RMAA SERVICES

1.1 Slaughter Technique Training & Assistance

1.1.1 Routine slaughter technique training

Routine slaughter technique training provided to member abattoirs according to a monthly programme. Slaughter training is also provided to abattoirs based on requests from provincial veterinary officers, even if the abattoir is not a member.

In order for routine slaughter training to take place, the abattoir's slaughter practices are evaluated and compared with the standard best practice slaughter procedures as regularly updated by the association. Deviations are recorded and corrective training is provided by experienced training teams. A report is generated and a copy is provided to the abattoir which must be kept as part of the training records as pre-scribed in terms of regulation 55(b)(3) under the Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act no. 40 of 2000) as part of the Hygiene Management System.

Evaluation includes:

Correct slaughter techniques
Personal hygiene practices
Equipment used
Slaughter floor layout and operation
Slaughter team layout
Bleeding times

After evaluation the findings are discussed with management. Corrections are lastly done according to the layout of the slaughter floor, available personnel and any other factors present.

The main aims are to:

Increase hygienic practices
Reduce contamination
Reduce damage to the carcass, skin and organs
Enhance ergonomics and speed
Increase slaughter out percentage
Better use of available personnel

Corrective actions may include:

Change layout of slaughter stations
Train personnel at specific stations
Recommend equipment changes
Recommend line layout changes

Training is always conducted by first demonstrating the correct and/or best procedure, then evaluating the operator conducting the procedure and conducting a re-demonstration if necessary. Finally competency is recorded for each worker at their respective work stations indicating competency acquired in the new/ adapted technique.

A routine slaughter training report is forwarded to the management after completion of the training.

Beef, Sheep and Pigs slaughter training are based on findings after evaluation of the following elements at the various slaughter stations:

Availability and condition of structures and equipment
Availability of operators
Procedures used at various stations by each operator
Hygiene practices

The areas (slaughter stations) include:

Stunning
Shackling and hoisting
Throat cut (beef and sheep)
Sticking (pigs)
Bleeding
Electrical stimulation (where applicable)
Weasand rodding (where applicable)
Removal of front feet, removal and dressing of the head, flaying (first hind leg, second hind leg, flanks, lumbar region and back, neck, shoulders and forelegs, final hide removal)
Scalding (pigs)
Dehairing (pigs)
Flaming (pigs)
Splitting of the breastbone
Evisceration
Removal of the pluck
Splitting the carcass (where applicable)
Final finishing
Final wash

1.1.2 Specialised Slaughter Training

Specialised training (inverted slaughtering techniques for sheep and training in the game meat industry) may also be requested from time to time by the industry and training can be provided by the RMAA’s experienced slaughter instructors.

1.1.3 Slaughter Assistance

A team of experienced slaughter personnel is available to assist abattoirs where a lack of slaughter personnel occurs due to industrial action, personnel turnover or other problems that prevent the existing slaughter team to operate effectively.

1.1.4 Abattoir start-up (trial slaughter)

This is conducted in conjunction with Veterinary Services of the province. This is the first trial slaughter to determine whether all equipment and facilities are stationed correctly and functioning correctly. Any problems are addressed with the abattoir management and Veterinary Services and a complete report is handed to the abattoir.

Contact neels@rvav.co.za for assistance with regard to slaughter technique training.

1.2 Technical Services

1.2.1 Food Safety Management System Implementation and Support

Hygiene Management Systems (HMS) must be implemented at all South African abattoirs. The system implemented is based on the Regulations under the Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act no. 40 of 2000).

The HMS comprises the following components:

Control measures or programmes to monitor identified control points
Methods of monitoring or checking these control points
Relevant records of observations, checks, measurements or results
Sampling programmes for laboratory analyses
Corrective actions
Hygiene Assessment System (HAS) reports
Hygiene Management Programmes (HMP's) for the respective operational procedures at the abattoir

Some document preparation is conducted at the RMAA offices but the site is visited for a few days in order to incorporate the existing system into a new system or to create a new system altogether. An electronic version is left at the abattoir to ensure any changes and updates can be made by the abattoir. Abattoir management is trained in the operation of the system. An additional Support Service contract is available where the RMAA visits the site 4 times per annum to assist the abattoir with changes and updates.

Contact mariana@rvav.co.za for arrangements in this regard.

