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Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act No. 40 of 2000)

Red Meat Regulations, 2004

Part II : Requirements for the Registration of Red Meat Abattoirs [Section 11(1)(A)]

B : Structural requirements

1. Requirements for all abattoirs as well as export approved cutting plants and cold storage units

11. Requirements for interior of building and rooms

 

 

In the abattoir where meat and animal products are handled and in toilets, change rooms and dining facilities -

a) all rooms must be of such sizes as not to compromise hygiene;
b) floors and stairways must be -
i) smooth, impervious, resistant to wear and corrosion and not slippery; and
ii) free of cracks and open joints;
c) floor drainage design and construction-
i) must ensure that floors are sloped at a gradient of not less than 1:60 towards drainage points or channels;
ii) must ensure that channels drain from clean to dirty areas;
iii) must be such that drainage channels are smooth, impervious, washable and provided with grates or covers; and
iv) must provide all drain inlets with solid traps as well as mechanisms to prevent access of vermin and obnoxious odours into the abattoir;
d) interior wall surfaces, partitions and pillars must be-
i) smooth, impervious, washable and light coloured;
ii) rounded at floor to wall, as well as wall to wall, junctions with a minimum radius of 50mm; and
iii) rounded on top in case of walls and partitions which are not ceiling height;
e) interior roof structures or ceilings, must be smooth, impervious, light coloured and washable;
f) doors and doorframes must be smooth, impervious, vermin proof, light coloured and corrosion resistant;
g) personnel entrances must have self-closing doors and be provided with hand wash-basins, boot wash and apron wash facilities and apron hooks;
h) hatches, where provided, must have an inclined bottom edge sloping towards the dirtier side, and self closing flaps must be provided when applicable;
i) chutes must -
i) be smooth, light coloured and corrosion resistant;
ii) open at least 300 mm above the floor;
iii) be sanitizable along its entire length; and
iv) be separate for meat, inedible material and condemned material, respectively;
j) windows -
i) must have light coloured, corrosion resistant frames and must be glazed;
ii) must be fitted with fly screens when used for ventilation;
iii) must have window sills that slope at 45°; and
iv) may not be opened if it interconnects clean and dirty areas;
k) all working areas must -
i) be well ventilated; and
ii) have artificial or natural lighting at an intensity of at least -
aa) 540 Lux where meat is inspected; and
bb) 220 Lux in work areas;
l) all light fittings must be equipped with covers or splinter protectors;
m) all electrical fittings must be waterproof; and
n) all wall mounted equipment, structures and fittings must have a clearance of at least 50mm from the wall.