Would you work in a meat factory?

Gael23

Exploring potential backpacking jobs online and one of them was working on the killing floor in a beef plant.

Would you do it?

Like Coppers?

Hoboo

A backpacker won't be given that job, end of. Unless it's just washing floors.

partyguinness

Watch some videos and then have another think about it.

Any particular reason you are thinking about a meat factory?

Deebles McBeebles

Now, I wouldn't be a little lamb or anything but I would have a beef with doing this job. We all know how the sausage is made but I reckon I'd be too chicken to pork up to an animal and do it myself. Venison.

Lux23

No.

Tom Mann Centuria

Worked in a chicken factory for 6 months. That wasn't great, meat factory would be even worse I'd imagine.

Hande hoche!

Spent about six months working in one in various roles. Wouldn't recommend it.
Can't stand the smell of tripe as a result of it.

Gael23

Unearthly wrote: »

Animals are killed in a lovely humane and ethical way so it would be a pleasant place to work at

Is having your throat slit with a razor sharp knife humane?

Seve OB

Gael23 wrote: »

Is having your throat slit with a razor sharp knife humane?

if that's your attitude why bother starting the thread unless you are some kind of troll trying to wind everyone up

TommyKnocker

Gael23 wrote: »

Is having your throat slit with a razor sharp knife humane?

This is only performed for Halal or Kosher meat. Otherwise the animal has a bolt pushed into its skull which scrambles the brain which is supposed to render it unable to feel pain before its throat is cut and the blood drained.

But this can depend on the competence and training of the person wielding the captive bolt gun. Also the animals move quite quickly through the chutes, so even for well trained individuals it can be hard to ensure that you stun the animal properly each time.

And as has been said above, it would not be normal practice, especially in countries where animal welfare is the norm to have a blow-in doing the actual stunning.

branie2

Nope

kneemos

Your standing in one place all day doing the same job if it's on the killing line.

If you like that go for it.

Yer Da sells Avon

Deebles McBeebles wrote: »

Now, I wouldn't be a little lamb or anything but I would have a beef with doing this job. We all know how the sausage is made but I reckon I'd be too chicken to pork up to an animal and do it myself. Venison.

Always nice to meat someone who appreciates a good pun.

mikemac2

You’ll be given a yard brush and a power house OP and be told to clean

A backpacker won’t be doing anything more responsible

freshpopcorn

It depends on how squeamish you are OP.
I'm from a farming background and I know where food comes from. It doesn't bother me.
I've seen the process and once it's carried out correctly it's fine.
It's generally fairly predictable those who aren't suited to the industry/work before they enter it. Some even have issues with working in the packing/labeling department.

kneemos

Cash in hand work is what you need if backpacking.
Waiting weeks to get paid would be a pain.

Gael23

I’m not sure I could walk up to a strong healthy animal and rather brutally end it’s life.

fermanagh_man

Worked in one during summer holidays from 16-18
Biggest motivation I needed to get an education

castletownman

Gael23 wrote: »

Exploring potential backpacking jobs online and one of them was working on the killing floor in a beef plant.

Would you do it?

C'mon Jimmy, lets take a peek at the killing floor. Don’t let the name throw you, Jimmy. It’s not really a floor; it’s more of a steel grating that allows material to sluice through so it can be collected and exported.

Gael23

fermanagh_man wrote: »

Worked in one during summer holidays from 16-18
Biggest motivation I needed to get an education

You wouldn’t recommend then?

Butcher Boy

Gael23 wrote: »

You wouldn’t recommend then?

a you would get used to it after 30 years.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Gael23 wrote: »

I’m not sure I could walk up to a strong healthy animal and rather brutally end it’s life.

Don't worry, you won't be.

As was mentioned previously to you, you'll be put washing or tidying up. Skilled workers get jobs that require skills that they obtained previously to starting. Yours will be box making and labelling and general non skilled operations. You probably won't even see the line, never mind have to kill an animal.

auspicious

Plenty of scholarly studies confirm longterm employees can suffer psychological distress such as PTSD for example, resulting in increased domestic and societal violence, alcohol and drug abuse, also carpal tunnel syndrome and more from exposure to the daily routine in meat factories.

Butcher Boy

auspicious wrote: »

Plenty of scholarly studies confirm longterm employees can suffer psychological distress such as PTSD for example, resulting in increased domestic and societal violence, alcohol and drug abuse, also carpal tunnel syndrome and more from exposure to the daily routine in meat factories.

I am fcuked so.

Worked in one in the early 90's.

I remember an articulated truck came in one day with a full load of hanging.
The trailer was meant to be cooled around the 0 mark.

We found out that the fridge on the trailer wasn't working and was actually blowing hot air into it when we opened the doors...

You can imagine the reaction..

Rotten........

auspicious

NoDrama wrote: »

Worked in one in the early 90's.

I remember an articulated truck came in one day with a full load of hanging.
The trailer was meant to be cooled around the 0 mark.

We found out that the fridge on the trailer wasn't working and was actually blowing hot air into it when we opened the doors...

You can imagine the reaction..

Rotten........

