The Slaughter of Animals (Humane Conditions) Regulations 1990

PART IV

Conditions to be observed in connection with the stunning and slaughter of animals

14.  The occupier of a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard shall ensure that—

(a) a mechanically operated instrument for stunning animals is kept, in good working order, in the slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard (in addition to any other instrument or equipment used for stunning or slaughtering animals there) and is available for immediate use in an emergency;

(b) any electrical equipment used for stunning an animal in the slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard—

(i) is set to deliver a current which is sufficient to render the animal instantaneously insensible to pain, and

(ii) contains a device which will prevent it from delivering a current below that which it has been set to deliver;

(c) cattle are not placed in a stunning or restraining pen in the slaughterhouse or in a stunning pen in the knacker’s yard unless—

(i) in the case of an animal which is to be stunned prior to slaughter, the person who is to carry out the stunning is ready to do so immediately the animal is placed in the pen, or

(ii) in the case of an animal which is to be slaughtered in a slaughterhouse by a religious method, the person who is to carry out the slaughter is ready to make the incision immediately the animal is placed in the pen;

(d) an animal is not shackled or hoisted in the slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard until is has been effectively stunned or, in the case of an animal which is to be slaughtered in a slaughterhouse by a religious method, until the appropriate period referred to in regulation 25(2) has elapsed and only if it is unconscious; and

(e) where an animal to which regulation 23 does not apply is to be slaughtered in a slaughterhouse by a religious method on a cradle or table, only one animal is placed on such cradle or table at any one time.

15.—(1) Subject to paragraph (3) below, no person shall stun any cattle in a slaughterhouse unless at the time they are stunned they are confined in a stunning pen or in a restraining pen which (in either case) is in good working order.

(2) No person shall stun any cattle in a knacker’s yard unless at the time they are stunned they are either confined in a stunning pen which is in good working order or their heads are securely fastened in such a position as to enable them to be stunned without the infliction of unnecessary pain or unnecessary distress.

(3) The provisions of paragraph (1) above shall not apply to any animal slaughtered in accordance with regulation 21(b) or (d) below.

16.—(1) No person shall in a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard—

(a) stun any cattle with a mechanically operated instrument applied to the back of the head or stun any other animal in this manner except when access to the front of the head is prevented by the animal’s horns;

(b) use any electric tongs on an animal except for the purpose of stunning the animal on the application of such tongs; or

(c) give any electrical stimulation to, or carry out any dressing procedure on, an animal which has been stuck before a period of—

(i) 20 seconds in the case of sheep, goats and pigs, and

(ii) 30 seconds in the case of cattle,

has elapsed after it has been stuck.

(2) In paragraphs (1)(a) and (1)(c)(ii) above, “cattle” means bulls, cows, heifers, steers and calves.

17.—(1) The occupier of a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard shall ensure that no person uses any instrument for stunning or slaughtering any animal in the slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard unless that person’s ability and physical condition at the time enable him to use it without inflicting any unnecessary pain on the animal.

(2) No person shall stun or slaughter any animal in a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard unless he—

(a) uses such instruments or appliances;

(b) adopts such methods; and

(c) takes such other precautions,

as may be necessary to ensure that the animal is not caused any unnecessary pain or unnecessary distress.

18.—(1) The occupier of a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard shall ensure that animals which have been stunned there are stuck without delay.

(2) Any person engaged in the slaughter of animals in a slaughterhouse or in a knacker’s yard shall ensure that—

(a) no animal is stunned unless it is possible for it to be stuck afterwards without delay;

(b) after any animals have been stunned they are stuck without delay; and

(c) subject to paragraph (3) below, if that person is responsible for the stunning, shackling, hoisting and sticking of any animals, or for any of those operations, such operations are carried out by him consecutively in respect of one animal before being so carried out by him in respect of another animal.

(3) In paragraph (2)(c) above, “stunning” does not include the anaesthetising of pigs by carbon dioxide gas.

19.  The occupier of a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard shall ensure that animals which have been stunned or slaughtered there—

(a) are not dragged over any other animals; and

(b) are not left in a position where they can be trampled on by other animals.

