Shrewsbury & Atcham
Borough Council

BYELAWS with respect to

THE PUBLIC SLAUGHTERHOUSE

BYELAWS

Made under Section 72 of the Food and Drugs Act 1955 by the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Shrewsbury
acting by the Council (which the Council is hereinafter referred to as "the Council") for securing that the public slaughterhouse provided by them is kept in a sanitary condition and is properly managed

INTERPRETATION

1. In these byelaws unless the context otherwise requires -
"the Slaughterhouse" means any slaughterhouse (that is to say any place for slaughtering animals, the flesh of which is intended for sale for human consumption, including any place available in connection therewith for the confinement of animals whilst awaiting slaughter there or for keeping or subjecting to any treatment or process, products of the slaughtering of animals there) provided by the Council;
"Slaughter Hall" means that part of the slaughterhouse in which animals are slaughtered and carcases are dressed;
"Superintendent" means a person appointed by the Council to superintend and have charge of the slaughterhouse and includes any person authorised to act on his behalf.

BYELAWS

2.  The Slaughterhouse shall be open at all reasonable times on weekdays other than public holidays and if the Corporation for special reasons think it necessary on any Sunday or public holiday for the reception of livestock and the slaughter of animals only between such hours as the Corporation may determine provided that the Superintendent may refuse to admit any animal (other than a casualty animal) brought to be slaughtered at an unreasonable hour.

3.  A person shall not bring into the Slaughterhouse:-

(a) Any animal or domestic bird (other than a working dog or horse) not intended for slaughter for human consumption;
(b) The carcase or any part of the carcase of any animal already dead or slaughtered provided that the Superintendent may allow to be brought into the Slaughterhouse.
(i) the carcase of any animal slaughtered for reason of accidental injury, illness or exposure to infection, of which notice of slaughter has been given, and
(ii) the carcase or part of the carcase of any other animal subject to compliance with any regulations or statutory requirement for the time being in force.

4.  The person in charge of any animal or carcase entering the Slaughterhouse shall report to the Superintendent the number and description of such animals or carcases and the name of the owner thereof.

5.  Every person who shall bring into the Slaughterhouse any animal shall cause such animal to be securely tied or properly penned in the pen or lair assigned by the Superintendent.

6.  A person who is not duly authorised in that behalf shall not unfasten or release an animal which has been fastened or secured in accordance with the foregoing byelaw or remove any animal from any lair or pen in which it shall have been placed.

7.  The Superintendent shall cause all bedding provided in the lairage to be removed and renewed as often as may be necessary to maintain it in a cleanly condition.

8.  Except with the consent of the Superintendent no person other than a servant of the Corporation duly authorised by the Superintendent hall slaughter any animal or dress the carcase thereof in the Slaughterhouse.

9. Where the Council shall have assigned any part or parts of the Slaughterhouse for the slaughter of any animals of a particular description a person shall not except in so far as may be required by or under the provisions of any regulations or other statutory instrument for the time being in force, slaughter any animal of such class or description in any other part of the Slaughterhouse.

10. The owner or person in charge of any animal in the Slaughterhouse and every person slaughtering in any part of the Slaughterhouse any animal shall if such animal or the carcase or any part of the carcase thereof is or is suspected of being diseased or unhealthy or in a state of emaciation attributable to disease or any physical defects as may cause the flesh of the animal to be unfit for human consumption forthwith notify the Superintendent and if required by him forthwith remove such animal or its carcase to such place as the Superintendent may require.

11. A person shall not without the written authority of the Superintendent remove or cause to be removed from the Slaughterhouse any carcase or the hide, feet, offal, or any part of the carcase of any animal which after slaughter is or is suspected of being diseased or unhealthy or in a state of emaciation attributable to disease or any physical defects as may cause the flesh of the animal to be unfit for human consumption.

12. A person shall not trim or strip any carcase or part of a carcase or otherwise modify or obliterate evidence of disease except in accordance with the instruction of the Superintendent.

13. Every person engaged in the slaughtering of any animal or the dressing of any carcase in the Slaughterhouse shall cause the organs and offal removed by him from such animal to be kept separate and apart from the organs and offal of any other animal in such a way that they may be readily and easily identified with a particular carcase until such organs, offal and carcase have been examined by the Superintendent or by some other duly authorised Meat Inspector.

