Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required for the humane, effective and hygienic stunning of animals.

This unit is applicable to workers in registered slaughtering establishments.

All work should be carried out to comply with workplace procedures, customer requirements and product specifications.

This unit applies to individuals who work under broad direction and take responsibility for their own work including limited responsibility for the work of others. They provide and communicate solutions to a range of predictable problems.

No 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.

Pre-requisite Unit

Nil.

Unit Sector

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

Foundation Skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range of Conditions

Unit Mapping Information

This unit is equivalent to MTMP3001C Knock and stun animal.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=5e2e56b7-698f-4822-84bb-25adbb8443a7

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

The candidate must humanely, effectively and hygienically stun animals.

The candidate must:

• restrain animal effectively and safely, with minimum stress to the animal
• stun animal effectively in accordance with workplace health and safety, workplace and regulatory requirements
• correctly use measuring equipment for voltage and/or gas levels, as applicable
• demonstrate procedures to be taken if stun is not effective
• check, operate and maintain stunning equipment according to workplace requirements
• apply communication and mathematical skills relevant to work instructions and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• report equipment faults according to workplace requirements
• apply relevant regulatory requirements

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must demonstrate a factual, technical, procedural and theoretical knowledge of:

• alternative methods of stunning
• animal welfare requirements including importing country requirements and religious considerations where appropriate
• purpose of stunning animal
• risks of potential contamination and cross-contamination during stunning
• workplace health and safety consequences of not achieving an effective stun
• purpose of having a back-up procedures
• impact of ineffective restraining and stunning on product quality
• relevant regulatory requirements

Assessment Conditions

Assessment must be performed in an operating abattoir or knackery.

Competency must be demonstrated at normal production speed with a range of types of stock (which can be from a single species).

As a minimum, the following three forms of assessment must be used:

• quiz of underpinning knowledge
• workplace demonstration
• workplace referee or third-party report of performance over time.

Assessors must satisfy the current standards for RTOs.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=5e2e56b7-698f-4822-84bb-25adbb8443a7