Rail dressing system Proposed combined rail and bed dressing system

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3.2.2 Rail dressing system

The rail system elevates the animal immediately after the animal is slaughtered and the entire process of de-hiding and eviscerating the carcass is performed while the animal is in the vertical position. This elevation of the carcass above the ground ensures that it is not exposed to any contamination emanating from the ground, water splash and or contact with surrounding infrastructure during the slaughtering process. However, like the bed dressing system, there are issues in relation to cross contamination that have to be managed with appropriate dressing protocols which are described later in this report. Following de-hiding and evisceration the carcass, in a vertical position, can be conveyed along the rail gravity or powered and at each elevated work station the slaughter operator can perform a particular task. Once completed, the carcass is moved to the next work station. This process requires a lot more infra-structure and labour given the restriction imposed by elevating the carcass. The advantage over the bed system is the economy of scale as production rates increase. Figure 2 below shows a process schematic of an efficient and hygienic rail dressing system. A typical process plan for a rail dressing system is shown in Figure 5. Page 16 of 100 Figure No. 2: Rail dressing process Page 17 of 100

3.2.3 Proposed combined rail and bed dressing system

To ensure that the slaughter and dressing process is efficient, hygienic and repeatable, we recommend combining the bed and rail dressing elements into a system that is flexible as well as being efficient at low production rates. It can be adapted to fit any commercial requirement while maintaining the process integrity that underpins food safety and hygiene. Figure 3 below shows a process schematic of the proposed combination bed and rail dressing system. A typical process plan for this system is shown in Figure 4. The progression from the traditional bed dressing process to the combination bed and rail involves getting people to work on successive tasks, not total group activity. This allows better task definition and a culture of process rather than physical enthusiasm to get the task completed. Page 18 of 100

4. Process definition sequence