Layout of slaughterhouse

By : Nilam Wavhal.
Dept of VPH
 Slaughter House or Abattoir:
place or premises approved by a local authority
(Panchayat, Municipality or Corporation) or by any other regulatory agency where
in food animals are Slaughtered for production of wholesome meat for human
consumption.
 Classification of abattoirs
1. Based on the level of technology adopted:
a. Traditional (Manual operation)
b. Semi-modern (Semi mechanized operation)
c. Modern (Fully automated)
2. Based on the Throughput/ Capacity
a. Small abattoir (Up to 30,000 Units/ Year)
b. Medium abattoir (up to 50,000 Units/ year)
c. Large abattoir (Over 1,00,000 Units/ Year)
(1 Unit = 1 adult bovine = 2 Pigs = 3 Calves = 5 Sheep & Goat)
3. Based on the management and Ownership
a. Service abattoir (Municipal / Corporation)
b. Factory Type (Privately owned)
 Abattoir management
Two broad types
1. Based on governance
2. Based on technical considerations
1. Based on governance

1.Local / municipal bodies- Service type abattoirs

2. State owned /Governamental-Commercial abattoirs
3. Co-operative sectors-Commercial abattoirs
4. Corporations
5. Private sectors
 2. Based on technical considerations
• It may be of
1. Simple rural slaughter slabs
2. Modern mechanized abattoirs
3. Integrated meat plants

Irrespective of the type of abattoir, the management of abattoirs

should follow codes of hygienic practices/ guidelines with regard
to :
1. Plant construction
2. Slaughter operations
3. Plant sanitation
4. Chilling, Processing and packaging operations
5. Inedible and condemned meat treatment/ disposal
6. Effluent treatment and solid animal waste disposal
 1.Plant construction
• Should preferably be away from urban dwelling to avoid
complaints about smell & noise.
• Should be away from airfields to prevent possible bird
strikes & damage to aircrafts.
• Should have proximity to livestock markets to ensure
availability of animals for slaughter & to reduce expenses
on transportation of animals.
• Should provide sufficient area of land for construction of
lairage, abattoir, effluent treatment unit, & for future
expansion.
• Religious taboos & sentiments of the community to
prevent objection of slaughter of any species of animals in
the abattoir.
• Consumer preferences for determining whether
single or multispecies abattoir is to be established.
• Separate slaughter hall, hanging rails & storage
facilities should be considered for slaughter of
different species of animals.
• A level area with a gentle slope may be preferred
than very steep areas.
• The subsoil should be firm & suitable for
construction of the buildings.
• Availability of sufficient quantity of water for use
in the abattoir.
• Availability of continuous electric supply
• Accessibility to transport & communication
• Site should be free from pollution, smoke,
dust & odours.
• Availability of labour near the abattoir.
 1.Area size
• Careful consideration must be given to the size of site
• Modern livestock & meat transport vehicles have very
large turning circles:
• 14 m for a vehicle 15m long
• Independent rows for livestock & meat vehicles
• The road should be at least 6m wide
• An adequate partition between the clean and the dirty
sections, preferably with independent entrances and exits
for traffic involved.
• Small abattoir (up to 30,000units/year) : 1-2 acres
• Medium abattoir (50,000 units/year) : 2-4 acres
• Large plant (over 1,00,000 units/year) : 4-6 acres
 2. Water requirement
• Ample amount of of patable water
• Continuous supply
 3. ELECTRICITY
• Industrial 3 phase electricity is a must and
provision of a standby generator is also
necessary.
• Oil or gas may be used, as fuel source for
steam boilers and with provision for
suitable storage tanks.
 4. DRAINAGE:
• In wet areas slope to drains should be 1:50. For every 40
m2 one drain should be provided in the work floor.
• Under the dressing rail, where blood tends to collect the
floor should have a gradient of 1:25 should be provided.
• Recommended floor gradient in an abattoir is as follows:
• 1/4 inch/foot (6.35 cms per 3.05) in wet area
• 1/8 inch/foot (3.18 cm/3.05m) in areas where blood tends
to get collected
• Catch basins: For grease recovery traps and vents shall be
provided on the drains.
• The drains must be at least 20cm in diameter for bovines
and at least 15 cm in diameter for small animals for
efficient emptying of stomach.
 5. LIGHTING:
• Adequate natural or artificial lighting must be
provided
• The recommended intensity of light is as under:
• 540 Lux (50 ft. candles) at all Inspection points
(1 lux =100 watts)
• 220 Lux (20 ft. candles) at workrooms
• 110 lux (10 ft. candles) in other areas.
• The intensity of light is usually read using
Luxometer at levels of 0.9m from the floor, but at
the inspection areas it shall be at 1.5 m.
 6. VENTILATION:
• To prevent excessive heat and condensation
of steam the windows and ventilators
should be kept open.
• These shall be provided with screens to
avoid entry of extraneous materials
 7. FLOOR AND WALL
FINISHES:
• Floors & walls: be made up of non-toxic, non-absorbent (impervious),
easily cleanable materials.
• The floor should be non-slip and walls with a smooth, hard, durable,
impermeable material with a light colored finish up to a height of not
less than 3m from the floor but preferably up to the ceiling.
• Floor surface materials should be capable of withstanding impact &
damage.
• The floors of slaughter hall, lairage, chill rooms and other work areas,
should be coved at wall junction
• Walls and floors : made up of concrete, granolithic, concrete or tiles
 8. DOORS:
• Should be wide enough to allow easy
passage of personnel, carcasses & offals
without contact with the doorway.
• A door width of 1.37 m (4.5 ft) is
acceptable
• Must be constructed of rust resistant
materials.
• Double acting doors should have reinforced
glass panel at eye level
 2. Slaughter operations
Two things have to be clearly demarcated.
i) The clean operations: Carcass cleaning,
carcass splitting, chilling, hot boning/ boning,
making meat cuts and grading, packaging,
taking samples for laboratory analysis, meat
inspection (PM exam) procedures etc.,