20.  No person shall stick any animal in a slaughterhouse, knacker’s yard or lairage within sight of any other animal.

21.  The occupier of a slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard or lairage (as the case may be) shall ensure that—

(a) any animal in the slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard or lairage which is in pain because of injury or any other cause is slaughtered without delay and before any other animals which are awaiting slaughter there;

(b) any animal which is confined in the lairage and which would suffer pain if moved from there is slaughtered in that lairage;

(c) any animal in the slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard or lairage which is too young to take solid food is slaughtered without delay after its arrival there;

(d) any animal which, because of injury or any other cause, cannot be unloaded from a vehicle on its arrival at the slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard or lairage without being caused pain or suffering is slaughtered forthwith on the vehicle by a mechanically operated instrument; and

(e) any sick or disabled animal in the slaughterhouse or knacker’s yard or lairage is kept apart from all other animals pending its slaughter.

22.  No person shall install a casting pen in any slaughterhouse save that, until 5th July 1992, a person may, with the consent of the appropriate Minister, replace a casting pen of the Weinberg, Dyne or North British Rotary type or such other type as may have been approved by the appropriate Minister before 5th July 1990 under regulation 17 of the Slaughter of Animals (Prevention of Cruelty) Regulations 1958(1) with a casting pen of any such type.

23.—(1) No person shall slaughter any cattle in a slaughterhouse by a religious method other than in an upright position in a restraining pen which has been approved by the appropriate Minister and which the appropriate Minister is satisfied has been installed in such a manner as to ensure that it will operate efficiently save that, until 5th July 1992, in slaughterhouses operating before 5th July 1990, a casting pen of the Weinberg, Dyne or North British Rotary type or such other type as may have been approved by the appropriate Minister before 5th July 1990 under regulation 17 of the Slaughter of Animals (Prevention of Cruelty) Regulations 1958 may continue to be used for such slaughter.

(2) The appropriate Minister may, for the purposes of paragraph (1) above, give his approval to a restraining pen but he shall not give any such approval unless he is satisfied that the pen is of such a size and design, and is capable of being operated, so as to protect an animal from injury or unnecessary distress while confined in it or while entering it and, in particular, unless he is satisfied that the pen—

(a) contains an effective means of restraining any animal confined in it (including a suitable head restraint for that purpose); and

(b) contains a means of support which will take the weight of an animal during and following slaughter in it.

24.  The occupier of a slaughterhouse in which there is a restraining pen shall ensure that—

(a) the means of restraining and supporting an animal confined in such a pen described in regulation 23(2)(a) and (b) above are used in respect of any animal confined in it;

(b) the pen is kept in good working order; and

(c) if it has been modified after it has been approved by the appropriate Minister, the pen is not used again until a fresh approval is given by the appropriate Minister.

25.—(1) Any person engaged in slaughtering any animals in a slaughterhouse by a religious method shall—

(a) ensure that each animal is slaughtered by the severance, by rapid, uninterrupted movements of a knife, of both its carotid arteries and both its jugular veins; and

(b) before each animal is slaughtered, inspect the knife to be used and ensure that it is not used unless it is undamaged and of sufficient size and sharpness to be capable of being used to slaughter the animal in the manner described in sub-paragraph (a) above.

(2) No person shall move an animal which is being slaughtered in a slaughterhouse by a religious method before it is unconscious and in any case not before a period of not less than—

(a) 20 seconds in the case of sheep and goats, and

(b) 30 seconds in the case of cattle,

has elapsed after it has been slaughtered in the manner described in paragraph (1)(a) above.

(3) In paragraph (2)(b) above, “cattle” means bulls, cows, heifers, steers and calves.

26.  Any licence granted by a local authority (otherwise than by way of renewal of an existing licence) to any person under section 39(1) of the Act shall, unless that person has worked as a slaughterman for at least 3 months and has satisfied a local authority or, in the case of the slaughter of animals by the Jewish method, the Rabbinical Commission, of his ability to slaughter animals with the infliction of as little pain and suffering as possible, be granted subject to a condition that he shall not slaughter any animal except under the supervision of a person holding a licence in force under that section which is not subject to a similar condition.

(1)

S.I. 1958/2166; in the case of the Secretary of State by virtue of S.I. 1978/272.