Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to kill sick or injured stock in lairage under the direction of an authorised Department of Agriculture officer or other person with appropriate company or regulatory authority.
This unit is applicable to stock handlers who are responsible for killing sick and injured livestock at abattoirs while they are still in pens or holding areas.
All work should be carried out to comply with workplace and hygiene requirements.
This unit applies to individuals who work under general supervision, exercise limited autonomy and have some accountability for their own work.
Where firearms are used to perform emergency kills the unit must only be undertaken by individuals already holding a current firearms licence.
No other occupational licensing, legislative or certification requirements are known to apply to this unit at the time of publication.
This unit must be delivered and assessed in the context of Australian meat processing standards and regulations.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Element | Performance criteria |
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Identify stock requiring emergency slaughter | 1.1 Identify emergency circumstances requiring stock to be killed in lairage 1.2 Identify persons with the authority to order an emergency kill 1.3 Correctly identify stock requiring emergency kill arrangements according to workplace, animal welfare and regulatory requirements |
2. Perform emergency kill | 2.1 Isolate stock requiring emergency kill arrangements according to workplace and regulatory requirements 2.2 Perform emergency kill according to workplace health and safety requirements 2.3 Perform emergency kill according to workplace and regulatory requirements 2.4 Complete necessary documentation according to workplace requirements 2.5 Complete arrangements for removal of carcase according to workplace requirements |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must kill sick or injured stock in lairage under the direction of an authorised Department of Agriculture officer or other person with appropriate company or regulatory authority.
The candidate must:
identify animals requiring emergency kill
comply with the regulatory and company requirements for the isolation of the identified animal, the performance of the emergency kill and disposal of the carcase
perform emergency kills safely and humanely in accordance within company and regulatory requirements
make arrangements for the disposal of the carcase according to workplace and regulatory requirements
follow the regulatory and company requirements for the authorisation and documentation of emergency kills
apply relevant communication skills relevant to work instructions and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
complete relevant documentation
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must demonstrate a basic factual, technical and procedural knowledge of:
the regulatory and company requirements for the authorisation and documentation of emergency kills
the relevant animal welfare, workplace and regulatory requirements covering emergency kills
regulatory and company requirements for the isolation of the identified animal, the performance of the emergency kill and disposal of the carcase
Assessment Conditions
Emergency kills must be demonstrated as a normal part of the duties of the individual handling stock.
This unit must be assessed at an operating abattoir.
As a minimum the following three forms of assessment must be used:
workplace demonstration
quiz of underpinning knowledge
workplace referee report or verified work log or diary
Assessors must satisfy the current standards for RTOs.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.