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Abattoir Equipment – What Do you Need and What’s our There?

June 5, 2024

Proper equipment is essential to the running of an abattoir. The right tools and machinery must be used to process animals quickly, keep the workers safe, and meet the requirements of good health.

Every step, from slaughtering to processing, necessitates specific equipment. Common abattoir equipment is broken down into what follows, and we will give you some available options. You just need to contact us, so let’s get into it. 

Core Abattoir Equipment

At the heart of an abattoir stands:

  • Stunning Devices
  • Bleeding Lines
  • Scalding Tanks
  • Dehairing Machines
  • And Evisceration Tables. 

They are what has made the slaughterhouse humane, sanitary and efficient.

Processing Tools

From that moment, the animal gets ‘broken down’ by a chain of processing tools, starting with skinning knives and boning hooks and ending with butchering saws. 

None of these cutting systems would be very effective without high-quality, very sharp tools that allow for the precision of cuts up to the minimal industry standards.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Steel and Chain Gloves

They are also vital for safety because you never really know when your thumb is going to get caught. Seriously, in an abattoir, safety is key. Steel or chain mesh gloves are important to prevent cuts or punctures. 

Always have your steel or chain gloves on when you are going to handle a knife or other sharp tool. But steel or chain gloves are also great for preventing knife cuts in those moments. As when workflow is of utmost importance, accidents can happen. 

Bekina Steplite and Dunlop Purofort Wellies

In an abattoir, boots should be durable, non-slip, and easy to clean. Wellies like the ones made by Bekina Steplite and Dunlop Purofort are known for their comfortable long wear, good grip, and protection in wet and slippery conditions. For people in the industry, you know exactly what we are talking about as they are the go-to.

What’s Out There?

The scale and scope of the market for abattoir apparatus is huge and provides a wide range of solutions from basic manpower to advanced automated machinery. 

Technological developments have created more elaborate and sophisticated machinery that allow increased throughput and improved quality of meat products.

For those considering an upgrade or setting up a new facility, I encourage you to research and invest in good equipment that helps meet current requirements and offers future-proof scalability. 

Equipment available would suit every need, ranging from a family-run small farm to a large commercial enterprise. 

The invention of abattoir equipment has reshaped the meat industry worldwide with a dramatically new way of processing and handling meat.

Historical Perspective

Abrams estimates that simple abattoir equipment existed in the early 1800s, with rates picking up in the mid-1800s due to the upsurge of meat processing. 

Meat packing plants first appeared in the Midwestern United States, clustering around the Chicago Stockyards, which became the largest US livestock market. 

Among other innovations, these early meat processing establishments set the stage for technological improvements that would become more predominant at abattoirs.

Technological Evolution

Spurred by the expansion of the meat trade, the development of more sophisticated equipment was seen in the abattoir, facilitating the dismemberment process in a more efficient, albeit quicker, capacity and increasing volume. 

It is reasonable to credit the meat processing industry for the creation of industrial refrigeration, the assembly line, and vacuum packaging. These innovations found their way to other industries that produced food and other goods.

Global Impact

As pointed out very clearly, the use of abattoir equipment has made a major impact on the meat industry worldwide. Firstly, mechanised slaughterhouses and processing have increased yields, reduced wastage, and led to better-quality meat products. This allows for more cost savings for meat businesses and also accounts for the global rise of meat products.

Environmental and Social Considerations

However, expanding abattoirs and increasing the use of equipment have also raised environmental and human concerns. These include the management of abattoir effluents, animal welfare, and the psychological impact on work.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is crucial because it is an essential first step in preventing workplace injuries. Workers in the meat processing industry are often exposed to sharp tools and heavy machinery that can cause injuries or deformities or, in the case of an abattoir, biological hazards. 

When workers put on steel gloves, chainmail aprons, safety boots and other protective attire, these items are much more than accessories: they save lives and jobs. Workers can’t give their best to an industry that neglects their well-being.

SUMMARY 

PPE is still a critical part of working safely to keep the workplace normal and avoid serious or fatal accidents. All the technological improvements mean something if we can guarantee the safety of food-supply workers. Owner of abattoirs and slaughterhouses are aware of workflow efficiency but also about the safety of their workers and ensuring the meat moves down the chain in perfect condition.