Assessor Resource

MTMP410A
Oversee humane handling of animals

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: March 2024


Ensuring animals are handled and slaughtered humanely is the responsibility of both regulatory authorities and the companies involved. This unit is therefore applicable to meat safety officers, lairage supervisors and Quality Assurance (QA) officers in meat processing establishments, livestock transport and saleyard staff.

This unit covers the skills and knowledge required to oversee the handling and, where applicable, the slaughtering of animals by a range of company personnel and/or government inspection staff to meet regulatory requirements.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.




Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

The meat industry has specific and clear requirements for evidence. A minimum of three forms of evidence is required to demonstrate competency in the meat industry. This is specifically designed to provide evidence that covers the demonstration in the workplace of all aspects of competency over time.

These requirements are in addition to the requirements for valid, current, authentic and sufficient evidence.

Three forms of evidence means three different kinds of evidence - not three pieces of the same kind. In practice it will mean that most of the unit is covered twice. This increases the legitimacy of the evidence.

All assessment must be conducted against Australian meat industry standards and regulations.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Competency must be demonstrated against the current animal welfare codes and regulations. Part of the assessment must involve working with livestock handling in stockyards or a slaughtering premises. This may take the form of supervising or auditing livestock handling or slaughtering operations.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must be conducted in working stockyards and or slaughtering premises.

Method of assessment

Recommended methods of assessment are:

assignment

quiz of underpinning knowledge

verified work log

workplace demonstration

workplace project

workplace referee or third party report of performance over time.

Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality or Torres Strait Islander, gender, or language backgrounds other than English. Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher nor less than those of the work role.

Guidance information for assessment

A current list of resources for this unit of competency is available from MINTRAC www.mintrac.com.au or telephone 1800 817 462.


Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)


Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

Ability to:

work effectively as an individual and as part of a team

ensure bruising and/or hide or pelt damage due to livestock handling is minimised

ensure stock handlers remain calm and are not injured or put at risk of injury

ensure stress in animals is minimised through correct handling

explain the consequence of incorrect animal handling techniques

explain why correct animal handling helps ensure that meat attains an acceptably low ultimate pH (i.e. high pH meat, caused by stressed animals and depleted glycogen stores, is avoided)

identify and apply relevant Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) requirements

monitor the handling of livestock to ensure it occurs without injury to animal or worker

identify sick and injured stock

identify features of effective restraint, stun and bleed and/or oversee humane emergency kill

monitor bleed chain insensibility, where applicable

plan the movement of stock to meet production requirements and minimise stress

take action to improve work performance as a result of self-evaluation, feedback from others, or in response to changed work practices or technology

use relevant communication skills

Required knowledge

Knowledge of:

regulatory and workplace requirements for the humane handling and slaughtering of animals

animal welfare standards and regulations

strategies to minimise stress to livestock

the stunning and bleeding process and/or emergency kill requirements

causes of ineffective stunning and bleeding

regulatory and workplace requirements for monitoring stunning and bleeding

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Animals may include:

all ages, species and breeds of livestock handled in an establishment for slaughter

livestock of various temperaments from very tame to wild

livestock unused to human contact or any handling procedures.

Handling of animals may include:

all activities in the supply chain up to and including the knocking box or where live animals are killed, including handling in lairage, yards and pens, as well as the loading, transporting and unloading of livestock.

Workplace requirements may include:

enterprise-specific procedures

OH&S requirements

QA requirements

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

the ability to perform the task to production requirements

work instructions.

Regulatory requirements may include:

domestic and importing country animal welfare codes, guides and legislation

Export Control Act

federal and state regulations regarding meat processing or animal welfare

hygiene and sanitation requirements

relevant Australian Standards

relevant regulations

requirements set out in AS 4696:2007 Australian Standard for Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption.

Emergency kill applies to:

the emergency slaughter of injured or sick animals being held in lairage or while in transport.

Slaughter of animals applies to:

the stunning and bleeding of animals in the slaughter process.

Stunning includes the use of:

gas chambers

electrical stunning

rifles

captive bolt guns

any other process approved by the responsible authority.

OH&S requirements may include:

enterprise OH&S policies, procedures and programs

OH&S legal requirements

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which may include:

coats and aprons

ear plugs or muffs

eye and facial protection

head-wear

lifting assistance

mesh aprons

protective boot covers

protective hand and arm covering

protective head and hair covering

uniforms

waterproof clothing

work, safety or waterproof footwear

requirements set out in standards and codes of practice.

Communication skills may include:

applying numeracy skills to workplace requirements

being appropriately assertive

empathising

establishing/using networks

interpreting the needs of internal/external customers

listening and understanding

negotiating responsively

persuading effectively

reading and interpreting workplace-related documentation

sharing information

speaking clearly and directly

working with diverse individuals and groups

writing to audience needs.

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Animal welfare requirements are identified in legislation, regulation and workplace procedures. 
Handling of animals is overseen in accordance with workplace and regulatory requirements. 
Procedures for minimising stress and preventing injury are monitored. 
Effective restraint, where appropriate, and stunning or emergency kill of animals is overseen to ensure compliance with workplace and regulatory requirements. 
Bleeding of animals is overseen to ensure compliance with workplace and regulatory requirements, where applicable. 
Monitoring of bleed chain insensibility is overseen to ensure compliance with workplace and regulatory requirements, where applicable. 
Facilities, equipment and people handling and slaughtering animals are overseen in accordance with workplace and regulatory requirements. 
Bruising and/or hide or pelt damage data is monitored and corrective action is taken where appropriate. 
Handling of sick or injured stock is overseen in accordance with workplace and regulatory requirements. 
Handling of wild or uncooperative animals is overseen in accordance with workplace and regulatory requirements. 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

MTMP410A - Oversee humane handling of animals
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:


Assessment Record Sheet

MTMP410A - Oversee humane handling of animals

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: