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.
You must also know how to address problems and adhere to regulatory standards and standard operating procedures and be able to apply your skills and knowledge within food safety and health and safety regulations and any relevant international industry codes. You should also have an understanding of how the green circular economy supports repeated use of resources and products within your organisation.
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:
- prepare to carry out automated stunning according to organisational requirements and standards
- wear and use personal protective equipment according to regulatory standards and organisational requirements
- check that power is switched on and the equipment is working before red and white meat species are exposed to the stunning operations
- check that the feed to the stunning equipment is switched on and running at the proper speed
- check that the sticking point is ready to receive stunned meat species
- check the first meat or poultry species into the equipment to ensure they are stunned according to organisational and legal requirements
- check that meat or poultry species are fed to the stunning point at the right speed
- check that the feed of meat or poultry species into the stunning point meets regulatory requirements
- monitor efficiency of stunning to ensure meat or poultry species are stunned according to organisational and legal requirements and standards
- take the necessary action to deal with inadequately stunned animals or birds
- 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:
- why it is important to follow organisational standard operating procedures during the controlling of the automated stunning of red and white meat species
- why animals or birds are stunned before sticking
- regulatory requirements relating to the welfare of the animals or birds
- the key features of an automated stunning system
- how to start up automated stunning operations
- why it is important to check the cleanliness of tools and equipment
- how to access the organisational standard operating procedures
- how to handle the meat or poultry carcass to maintain its quality
- how to identify effective and ineffective stunning of animals and birds
- the consequences of failure in the stunning equipment
- how ineffective stunning can lead to a reduction of flow to the next stage of processing
- what action to take when ineffective stunning takes place
- the limits of your own authority and competence and why it is important to work within those limits
- what recording, reporting and communication is needed, how to carry this out and the reasons why it is important to do so