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 eg 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:
Check equipment and facilities for religious slaughter
make sure all equipment needed for slaughter is available at the
point of slaughter
check that all equipment needed for slaughter is working and safe
to operate before starting to slaughter
check that animals are available for slaughter and have not come
in to contact with animals who are not due to be religiously
slaughtered
check that the landing area is clean and free from obstacles
check that the line is staffed and ready to receive slaughtered
animals
solve any problems with tools or staffing in the slaughter area
follow procedures according to your religion
check the animal is placed in a suitable and safe position that
meets the religious and animal welfare codes of practise
check that the animal's chest is facing the correct way for
slaughter and follow other pre slaughter procedures for your
religion
position the slaughtering tools in the correct position
operate the slaughter tools in the correct and safe manner,
making the correct incision
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
confirm appropriate action is taken in the case of ineffective
slaughter in accordance with organisational requirements
make sure that the animal is removed from the slaughter area in
the manner that minimises carcass damage
check that the animal is correctly shackled for lifting to the
bleeding or dressing rail after the required time
check that the necessary reporting has taken place
check that the tools have been checked and cleaned ready for the
next animal
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
why it is important to position an animal correctly for slaughter
- why it is important to position the slaughter implement in the
prescribed position to ensure the correct depth of cut and effective
slaughtering
the positions of implements to achieve effective slaughter
why it is important to check back up systems are in place
how to operate the slaughter implements correctly
the pre-slaughter checks to be carried out
how to lift slaughtered animals to the bleeding or dressing rail
why it is important for animals to be kept calm
the physiological aspects of slaughter
the legal and religious regulations concerning the sign of effective
and ineffective slaughter
- the methods of slaughter allowed by law and by religious
regulation
the legal requirements for the slaughter of animals
the controls that relate to slaughter