Urgent and long-term maintenance of premises, fittings and equipment

Upkeep and maintenance of equipment for handling and capture

It is important to ensure that equipment for catching and handling the animals is always available. It is also important for this to be kept in a designated location so that everyone who uses it can access it and knows where it is. Nets, gloves, traps and transport cages must be checked regularly to ensure that they are unbroken and functional. Traps and transport cages must be cleaned between uses to reduce the risk of stress in the animals, as these will have been contaminated with odours from frightened animals.

Upkeep and maintenance of equipment for killing with carbon dioxide

The killing box used for pelting must be checked regularly to ensure that it is unbroken, that all devices on the box are working as they should and that the coupling and hoses between the box and the gas cylinders are unbroken. It is also important to check that there is sufficient gas available in the cylinder. This is applicable not only at pelting times because the equipment may need to be used, but also at other times of the year if – for example – the farm were to be affected by a serious major outbreak of disease.

As regards the equipment for killing of individuals, regular inspection is an obvious necessity as it must be possible to use this equipment at any time when an animal needs to be killed due to disease or injury. The same rules are applicable to both this and the killing box used in the case of pelting. Check that the device is unbroken, that the coupling and hoses are unbroken and that there is sufficient gas available.

Upkeep and maintenance of equipment for killing with electric current

It is important to carry out regular inspections to ensure that the equipment is working. Cables and clamps must be unbroken, and the clamps must be clean. It is necessary to check that the device provides sufficient amperage and that the meter is easy to read.

Inspection of equipment

For successful killing while taking animal protection, animal welfare and economic considerations into account, equipment which is good and well maintained is important (see the points below):

• Is equipment available for various killing methods that may need to be used?
• Is the equipment well maintained?
• Who is responsible for the equipment, and how often does it have to be inspected?

Risk assessment

Risk assessment is used as a means of detecting problems, rectifying them and preventing them being repeated (see the points below):

• how should you find out if anything is not working as it should?
•  how are problems discovered or occurring rectified?
•  how can the repetition of problems be avoided?

Documentation

Documentation is important in order to provide a good overview of the proprietary inspection. Documentation must indicate when the killing equipment was last inspected. This is applicable to both killing equipment for pelting and equipment for killing injured or sick animals. Replacement of gas cylinders, topping up of equipment and any repairs to equipment should be documented. If carbon dioxide or oxygen meters are used, the times for achieving the required concentration should ideally be noted down. However, it is also advantageous to make notes for killed sick or injured animals and how well this worked in terms of time from the animal being placed in the device until it ceased to move.

Documentation of:

• the latest inspection
• changing and topping up of gas (if carbon dioxide is used for killing)
• repairs to equipment
• measurement of concentration, amperage and time