14. Every person who shall slaughter or cause to be slaughtered any animal in the Slaughterhouse shall as soon as possible after the completion of such slaughtering remove or cause to be removed from the slaughter hall into the hanging room adjacent thereto the carcase of such animal unless he has reason to suspect that the carcase or any of the organs are diseased or otherwise unfit for human food.

15. A person shall not leave the carcase of any animal or part thereof in the slaughter hall for a longer period than 24 hours.

16. Except with reasonable excuse and the consent of the Superintendent no person shall cause or suffer any animal which has been brought into the Slaughterhouse for the purpose of being slaughtered to be taken out alive.

17. A person engaged in slaughtering any animal in the Slaughterhouse shall -

(a) so far as practicable ensure that all the blood from the animal flows into the drain or receptacle provided;
(b) not use or cause to be used, for any other purpose any receptacle provided by the Council exclusively for the collection of blood intended for human consumption;
(c) so far as practicable, so place or cause to be so placed every receptacle while blood is being collected therein, and thereafter while it is in the slaughterhouse, as to prevent the blood from being splashed or spilled upon the floors or walls of the slaughterhouse;
(d) deposit inedible offal, manure, garbage, or refuse from the slaughtering in a receptacle provided for the purpose.

18. Every person who uses the equipment provided by the Council for scalding carcases shall, on the completion of the scalding, empty the water from, and clean the tank, and hang up every carcase scalded by him in the place provided for that purpose.

19. A person shall not singe any pig carcase in the slaughterhouse except in such part as may be set apart for the purpose by the Council.

20. A person who slaughters any animal or dresses any carcase in the Slaughterhouse shall as soon as practicable after the completion of the slaughtering or dressing -

(a) wash and cleanse thoroughly or cause to be so washed and cleansed every part of the floor, pavement, fittings and equipment and every part of the internal surface of every wall on which any blood or filth may have been spilled or splashed or with which any offensive or noxious matter may have been brought into contact during the slaughtering or dressing;
(b) cleanse thoroughly or cause to be so cleansed any bench, block, table, or stool used by him in connection with the slaughtering or dressing.

21. A person shall not -

(a) carelessly or negligently injure or destroy any of the plant, gear, or equipment provided by the Council in the Slaughterhouse;
(b) obstruct any other person in the proper use of the Slaughterhouse or of any utensil, article, gear, or equipment provided by the Council therein.

22. The number of animals belonging to any person to be slaughtered at any one time and the time and order of the slaughtering of any animals brought to the Slaughterhouse to be slaughtered and the time and order of dressing the carcase thereof shall be decided by the Superintendent and no person shall require any animal to be slaughtered at any time or in any place otherwise than in accordance with the instructions of the Superintendent or in any manner interfere with the order of slaughtering animals and dressing the carcases determined by the Superintendent or interfere with or prevent the slaughtering of any animal or the dressing of any carcase belonging to any other person.

23. A person shall not -

(a) except in case of illness bring any intoxicating liquors into the Slaughterhouse.
(b) enter or remain in the Slaughterhouse in a state of intoxication.

24. Every person in charge of a vehicle shall comply with the instructions of the Superintendent as to the loading and unloading of the vehicle and the place or places in the Slaughterhouse where the vehicle may be allowed to stand and shall not allow it to stand therein contrary to such instructions or in such a manner as to obstruct free passage through the Slaughterhouse.

25. The Superintendent may require any person who has contravened any provision in Byelaw 22, 23 or 24 hereof to leave the slaughterhouse or to remove from the slaughterhouse any vehicle in his charge as the case may be and upon being so required that person shall forthwith comply with the requirement.

PENALTIES

26. If any person contravenes any of the provisions of these byelaws he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £5 and in the case of a continuing offence to a further fine not exceeding 40s. for each day during which the offence continues after conviction thereof.

REPEALS

27. The byelaws with respect to the Slaughterhouse which were made by the Council on the 30th day of July 1934, and were confirmed by the Minister of Health on the 21st day of September 1934, are hereby repealed.