1.2.2 Laboratory sampling

Trained RMAA personnel conduct sampling and ensure correct handling until analysis. Two packages are currently available and both include collection and courier fees. The abattoir receives a complete, confidential, user friendly report from the laboratory. This service is aimed at assisting abattoirs to comply with legal requirements and to determine:

Effectiveness of cleaning and sanitation
Effectiveness of hand washing
Effectiveness of hygienic slaughtering procedures

Samples include:

Microbiological & Chemical water samples
Microbiological equipment swaps
Microbiological hand swaps
Microbiological carcass swaps

Contact mariana@rvav.co.za for arrangements in this regard

1.2.3 Audits

A Hygiene Assessment of the entire process, procedures, structure and documentation is conducted by using the Hygiene Assessment System (HAS) to determine the level of compliance with Meat Safety Act & Regulations. The audits are performed by independent, qualified auditors. An audit report sent within 7 working days after completion of the audit.

Contact mariana@rvav.co.za for arrangements in this regard

1.2.4 Operational support

During an operational support service visit to an abattoir, various aspects of the operations of the abattoir are investigated to determine operational efficiency. Some of the aims of such a service are to ensure:

Optimal use of personnel
Know where profit is lost/ can be gained
Act preventatively
Save on repair and replacement costs
Increase productivity
Increase hygiene and safety
Increase product quality and reduce damage

Operational support services are currently available in the form of a once off service per day or an annual contract of 4 days. The visit is concluded with the submission of a report to the management and may contain various conclusions and suggestions for more efficient operations.

The following aspects may be covered as part of operational support services:

Correction of deviations regarding slaughter procedures
Daily production record keeping
Post and job descriptions of workers
Production statistics
Dressing evaluation
Hide and skin damage control
Offal handling: primary and secondary
Promotion and application of technology
Answering enquiries regarding technology/ information
Control of production procedures
Operational impact of regulatory aspects
Water & Electricity consumption
Cleaning agents usage
Saw blade usage
Effectiveness of stunning
Cleaning & disinfection
Equipment
Export requirements
Environmental standards and control

1.2.5 Skills Development Facilitation (SDF)

The Red Meat Abattoir Association has entered into a partnership with Mpumalanga Agri Skills Development and Training (MASDT) to facilitate the SDF function and the WSP & ATR submission for the abattoir industry.

SDF Role:

Develop and organisational training and development plan (which is different from providing the statistics for the submission of the Workplace Skills Plan (WSP);
Conduct an analysis to determine outcomes of learning for skills development and other purposes;
Conduct skills development administration in an organization;
Advice on the establishment and implementation of a quality management system for skills development practices in an organization;
Coordinate skills development interventions in an organization;
Provide information and advice regarding skills development and related issues; and
Promote a culture of learning in an organization.

SDF Duties:

Assist with registration as a levy payer to the relevant SETA
Register as SDF for the company at the relevant SETA
Submission of Workplace Skills Plan to relevant SETA – annually before 30 June
Submission of Annual Training Report to relevant SETA – annually before 30 June
Liaison between relevant SETA and management of company
Meeting(s) with management to discuss skills development
Relay information regarding the payment of levies to management
Assist with the application of Discretionary Grant to the relevant SETA

The Skills Development Levies Act, No. 9 of 1999 established a compulsory levy scheme for the purpose of funding education and training as envisaged in the Skills Development Act, No. 97 of 1998.

According to the Act, 1% of the salary and wage amount of a company must be paid to SARS monthly. SARS will pay this amount over to the Department of Labour. 80% of the 1% is paid to the relevant Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA). 50% of this amount can be claimed back in the form of MANDATORY GRANTS if a Skills Development Facilitator (SDF) is appointed. The SDF must annually (before end June) submit a Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and an Annual Training Report (ATR). Once a company is in this cycle of claiming MANDATORY GRANTS back, the company also gains access to the DISCRETIONARY GRANTS of the SETA. DISCRETIONARY GRANTS takes the form of funding from the relevant fund for training.

Note that these grants must be seen as supportive to the annual training budget and not as the only training budget.

Example:

Company annual salary and wage amount: = R 3 000 000.00
1% = R 30 000.00
80% of 1% - paid to SETA = R 24 000.00
Appoint SDF and submission of WSP & ATR
Results in 50% MANDATORY GRANT = R 12 000.00

Contact mariana@rvav.co.za for assistance.

1.2.6 Guidelines and research

Guidelines are regularly updated and made available to the industry. Information regarding new technology is captured into these updated guidelines. Research is undertaken in conjunction with universities and individuals in order to stay abreast of a changing environment and regulatory requirements.

