General requirements
- Protect animals during movement and lairaging before killing
Welsh Statutory Instrument
2014
Wales
The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (Wales) Regulations 2014
At a glance
What's here
98 compliance obligations
Penalty landscape
3 of 98 obligations carry a criminal penalty. 1 carries different penalties and 94 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.
Who this Act binds
Plus 6 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Schedules
Inspection of animals
- Inspect every animal's health every morning and evening
Animals which have experienced pain or suffering and unweaned animals
- Kill suffering or unweaned animals immediately
Animals delivered other than in containers
- Handle animals delivered outside containers without frightening or mistreating them
The driving of animals
- Do not lead or drive animals over unsafe ground or floors
Moving animals with care
- Move animals with care and lead individually when necessary
Instruments for guiding animals
- Use animal guiding instruments only for their intended purpose and briefly
Lairaging of animals
- Provide food to lairaged animals without unnecessary disturbance
General requirement
- Restrain animals appropriately before stunning or killing
Restraining bovine animals
- Confine adult cattle in a stunning or restraining pen before stunning or killing
Shackle lines
- Operate shackle lines safely with proper regard for poultry welfare
Restraining operations
- Position animals correctly before stunning or killing by mechanical or electrical means
General requirements
- Ensure stunning and killing equipment delivers rapid, effective results
Penetrative captive bolts
- Use penetrative captive bolt devices correctly to stun animals
Non-penetrative captive bolts
- Only stun animals with non-penetrative captive bolts used correctly
Electrical stunning other than by waterbath
- Ensure safe electrical stunning of animals (non-waterbath)
Electrical stunning by waterbath
- Meet safety standards when using a waterbath stunner on poultry
Exposure to gas – pigs
- Ensure gas stunning of pigs meets welfare and equipment standards
General requirements
- Ensure suitable facilities and equipment for animal welfare at killing
Exposure to gas – poultry
- Ensure gas stunning of poultry meets welfare and equipment standards
Bleeding or pithing
- Bleed or pith stunned animals without delay and wait before further dressing
Horses
- Do not kill horses in unsuitable or visible locations
Animals delivered other than in containers
- Ensure animal unloading equipment is safe and suitable
Lairages other than field lairages
- Provide adequate lairage pens, ventilation and feeding equipment at slaughterhouses
Field lairages
- Maintain field lairages free from hazards with adequate feeding equipment
Shackle lines
- Ensure ready access to shackle lines and processing equipment for live poultry
Stunning pens
- Ensure stunning pens for cattle meet construction standards
Facilities for horses
- Provide dedicated horse killing facilities and safe loose boxes
Facilities for horses
- Provide safe horse-killing facilities at knacker's yards
General requirements
- Ensure proper welfare of animals during movement and lairaging
Inspection of animals
- Inspect every animal's health every morning and evening
Animals which have experienced pain or suffering and unweaned animals
- Kill immediately animals that suffered in transport or are unweaned
Emergency killing
- Never drag non-ambulatory animals — kill in place or use a trolley
Animals delivered other than in containers
- Handle animals humanely when delivered without containers
The lifting or dragging of animals
- Do not lift or drag animals in a way that causes unnecessary pain
The driving of animals
- Do not drive animals over unsafe ground or flooring
Moving animals with care
- Move animals with care and lead them individually when necessary
Instruments to guide animals
- Use animal guiding instruments only for guiding and only briefly
Instruments to make animals move
- Restrictions on using electric shock instruments to move animals
Treatment of animals
- Do not strike, kick, or injure animals during handling
Lairaging of animals
- Provide bedding, water, food and adequate space for lairaged animals
Handling of animals delivered in containers
- Handle animals delivered in containers with care
Killing of animals delivered in containers
- Kill container-delivered animals promptly and provide food and water if delayed
Poultry awaiting killing at place of purchase
- House and feed poultry promptly on arrival at sale premises
General requirement
- Restrain animals appropriately before stunning or killing
Restraining bovine animals
- Properly restrain adult cattle before stunning in a knacker's yard
Electric currents
- Do not use electric currents to restrain, immobilise or move animals
Tying legs
- Do not tie the legs of animals before killing
Shackle lines
- Operate shackle lines safely and at appropriate speed for poultry welfare
Restraining operations
- Position animals correctly for accurate head stunning or killing
General requirements
- Ensure stunning and killing equipment enables rapid, effective results
Penetrative captive bolts
- Follow correct procedure when stunning animals with penetrative captive bolts
Non-penetrative captive bolts
- Use non-penetrative captive bolts correctly to stun animals
Electrical stunning other than by waterbath
- Meet technical standards when using electrodes to stun animals
Electrical stunning by waterbath
- Meet strict conditions before using a waterbath stunner on poultry
General requirements
- Ensure suitable facilities and equipment for animal welfare at killing
Exposure to gas – pigs
- Ensure gas stunning equipment for pigs meets welfare and safety standards
Exposure to gas – poultry
- Ensure safe and compliant gas stunning of poultry
Bleeding or pithing
- Bleed or pith simple-stunned animals without delay and follow waiting periods
