IMPMP108  Control an automated stunning system

Overview

This standard is about the skills and knowledge needed for you to control an automated stunning system in food operations. This will include electrical, manual-electrical and gas stunning systems.

Operating and understanding an automated stunning system is important to maintaining the safe, hygienic production of meat or poultry, including the maintenance of animal welfare. It is also important to maintaining supply to the meat or poultry production process.

You will need to be able to prepare work area, tools and equipment to control an automated stunning system. You also need to be able to control an automated stunning system adhering to regulatory and organisational standards.

This standard is for you if you work in food operations and are involved in controlling an automated stunning system.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. prepare to carry out automated stunning according to organisational requirements and standards
  2. wear and use personal protective equipment according to regulatory standards and organisational requirements
  3. check that power is switched on and the equipment is working before red and white meat species are exposed to the stunning operations
  4. check that the feed to the stunning equipment is switched on and running at the proper speed
  5. check that the sticking point is ready to receive stunned meat species
  6. check the first meat or poultry species into the equipment to ensure they are properly stunned
  7. work within the limits of your responsibility, reporting problems to the relevant people
  8. check that meat or poultry species are fed to the stunning point at the right speed
  9. check that the feed of meat or poultry species into the stunning point meets regulatory requirements
  10. monitor efficiency of stunning to ensure meat or poultry species are properly stunned in accordance with organisational requirements and standards
  11. take the necessary action to deal with inadequately stunned animals or birds
  12. monitor the flow of meat or poultry species from the stunning equipment to the sticking point to ensure that it meets legal and statutory requirements

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand

  1. why it is important to follow organisational standard operating procedures during the controlling of the automated stunning of red and white meat species
  2. why animals or birds are stunned before sticking
  3. regulatory requirements relating to the welfare of the animals or birds
  4. the key features of an automated stunning system
  5. how to start up automated stunning operations
  6. why it is important to check the cleanliness of tools and equipment
  7. how to access the organisational standard operating procedures
  8. how to handle the meat or poultry carcass to maintain its quality
  9. how to identify effective and ineffective stunning of animals and birds
  10. the consequences of failure in the stunning equipment
  11. how ineffective stunning can lead to a reduction of flow to the next stage of processing
  12. what action to take when ineffective stunning takes place
  13. why it is important to work within the limits of your responsibility and report problems to the relevant people

Keywords: Meat; poultry; stunning; system; automated; food; supply operations