1.2.6.1 Waste Management Guidelines

The avoidance and recycling of waste has become an important topic of discussion and a serious challenge for the abattoir industry. It was determined that compliance with changing legislation has become a serious challenge to the meat industry. There exists a need to explore new methodologies in order to reduce the risk of disease, prevent environmental pollution and ensure that changing legislation requirements are met. Therefore a detailed literature review, surveys, technology transfer and specific research on waste management practices of the feedlot and abattoir industry is needed to ensure the industry can make informed decisions.

Contact mariana@rvav.co.za for requests, inputs, comments or suggestions.

1.2.7 Abattoir plans

Standard abattoir plans for high and low throughput red meat abattoirs may be purchased from the RMAA.

Contact mariana@rvav.co.za for more information

SKILLS PROGRAMMES SUMMARY	Dura-tion	Cre-dits	NQF Level
Generic Programmes
GMP & HACCP The best way to ensure that safety and quality in maintained in a facility is to provide workers with skills and knowledge about the standards, procedures, practices and controls that need to be implemented and maintained to ensure a safe and quality product. This training will allow workers to maintain the food safety systems and to reduce the risk of food poison and contamination of your products. GMP is discussed as pre-requisite programmes for HACCP. The following areas of learning are addressed: · personnel practices · cleaning and sanitation · pest control · construction and maintenance · production and process controls · the twelve HACCP stages	4 days	25	4
HMS & HACCP Food safety and quality is a worldwide concern. The South African government has promulgated legislation that provides standards and guidelines with regard to the Hygiene Management System that will, if implemented and maintained correctly, ensure that the quality of your product is exceptional. Additionally the implementation of HACCP in your facility will reduce the risks and hazards related to your product. It is important for your workers, especially hygiene managers, to understand the various food safety systems and their impact on your product and facility as well as their role in adhering to and maintaining the systems. The following areas of learning are addressed: · Legislation requirements for a Hygiene Management System · The integration of HMS with other food safety and quality management systems; · The fourteen Hygiene Management Programmes as required by the regulations · The documentation required for the implementation of HMS; · The auditing requirements for the HMS · Implementation of the twelve HACCP stages	4 days	27	4
Food Safety Auditors Course Availability of information has resulted in consumers becoming more aware of where the products they buy come from and as a result are demanding a safe and quality product. This awareness is putting pressure on food production plants to improve their processes and to implement systems that will ensure the safety and quality of their products. Any food safety or quality management system, be it the Hygiene Management System required by the Meat Safety Act of 2000 (Act 40 of 2000) or any of the ISO systems, requires regular and detailed audits to ensure adherence to the system’s requirements and procedures. These audits need to be conducted by a knowledgeable and skilled auditor.	4 days	-	-
Food Safety Management Systems Awareness Workers who don’t understand the importance of food safety and quality systems and the operation of a hygiene management system can be a hindrance to the successful implementation of these systems as well as to the overall operation of the facility. By providing workers with the basic awareness of a HACCP system and the necessity of recording data and findings on checklists workers will be more inclined to adhere to the requirements of these food safety and quality systems and compliment the operation of system. The following areas of learning are addressed: · Food safety principles · Introduction to the Hygiene management system · Monitoring and control of CCP’s	1 day	6	3
Hygiene Awareness Hygiene is vital part of a safe and quality product. Providing your workers with skills and knowledge regarding their personal hygiene as well as general hygiene practices will contribute to the safety and quality of your products. All workers should undergo the Hygiene Awareness programme.	1 day	4	2
Environmental Standards Environmental awareness has placed pressure on the abattoirs to adjust their processes and procedures. In order for abattoirs to do this, they need understand the environmental standards and relevant legislation that need to be considered. The following areas of learning are addressed: · Environmental Legislation and Standards (including ISO 14001) · Environmental Systems and their operation processes · Identification and management of risks and hazards · Roles and responsibilities within the Environmental Management System	4 days	-*	-
Occupational Health and Safety The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 requires the employer to provide and maintain, as far as possible, a work environment that is safe and risk free for the employees and their health. In order to create this environment employers have to implement and maintain an Occupational Health and Safety Management System that identifies risks and hazards and provides guidelines on correcting non-conformances as well as adherence to legislation. The following areas of learning are addressed: · Occupational Health and Safety Legislation · Risk and Hazard Identification and Analysis · Introduction to the Occupational Health and Safety Management System	4 days	-*	-