Horses
- Do not kill horses in unauthorised areas or within sight of other horses
Surplus chicks in hatchery waste
- Use only approved methods to kill surplus chicks in hatchery waste
Animals delivered other than in containers
- Ensure safe unloading equipment and passageways for animals
Lairages other than field lairages
- Ensure lairage facilities meet animal welfare standards
Field lairages
- Ensure field lairages meet welfare standards
Shackle lines
- Design and maintain accessible shackle lines for poultry welfare
Stunning pens
- Ensure stunning pens for bovine animals meet construction standards
Restraint of adult bovine animals
- Use an approved restraining pen for religious slaughter of adult cattle without stunning
Use and maintenance of restraining pens
- Use and maintain restraining pens for bovine animals correctly
Method of killing
- Use correct knife technique and inspect knife when killing animals by religious rites without stunning
Handling of sheep, goats and bovine animals during killing
- Handle sheep, goats and bovines correctly during religious slaughter without stunning
Method of killing
- Use correct knife and technique for religious slaughter of birds
Handling birds during killing
- Wait minimum time after bleeding before dressing birds killed without stunning
Humane killing
- Prevent avoidable suffering when restraining, stunning or killing animals
Poultry, rabbits or hares bled for private domestic consumption
- Stun poultry, rabbits or hares before bleeding for private consumption
Animals delivered other than in containers
- Protect animals from falls and injuries on ramps and passageways at slaughterhouse
Lairages other than field lairages
- Maintain lairage facilities to animal welfare standards
Field lairages
- Ensure field lairages have shelter, lighting and drinking facilities
Shackle lines
- Ensure shackle lines protect poultry welfare before stunning
Electrical stunning other than by waterbath
- Use only approved electrical stunning equipment for individual stunning
Electrical stunning by waterbath
- Meet equipment standards before using a waterbath stunner for poultry
Exposure to gas
- Use safe, monitored gas-stunning equipment for pigs and poultry
Browse 20 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
Interpretation
Scope
Suspending poultry
Percussive blow to the head
Interpretation
Scope
Exemptions
Suspending animals
Percussive blow to the head
Exposure to gas – prohibition
Interpretation
Supplementary
General prohibition
Membership
Interpretation
Scope
Exemptions
The Meat (Official Controls Charges) (Wales) Regulations 2009
Operations in a slaughterhouse immediately before 1 January 2013
Simplified procedure for persons who have three years’ professional experience
Requirement for a certificate or temporary certificate
- Hold a valid certificate before carrying out animal killing operations
Certificates
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Welsh competent authority must grant and register slaughter certificates Statutory regulator
Conditions for a certificate
- Meet conditions to obtain an animal killing certificate
Temporary certificates
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Competent authority must grant temporary certificate if conditions met Crown / Minister / Government department
Conditions for a temporary certificate
- Meet conditions when applying for a temporary animal killing certificate
Grant of certificates and temporary certificates
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Certificate must specify scope and only be granted where training matches Local authority
Requirement for a licence
- Hold a licence before carrying out regulated animal killing operations
Licences
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Competent authority must grant licence if applicant meets conditions Statutory regulator
Conditions for a licence
- Meet conditions to obtain an animal killing licence in Wales
Modification of a certificate or licence
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Competent authority must modify certificates or licences when requested Statutory regulator
Fees
- Pay fees for WASK licence applications and veterinary assessments
Depopulation operations
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Competent authority must publish depopulation derogation decisions Statutory regulator
Offences
- Breach of animal welfare rules at time of killing
Obstruction offences
- Obstruct an inspector or provide false information
Offences by bodies corporate
- Director or manager liable for corporate animal welfare offence
Penalties
3 months imprisonment- Breach animal welfare rules at killing or obstruct inspectors
Enforcement notices
- Comply with enforcement notices at your own expense
Browse 29 other sections — procedural / definitional / commencement
Title, application and commencement
Expiry
Interpretation
The competent authority
Operations which require a certificate or temporary certificate
Operations which require a licence
Exceptions to the requirement for a licence
Grant of licences
Refusal to grant a certificate, temporary certificate or licence
Suspension or revocation of a certificate, temporary certificate or licence
Refusal to modify a certificate or licence
Appeals
WASK licences
Additional requirements for slaughterhouses
Additional requirements for killing animals other than in slaughterhouses
Additional requirements for killing animals in accordance with religious rites
Killing animals other than those to which the
Inspectors
Power to enter premises
Warrants
Power to inspect and seize
Appeals against enforcement notices
Power of local authority to prosecute
Time limit for prosecutions
Notices
Consequential and supplementary amendments
Transitional provision: certificates
Transitional provision: slaughterhouses (layout, construction and equipment)
Revocations
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