IMPMP114  Carry out religious slaughter

Overview

This standard covers the skills and knowledge needed for you to carry out religious slaughter. Religious slaughter is about slaughtering animals to the requirements of religious standards.

This standard is about knowing how to and being able to carry out religious slaughter. It is for you if you work in this area and carry out slaughter operations. You must follow closely defined procedures such as Zibah and Shechita. These procedures and standards are intended to ensure humane slaughter, hygiene and food safety. They also aim to contribute to animal welfare in this most sensitive part of the industry process. Specific licences are required to work in this area.

People who work in manual slaughter have specialist skills so that different objectives of the area are met. This standard is for you if you work in religious slaughter area of a meat facility. Slaughter is through non-automated methods.

Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. make sure all equipment needed for slaughter is available at the point of slaughter
  2. check that all equipment needed for slaughter is working and safe to operate before starting to slaughter
  3. check that animals are available for slaughter and have not come in to contact with animals who are not due to be religiously slaughtered
  4. check that the landing area is clean and free from obstacles
  5. check that the line is staffed and ready to receive slaughtered animals
  6. work within the limits of your responsibility, reporting problems to the relevant people
  7. follow procedures according to your religion
  8. check the animal is placed in a suitable and safe position that meets the religious and animal welfare codes of practise
  9. check that the animal’s chest is facing the correct way for slaughter and follow other pre slaughter procedures for your religion
  10. position the slaughtering tools in the correct position
  11. operate the slaughter tools in the correct and safe manner, making the correct incision
  12. check to make sure effective slaughter has taken place and ensure nothing further is done if a time delay is required by civil or religious regulation
  13. confirm appropriate action is taken in the case of ineffective slaughter according to organisational and regulatory requirements
  14. make sure that the animal is removed from the slaughter area in the manner that minimises carcass damage
  15. check that the animal is correctly shackled for lifting to the bleeding or dressing rail after the required time
  16. check that the necessary reporting has taken place
  17. check that the tools have been checked and cleaned ready for the next animal

Knowledge and understanding

You need to know and understand

  1. why it is important to position an animal correctly for slaughter
  2. why it is important to position the slaughter implement in the prescribed position to ensure the correct depth of cut and effective slaughtering
  3. the positions of implements to achieve effective slaughter
  4. why it is important to check back up systems are in place
  5. how to operate the slaughter implements according to organisational requirements and procedures
  6. the pre-slaughter checks to be carried out
  7. how to lift slaughtered animals to the bleeding or dressing rail
  8. why it is important for animals to be kept calm
  9. the physiological aspects of slaughter
  10. the legal and religious regulations concerning the sign of effective and ineffective slaughter
  11. the methods of slaughter allowed by law and by religious regulation
  12. the legal and statutory requirements for the slaughter of animals
  13. the controls that relate to slaughter
  14. why it is important to work within the limits of your responsibility and report problems to the relevant people

Keywords:  Manufacturing technologies; Food Preparation Trades; Process, Plant and Machine Operatives; Process Operatives