer may be the driver. Being a driver does not disqualify someone, and being a supervisor does not automatically qualify someone. A self-declaration and an inspected or attested certificate should be described honestly so the receiving party knows which it is.
Agree the sign-off standard before work begins. If a site asks for an independently inspected record, a driver's declaration alone may not meet that condition even when the cleaning was thorough. Conversely, do not imply every movement needs an independent inspector. Record the role, the inspection scope and any limitations. Ask the receiving contact to clarify disputed requirements before travelling, rather than discovering a mismatch while waiting at the gate.
What should happen at the receiving gate?
Match the arriving vehicle and its attachments to the record, check the cleaning date and ask where it has travelled since. Review whether the agreed checklist and sign-off conditions were met. Look at the relevant photos and any exceptions, then consider the vehicle's current condition. A record explains an earlier event; it cannot guarantee that a vehicle has not been recontaminated. If new material is visible, follow the property procedure for waiting, re-cleaning or escalation.
CertMate is the digital way to create and show that vehicle hygiene evidence. Records can be created in the field, used offline and synchronised when connectivity returns, with QR verification and a tamper-evident history. Confirm linked access and the required record is available before leaving reception. The landholder or operator still decides access under their conditions. Software supports that decision; it is not an inspection authority or a substitute for the practical work.
How do you keep the evidence useful after the visit?
Keep the cleaning record connected to the movement, not separated in an inbox with an unclear file name. Record any later re-cleaning as a new event. If the vehicle is used on another property, carries a different load or returns through contaminated ground, reassess before relying on the earlier evidence. A date alone is not a universal expiry rule: the receiving conditions, route and current condition all matter.
Review exceptions with the crew after the job. Did the chosen wash bay accept the float? Were all attachments identified? Could the receiving contact open the evidence? Update the procedure to address the actual problem, while preserving the original record. Use the free Readiness Check to assess your evidence process and the washdown finder to research suitable facilities. Neither tool certifies compliance or grants access; both help you prepare the information you need to discuss with the next property.
Official sources and further guidance
- Business Queensland: general biosecurity obligation
- NT Government: vehicle cleaning and hygiene declarations
- Farm Biosecurity: people, vehicles and equipment
General information, not legal advice. Check current official guidance and receiving conditions for your particular movement.
Common questions
- What does come clean go clean evidence?
- The record should identify the vehicle, cleaning event, inspection scope and signer. Compare it with the receiving conditions and check current official guidance for the movement.
- Does this record guarantee access or compliance?
- No. It records cleaning and inspection evidence. The receiving conditions and any specific movement controls still apply, and a vehicle can be recontaminated after cleaning.
- Can the driver sign the vehicle hygiene record?
- Yes, if the driver has the appropriate vehicle-hygiene certification training and current evidence where the receiving conditions require it. The inspection scope and whether it is a declaration or inspected record must be clear.
- Can CertMate evidence be used without reception?
- CertMate supports offline field use and synchronises when connectivity returns. Confirm the relevant record is available before leaving reception, and check the receiving site accepts your evidence.