Page 154 - The Welfare of Cattle

transPortatIon and sLauGhter 131

very small slaughter establishments and are very effective if they are appropriately designed and
maintained. As general principles, restraint boxes must be equipped with nonslip flooring and main-
tain a width that does not allow cattle to turn around—either completely or in part. In addition, the
sides and front of the restraint box must be tall enough to prevent cattle from trying to jump out.
Most restraint boxes are equipped with solid sides made from impact resistant materials such as
concrete, steel, or wood. The solid sides prevent the occurrence of injury to the legs of animals that
become scared or restless during the time they are in the restraint box. A variety of configurations
exist for the front of cattle restraint boxes.

StUNNING

Mechanical Stunning Devices

Nearly all conventionally slaughtered cattle in North America are stunned with mechanical
stunning devices. Mechanical stunning devices include penetrating captive bolt stunners, non-
penetrating captive bolt stunners, and firearms. Of these three types of mechanical stunning devices,
the penetrating captive bolt stunner is most common.
The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (7 U.S.C. §1901) requires all animals that it covers to
be rendered unconscious and insensible to pain by a method that is rapid and immediate before
being shackled, cast, cut, or thrown. Although mechanical stunning devices are highly effective in
general, stunning problems are consistently cited as the most common reason for regulatory action
regarding humane handling and stunning. Common causes of mechanical stunning noncompliance
have been outlined by Grandin (2002) and include inappropriate device placement, poor mainte-
nance, insufficient air supply for pneumatic stunners, exposure of gunpowder charges to humidity,
insufficient or ineffective restraint, and poor ergonomic design of stunners and stunning platforms.

aNIMaL WeLFare MONItOrING at SLaUGhter eStaBLIShMeNtS

relevant Laws

The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, the primary animal protection law for cattle at U.S.
slaughter establishments, was signed into law in 1958 and originally enacted in 1960. The Act
initially served as the basis for the regulatory framework used by the USDA’s FSIS in federally
inspected slaughter establishments that sold product to the federal government. Those regulations
that enforce the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act can be found in 9 C.F.R. §313. In its original
form, the Act did not grant provisions to food safety inspectors to stop production if infractions
were observed. As a result, minimal enforcement action occurred in the early years of the Act. In
1978, the Act was amended to apply to all federally inspected slaughter establishments, regardless
of vendor status with the U.S. Government. By default, all state-inspected slaughter establishments
were required to abide by the same law starting in 1978 as well.
The purposes of the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act are as follows: (1) to prevent needless
suffering; (2) to improve safety and conditions for workers; (3) To improve meat products; and (4) to
increase economy of slaughter operations. Since the inception of the Act, lawmakers recognized the
potential to improve the welfare of both animals and workers, as well as the quality of meat prod-
ucts and the economy of the slaughter process simultaneously.
The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act prescribes two acceptable means of approaching the
process of stunning animals prior to beginning other slaughter procedures. The first acceptable
class of methods is generally focused on conventional slaughter. The second method is focused