"...Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that 10 out of 22 workers who were tested carried potentially deadly bacteria..."

Gorgeousgeorge

From a farming backround so use to the usual stuff. But when you see a live animal being quartered after a captive bolt misfire that didnt actually do the job. Twas enough for me never to step foot in the place again

TomSweeney

OP don't fool yourself for one minute, a cow would murder you and your whole family if it had the chance!

auspicious

Gorgeousgeorge wrote: »

From a farming backround so use to the usual stuff. But when you see a live animal being quartered after a captive bolt misfire that didnt actually do the job. Twas enough for me never to step foot in the place again

I'm wondering why not reload? Is there no observation or proceedure to address a misfire?
Is it the workload which does not allow a slow-down even for a potential breach of protocol?

foxy farmer

Gorgeousgeorge wrote: »

From a farming backround so use to the usual stuff. But when you see a live animal being quartered after a captive bolt misfire that didnt actually do the job. Twas enough for me never to step foot in the place again

I'll call BS on this. I think they'd have discovered the misfire long before quartering the carcass. Bleeding ,which happens directly after stunning would render the carcass lifeless. Quartering is done well down the line after stunning.

kneemos

foxy farmer wrote: »

I'll call BS on this. I think they'd have discovered the misfire long before quartering the carcass. Bleeding ,which happens directly after stunning would render the carcass lifeless. Quartering is done well down the line after stunning.

They'd be skinned,gutted and decapitated before quartered I'd imagine.

Gorgeousgeorge

foxy farmer wrote: »

I'll call BS on this. I think they'd have discovered the misfire long before quartering the carcass. Bleeding ,which happens directly after stunning would render the carcass lifeless. Quartering is done well down the line after stunning.

Call it what ya like i dont particulary care! But it happened exactly as i said it. Some people are just cruel.

wonski

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Don't worry, you won't be.

As was mentioned previously to you, you'll be put washing or tidying up. Skilled workers get jobs that require skills that they obtained previously to starting. Yours will be box making and labelling and general non skilled operations. You probably won't even see the line, never mind have to kill an animal.

These days the people working there are knife trained, but they are no butchers.

More like 11 or so per hour line workers. They just do one thing all day.

It is not a trade or skill any more. Apart from local butchers.

Buford T. Justice XIX

wonski wrote: »

These days the people working there are knife trained, but they are no butchers.

More like 11 or so per hour line workers. They just do one thing all day.

It is not a trade or skill any more. Apart from local butchers.

I know, I'm there often enough during the year.

But the OP was worried about having to kill an animal. He would want to be working there for quite some time until he would be located at the point in the line.

No skills=no skills work.

wonski

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

I know, I'm there often enough during the year.

But the OP was worried about having to kill an animal. He would want to be working there for quite some time until he would be located at the point in the line.

No skills=no skills work.

Agreed. I just prefer word trained rather than skilled in this case, although skill is obtained in training so... Yeah, same thing really.

Gael23

wonski wrote: »

More like 11 or so per hour line workers. They just do one thing all day.

Which is kill?
I suppose they are in effect dead before their throats are cut if stunned correctly.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Gael23 wrote: »

Which is kill?
I suppose they are in effect dead before their throats are cut if stunned correctly.

If your conscience is perturbed by working in a meat processing facility, the simplest solution would appear to be avoidance of that particular working environment.

Dakota Dan

partyguinness wrote: »

Watch some videos and then have another think about it.

Any particular reason you are thinking about a meat factory?

After one week he'll take no notice of it.

Dakota Dan

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Worked in a chicken factory for 6 months. That wasn't great, meat factory would be even worse I'd imagine.

Meat factory would be easier smell wise anyway, the smell of chicken innards isnt the best which you obviously know.

Gael23

Is there any evidence to suggest that slaughter line workers go on to become killers of humans?

_Brian

Gael23 wrote: »

Is having your throat slit with a razor sharp knife humane?

Yea it’s fine.
Works efficiently and has been doing so for hundreds of years. Better if they are stunned first.

Honestly I’ve suffered more at the dentist than an animal does on tue kill line in the factory.

But here’s the thing, it’s not for everyone to see it and understand. Bit like not everyone can stand in a theatre at an operation, and not everyone has the balls to be a surgeon, not everyone is cut out to be involved in farming and slaughter of animals.

gozunda

Gael23 wrote: »

Is there any evidence to suggest that slaughter line workers go on to become killers of humans?

Do other animals such as wolves and foxes who kill and consume the flesh of other species become regular killers of their own kind? Not as a rule no.

Even some vegans try to kill other humans...

https://m.independent.ie/world-news/north-america/youtube-shooting-attacker-was-vegan-activist-who-accused-tech-firm-of-discrimination-36773197.html

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

upinsmoke

Had a friend whose job was to **** pigs

ongarboy

Hande hoche! wrote: »

Spent about six months working in one in various roles. Wouldn't recommend it.
Can't stand the smell of tripe as a result of it.

Surely not that much of an issue...how often does one encounter the smell of tripe?

DEFTLEFTHAND

Somebody has to do it.