E. R. Boliantz Co. Inc.: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2022 (USDA)

313.2

On August 4, 2022 at approximately 0615 while performing routine antemortem inspection and verifying HATS category III Water and Feed availability, REDACTED SPHV, observed the following noncompliance.  Pens 1, 4 were without water and cattle were present. Pen 5 had pigs and they were unable to reach the water placed in the cattle watering bin. This is noncompliant as observed with 9 CFR 313.2(e) that states "animals shall have access to water in all holding pens." A barn employee was notified and he immediately began refilling the water bin. Upon entering the slaughter floor SPHV REDACTED promptly notified slaughter floor manager REDACTED of the noncompliance. SPHV REDACTED verified no similar humane handling noncompliance records have been documented recently.

313.15(a)(1)

At approximately 0915 on May 10, 2022 while performing the humane slaughter of livestock task HATS Stunning Effectiveness, SPHV REDACTED observed an establishment employee who does not routinely stun use a captive bolt stunning device on a heifer. The heifer was overly excited upon entering the knock box and placing it into the head gate was challenging. The heifer's head was successfully placed in the head gate, but the animal was still moving her head around. The establishment employee attempted to knock the heifer with a captive bolt. The shot deployed, the animal bellowed, yet the shot did not render the heifer unconscious or knock the animal down. (Inspection of the beef head afterwards did reveal that the bolt did penetrate the skull, but the position was misaligned). The stunning operator then tried to reload the stunning device. Harvest floor supervisor REDACTED informed the stunning operator there was a backup stunning device already loaded. Mr. REDACTED grabbed the backup captive bolt device, deployed the shot, and rendered the heifer unconscious and insensible to pain. Mr. REDACTED was verbally notified of the noncompliance and the establishments failure to comply with the regulatory requirements prescribed in 9 CFR 313.15(a)(1) and 313.15(b)(1)(iv).

313.15(b)(1)(iii),313.15(a)(1)

At approximately 1340 hours on March 28,2022 while performing the humane slaughter of livestock task HAT task Stunning Effectiveness, CSI REDACTED observed an establishment employee(who routinely performs stunning) use a captive bolt stunning device for the stunning of a large bull. The bull was overly excited upon entering the knock box, entering the knock box and then backing out several times before the gate could be lowered to hold the bull in the knock box. The bull head was in the head restraint but could not be locked due to the bulls movement. The establishment employee attempted to knock the bull with the stunning device and when fired it sounded as though it had a weak load and did not render the bull unconscious and it remained standing( Inspection of the beef head afterwards did reveal that the bolt did not penetrate the skull deep enough to render the bull unconscious and insensible to pain). The plant employee then reloaded the stunning device and attempted to apply a second captive bolt stun to the standing bull that began throwing its head. The second attempt failed due to the captive bolt failing to fire. The bull began backing up at which time i looked back into the barn and did not notice the establishment employee grab the back up captive bolt stunning device. The establishment employee then using the back up captive bolt rendered the bull unconscious and insensible to pain. The establishment employee also performed a security knock with the captive bolt prior to being shackled. Harvest floor supervisor was verbally notified of the noncompliance. This is noncompliance with 313.15(a)(1) and 313.15(b)(1)(iii). Chicago District Office determined the incident to be egregious and issued a Notice of Suspension.