Day 019 - 27 Jul 94 - Page 67
1 as to whether it is true in the case of Sun Valley.
2 Q. In fact, actually Mark Pattison says there is one OVS in
attendance on the site ---
3
MR. JUSTICE BELL: I was thinking of his statement.
4
MS. STEEL: -- to observe a slaughter. So there is one person,
5 there is one OVS observing the slaughter?
A. No, not the whole time, but he is there to observe it
6 as and when he so decides.
7 Q. Right. So there is just one person to watch the birds
being killed?
8 A. There is one person whose job is to do the backup neck
cutting. So for those birds which miss the automatic
9 killer, he then in the case of this plant cuts the whole
head off. His duties may extend to observing what goes on
10 further up the line in terms -- particularly in the area
of stunning.
11
Q. Right, so he OVS -----
12 A. At this particular plant I think that is the case. If
I remember rightly, that man was supervising the stunner
13 to see if there were any problems. If there were problems
he would either call somebody to rectify it, or attempt to
14 rectify it himself.
15 Q. So the OVS has quite a lot to keep his eye on?
A. That is true.
16
Q. When you made your second visit, the killing line speed?
17 A. Was 87 birds per minute.
18 Q. Yes. When you made the first visit it was twice that
speed?
19 A. That is correct.
20 Q. So, realistically, the OVS cannot really hope to keep an
eye on more than a tiny percentage of the birds in terms
21 of their welfare really?
A. I understand your question. The policy or philosophy,
22 should I say, in running this type of operation is to
check that the system is working rather than to do
23 individual bird inspection. So there has to be a general
appraisal that the stunning is working satisfactorily,
24 that the neck cutting is working satisfactorily, then the
inspector would go on to another of his inspecting duties.
25
Q. But, effectively, there is not really anyone whose
26 specific job it is to keep an eye on the welfare of each
and every bird all the time?
27 A. No, that would be physically impossible under that
situation without an inordinate number of staff.
28
Q. Do you consider that it is cruel not to stun animals
29 before they are killed?
A. I do not use the word "cruel" or "cruelty" when it
30 comes to my profession.