HIV Awareness HIV/AIDS is a pandemic that affects every South African as well as every business. Awareness and knowledge is the only way that this disease will be conquered. Workers who know the true facts about this disease will make better decisions and will adjust their behaviour to minimise the risk of contracting the disease. The following areas of learning are addressed: · Transmission of HIV/AIDS · Rights and Responsibilities in the workplace · Dealing with HIV/AIDS in the workplace	1 day	3	2
Basic Business Principles Many workers don’t understand that every decision and behaviour within the workplace has a direct impact on the business. By explaining the various business principles, such as resource wastage, and the effects of employee behaviour on the business it is believed that workers will make more informed decisions and will adjust their behaviour to prevent negative impact on the business. The following areas of learning are addressed: · Utilisation of resources · Business goals · Organisational Image · Customer care	2.5 days	9	3
Abattoir Specific Programmes
Animal Handling Animal welfare is considered a priority by the Government. Workers caring for and handling animals should have the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure that legislation is adhered to and that they treat the animals in their care humanely. The following areas of learning are addressed: · Identify and sort animals · Provide care for animals · Ensure optimal animal welfare · Prepare animals for slaughter	4 days	24	2
Basic Introduction to the Abattoir Industry Many employees are hired and start performing their functions immediately without being exposed to the overall picture of the industry and the facility. It is important that workers understand the industry and the part they play in the success of the facility. The following areas of learning are addressed: · induction programmes · channels of communication · responsibility and authority · abattoir documents · clean and dirty separation · pest control · cleaning and sanitation · quality assurance	1 day	3	2
Deboning – Beef Deboning – Pork Deboning – Poultry Deboning – Small Stock Correct deboning and processing techniques will ensure a good quality product. By providing workers with the skills to debone a carcass correctly you will ensure that the damages and losses are reduced and that the final product is of the highest quality. Programmes are available for Beef, Pork, Small Stock as well as Poultry.. The following areas of learning are addressed: · Cut and debone carcasses · Primal and retail cuts	3 days 2 days 1 day 1 day	40 28 11 -*	3 3 3 -
Introductory Abattoir Hygiene Bad hygiene practices affect every abattoir and can have a major impact on the financial bottom line due to product losses and returns. The lack of understanding of the industry contributes to the behaviour of employees. Providing your workers with skills and knowledge in hygiene principles and practices as well as industry background, will give them the tools to adjust their behaviour in order to contribute to the maintenance of standards and production of a high quality product. The following areas of learning are addressed: · Personal hygiene principles and practices · Micro-organisms · Sources of contamination · Cleaning and sanitation · Basic principles in the abattoir industry · Safety procedures and work ethics	1.5 days	11	2
Meat Inspection (Refresher Course) The provision of meat inspection at abattoirs remains one of the important interventions at the abattoirs to minimise the risk posed by livestock which cannot be converted into safe meat. Meat inspection services are rendered by IMQAS on behalf of the industry. The maintenance of meat inspection standards requires regular evaluation and the continuous education of personnel. Programmes for the inspection of beef, sheep and pork were duly registered. This training is provided in conjunction with IMQAS.	2 days	24	4
Slaughter Programme - Beef Slaughter Programme – Pork Slaughter Programme – Small Stock Incorrect slaughter techniques results in damaged products and ultimately loss of income. By providing workers with the why and how of slaughtering you will ensure that the damages and losses are reduced and that the final product is of the highest quality. Programmes are available for Beef, Pork and Small Stock. The following areas of learning are addressed: · Basic overview of statutory requirements · Handling utensils and equipment according to standard operating procedures · Plan, prepare and perform slaughter process · Identify abnormalities · Apply hygiene principles	4 days 3 days 3 days	25 19 21	2 2 2

1.3.2 Learnerships

A number of qualifications for the red meat industry were developed. Learnerships are the route to follow in order for a learner to achieve the qualification. A learnership takes 1 year to complete and combines theoretical and practical work experience. A person who successfully completes a learnership will have a qualification that signifies occupational competence and is nationally recognized.
In order to meet the industry's training needs, the Red Meat Abattoir Association decided to focus on the following learnerships:

• National Certificate: General Abattoir Processes

This qualification provides learners with the opportunity to obtain competence in broad abattoir processes and practices

• Further Education and Training Certificate: Meat Examination

This qualification provides learners with the ability to perform primary meat inspection according to legislation (Act 40 of 2000)

National Certificate in Abattoir Slaughtering Processes
National Certificate in Abattoir Supervision
Further Education and Training Certificate in Meat Classification