ii) The unclean operations: Stunning, bleeding,

hoisting on to rails, skinning, removal of head
and feet, evisceration, removal of urogenital
organs etc.,
 Flow diagram of slaughter operations

Lairage-----Ante mortem inspection-----Stunning-----Bleeding

Flaying-----------------Dressing of carcass------------------

Hide Head Red offals Stomach and intestines Fat

Inspection:--------- Head, Pluck, Stomach and intestine, Carcass

Splitting of carcass-----Washing of carcass------Dispatch to retail

Cutting --------Deboning-----Processing-----Packing----Dispatch
3. Important Plant Sanitary Considerations
• Always bleed the animal on the rail
• Do not over feed the animal intended for slaughter
• Give plenty of water to animal
• Use sharp clean sterilized knives, cutters, saw etc.,
• Use potable water for all slaughter operations
• Adopt personal hygiene at all stages of operation
• Tie the oesophagus anterior end and rectum’s posterior end to avoid
spill over of GIT contents. The processes known as rodding the
weasand and rodding the bung.
• Some practice shrouding—Covering the dressed carcass with clean
musclin cloth. Step is optional
• Do not allow diseased parts, contaminated equipments, washed/
unclean water etc to come in contact with the clean healthy carcass.
• Have good drainage facility for disposal of waste generated during
slaughter operations
 Components of abattoir
1. Lairage
2. Stunning area
3. Bleeding place
4. Isolation block
5. Slaughter hall
6. Chilling and refrigeration room
7. Detained meat room
8. Condemned meat room
9. Hide and skin room
10. Gut and tripe room
11. Inedible area – horns, hooves, bones, floor blood etc room
12. Quality Control Laboratory
13.Veterinary office
14. Dispatch
15. Manure bay
16. Administrative block
17. Emergency Slaughter hall/Miniature slaughter hall
18. Casualty Slaughter hall
19. Rendering Plant
20. Effluent Treatment plant
1. Lairage:
 Lairage is place where animals are kept for resting (6 - 24 hrs) before slaughter.
 The size of the lairage sufficient for three days supply of cattle and two days supply
of sheep or pigs.
 Lairage should have livestock reception area, animal pens for different species and
antemortem inspection facility.
 Size of the animal pens-
Cattle (Loose) : 2.3-2.8 sq.m.
Cattle (Tied) : 3.3 sq.m
Pigs (Bacon pigs and small porkers) : 0.6 sq.m
Heavy pigs, calves and sheep : 0.7 sq.m

