Day 081 - 31 Jan 95 - Page 43
1 look, or let me ask. (To the witness): Do you know of any
2 guidelines as to chilling room temperatures or the time it
3 should take to make a carcass reach a certain temperature?
4 A. I do not. There may well be these figures but I do not
5 know them offhand.
6
7 Q. You cannot help us about that?
8 A. No.
9
10 MR. MORRIS: Moving away from the floor plan, it has already
11 been brought up that EEC licences for a slaughterhouse may
12 be granted if there are problems in a slaughterhouse,
13 hygiene problems or whatever, but they are going to be
14 dealt with in the future, so there is a promise to deal
15 with them, how does that affect someone like yourself who
16 is an Environmental Health Inspector, or whatever, where a
17 plant may be under licence but, in fact, may be having
18 practices which are not hygienic at that time when you make
19 a visit?
20
21 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I have to say I do not think that is an
22 accurate summary. I am not suggesting you intend it not to
23 be, but we had some evidence to the effect that when the
24 inspectors come around for renewal of the EC licence or
25 approval, they might see something which they think ought
26 to be done and that, rather than not granting the licence,
27 they may ask for an undertaking that specified work is done
28 within a period of time.
29
30 Mr. Walker, who dealt with this, went on to say something
31 to the effect that: "However, if it was a situation which
32 was unsafe" -- I am not sure that is the word he used but
33 to that effect -- "then that would be a reason for not
34 accepting the undertaking or granting of a licence; it was
35 a matter of judgment". Are you familiar with that sort of
36 practice?
37 A. That is normal practice, whether it be a food shop or
38 any other premises, that the extent of the contraventions
39 or the extent of the noncompliance is relevant to the
40 action taken. So, may be a verbal warning, a written
41 warning of closure or a refusal of a licence; it would
42 depend on the extent of the problems.
43
44 Q. By the "extent of the problem" that takes into account the
45 risk factor as judged by the inspector or an enforcement
46 authority, does it?
47 A. Yes.
48
49 MR. MORRIS: So if you make an inspection (and I do not quite
50 exactly understand the role of the Environmental Health in
51 terms of slaughterhouses in general; obviously, you are not
52 in that position being in a university) do you actually
53 have the power to close a facility down if you feel, not
54 you personally but an Environmental Health Inspector from a
55 local authority, have the power to close a facility if they
56 feel it is not hygienic, for example?
57 A. Slaughterhouses are licensed and the licence can be
58 refused.
59
60 Q. Licensed to the local authority?