2. Stunning area:
 It is place where animals are stunned before bleeding or sticking.
 For effective stunning for cattle and horses stunning boxes are designed.
 For sheep, pigs and calves ‘V’ shaped restrainer conveyors or designs.
3. Bleeding place:
• Area where animals after slaughter are allowed to bleed.
Hygienic Bleeding:
1. Bleeding on the rail (vertical)- cattle and pigs.
2. Sterile stainless hollow knife

4. Isolation Area/box :
 This is a place where sick/suspected animals are kept for further care and
treatment if required.
 These are identified during ante mortem inspection.
 Recovered animals which are physiologically normal further offered for
slaughter.
5. Slaughter hall:
An important component of slaughter hall is system of line dressing of the
carcass.
 It is place where stepwise complete dressing of the blade carcass is carried out.
In all modern abattoirs on the rail dressing operations are carried out.

There are different types of overhead rail (line dressing) systems/operations

1. Gravity rail system
2. Intermittent powered system
3. Contineous powered systems
4. Can pack system

• In pig slaughter hall and additional facility for scalding of pigs is available.
6. Chilling and refrigeration room:
 Fresh meat immediately after post mortem examination are
chilled at 70C and offals and meat cuts are chilled at 30C.
 For effective chilling carcass are hung and the space between the
carcasses 0.9 meter for beef, 0.7 meter for pigs and 0.5 meter for
lambs.
 Minimum recommended space between carcasses should be 0.3 -
0.4 meters
7. Detained meat room:
Here the suspected carcass are subjected to detailed examination.
After examination either the carcass will be send to slaughter hall, then to
chilling room or condemned meat room.

8. Condemned meat room:

It is place where rejected carcasses, diseased meat or condemned meat are kept
for further disposal.

9. Hide and skin room:

It is place for collection, stacking and cooling of hides and skin (sheep).
Also use for reception of cattle and sheep feet.

10. Gut and tripe room:

 Meant for initial separation and emptying of stomach and intestines.
This unit will normally connected with macerator or holding vat for collection
of waste and further composting.
11. Inedible area –
 All materials which are unfit for human consumption with exception of hide
and skin are stored for further disposal.
Materials like omasum, horns, hooves, bones, blood etc are kept in this room.
12. Quality Control Laboratory:
For assessment of hygienic standards of slaughter operations, equipments etc.
For quality control of meat and water.
For monitoring of pathogens.
For monitoring of residues.
For helping the judgments of carcass.
Confirmation of suspected animals/carcass during ante or post mortem
examination.
13. Veterinary Office:
Has two sections
1. Veterinary Service essential for intra community trade meat plants .
2. For use of Meat Inspectors.
14. Dispatch:
Dispatch of fresh meat from the slaughter house for intra community trade or
for export purposes with refrigerated vehicles.

15.Manure bay:
Located near the lairage usually on the dirty side of the abattoir.
Meant for hygienic disposal of waste material.

16. Administrative block:

For overall supervision of the entire abattoir activities.
For routine administration.
For fault corrections.
Management.
Handling of emergency situations.
17. Emergency Slaughter Unit or Miniature abattoir:
Location – Situated near the meat detention room
Have three components-
1. Lairage - capacity four animals
2. Slaughter hall
3. Hanging room – Facility with single pully overhead rail system.

18. Casualty Slaughter hall:

Casualty slaughter is carried out at the end of days regular slaughter.
It can have separate place for slaughter or it can be slaughtered in the regular
slaughter hall.
19. Rendering Plant:
Mainly meant for utilization of condemned meat on account of non-
contagious/non-infectious diseases.
For extraction of technical grade fat and for preparation of meat meal, bone meal
and meat-cum-bone meal.

20. Effluent Treatment plant:

For hygienic collection and disposal of liquid waste generated during slaughter
house operations.
 Aerobic and anaerobic treatments are used to decompose the waste and prevent
environmental pollution.
Thank you…..