Defra

Main menu

• Contact us
• Access to information
• News
• Site A-Z
• Search

Section navigation

Disease control & eradication

Legislation

Other TSEs (inc. Scrapie)

Cattle disposal schemes

Publications

Public health issues

Science & research

Statistics

Other useful links

BSE site directory

BSE FAQ

BSE general Q&A

Glossary

Contacts

Links

BSE: Over Thirty Month rule - Guidance for OTM abattoir approval

To be able to slaughter OTM cattle born after July 1996 for human consumption, abattoirs must be approved by the MHS. It is an offence to slaughter OTM cattle in a non-approved abattoir. The approval process is explained in more detail below. The approval process involves a series of steps. Each abattoir will complete each step to a different timescale (reflecting the work needed in each plant, and differing commercial priorities). We recommend that cattle keepers wishing to find out whether their local abattoir(s) are approved to slaughter OTM cattle for human consumption should contact their local abattoir(s) to establish whether they are approved or are intending to become approved in the future. OTM cattle sent to a non-approved abattoir will normally be treated as fallen stock (i.e. destroyed and no compensation paid).

Because of these uncertainties, the following list of approved abattoirs is not definitive, and it only reflects the known situation on the date shown for each update.

As at  14 July 2008 there are 75 approved abattoirs

Plant Number	Plant Name
1101	Anglo-Beef Processors (ABP) (Perth)
1106	McIntosh Donald (Aberdeenshire)
1108	Mathers (Inverurie) Ltd)
1118	Western Isles Council (Stornoway)
1121	Scotch Premier Meat Ltd (Aberdeenshire)
1156	Orkney Meats Ltd (Orkney)
1160	R Miller Meat Wholesaler (Morayshire)
1528	Scottish Borders (Ettrick and Lauderdale)
1535	Sandyford Abattoir (Paisley) Ltd
1541	AK Stoddarts (Ayr)
1560	Scotbeef Ltd (Stirling)
1585	MULL Slaughterhouse (Argyll & Butt)
1598	Highland Meats (Saltcoats)
1686	Lochmaddy Slaughterhouse (Western Isles)
2056	Linden Foods Burradon (Tyne and Wear)
2079	Stockton Butchers (Cleveland)
2091	Spenborough Abattoir Ltd (West Yorkshire)
2100	Dawn (Carnaby) Ltd (Humberside)
2102	N Bramall and Son (S. Yorks)
2138	West Scottish Lamb (Cumbria)
2141	Anglo-Beef Processors (ABP) (York)
2158	Kepak (Wakefield)
2161	JA Jewitt (Meat) Ltd (County Durham)
2241	Woolley Bros (Wholesale Meats) Ltd
2343	J&E Medcalf Ltd (West Yorks.)
4071	Kepak UK Ltd (Preston)
4073	Anglo-Beef Processors (ABP) (Ellesmere)
4109	Anglo-Beef Processors (ABP) (Shrewsbury)
4140	G & GB Hewitt (Cheshire)
4152	Beesons Ltd (Cheshire)
4168	RB Elliot & Son (Derbyshire)
4185	Cheshire Equine Services (Cheshire)
4236	Long Compton Abattoir Ltd (Warwickshire)
4256	Farmers Fresh (Chase Terrace) (West Midlands)
4269	J & B Fitton Ltd (Lancashire)
4331	W Nixon & Sons Ltd (Lancashire)
4367	T G Sargeant & Sons (Staffordshire)
4373	Staffordshire Meat Packers (Staffordshire)
4376	Harvey Ashworth (Lancashire)
4405	ABP Blackburn (Lancashire)
4414	G. Wood & Sons Ltd (Notts.)
4486	Dunbia Sawley Ltd (Lancashire)
4786	Pickstock (Ashby) Ltd (Derbyshire)
5106	Dawn Cardington (Bedfordshire)
5184	A Wright & Son (Lincoln)
5207	H G Blake Ltd (Norfolk)
6060	R W Newman & Partners (Hampshire)
6150	Simply Halal (Buckinghamshire)
6207	Mutch Meats Ltd (Oxfordshire)
6238	Chitty Wholesale Ltd (Guildford)
6342	Southern Traditional Meats (West Sussex)
6359	Laverstoke Park Abattoir (Hampshire)
7069	W Lloyd Williams & Sons (Powys)
7162	Cig Cibyn Ltd (Gwynedd)
7176	St Merryn Meat Ltd  (Merthyr Tydfil)
7190	The Pembrokeshire Meat Company (Pembrokeshire)
7198	Cig Calon Cymru CYF (Camarthenshire)
7204	HMD Butchers (Camarthenshire)
8035	Ensors Abattoir (Gloucester)
8043	Southern Counties Fresh Foods Limited (Somerset)
8046	Jaspers (Treburley) Ltd (Cornwall)
8068	Combe Martin Meats (Devon)
8070	P J Hayman & Sons (Devon)
8071	West Devon Meats (Devon)
8072	P J King & Son (Gloucestershire)
8073	St Merryn Meat (Bodmin) Ltd
8101	East Hill Pride (J Coles) (Devon)
8119	Alec Jarrett Ltd (Avon)
8122	Nanteague Abattoir (CDV George) (Cornwall)
8201	F Drury & Sons Ltd (Wiltshire)
8216	Romford Wholesale Meats (Dorset) Ltd
8217	S J Norman (Dorset)
8231	Stillmans Somerset Ltd (Somerset)
8308	J V Richards Ltd (Cornwall)
8354	C & S Meats Ltd (Dorset)

• Are suitable to ensure correct identification of animals prior to slaughter
• Allow segregation of OTM cattle requiring testing and cattle that do not require testing.

• Define the criteria by which the plant identifies the batch size
• Provide differentiation between OTM and UTM carcases. Identify all UTM carcases by the use of separate blue stripe labels
• A system to reconcile the number of bovines tested and the number of samples dispatched to the laboratory.·

Storage facilities
Suitable and secure facilities will be required to retain the carcase, body parts, including hide, blood, and by-products under official control, until the test results are received.

top

Note: hides can be delivered to a hide premises before the test result is received if a separate hide Protocol is produced specifying all the relevant details.
Note: body parts can be disposed of as Category 1 SRM by incineration prior to receipt of test results
Note: ABP must be held in lidded and lockable containers

Office equipment
Suitable office facilities must be supplied with:

• A system for the receipt of the correct test results from the laboratory, either by fax, or by other electronic means (web access), printer.
• Photocopying facilities – if a manual identification system is to be used

Required Method of Operation
Plant Occupiers is required to provide an RMOP in the prescribed format in sufficient detail for approval documenting the procedures they will use to process OTM bovines. This must be agreed and signed by representatives of the Plant Occupier and the MHS.

Formal 2 day assessment trial
This assessment trial will be carried out using UTM cattle (except in current OTMS plants) to simulate the proposed OTM procedures documented in the RMOP. During this assessment the procedures employed will be monitored by MHS staff. All areas must comply with both written instructions contained in the RMOP and legal requirements. Assessment trial dates will need to be agreed with the AOV.

OTM Production
Before OTM production will be permitted to start, the Plant Occupier will need to be able to produce a physical copy of the approval letter from the MHS, on behalf of Defra. You may not start to process OTM cattle until:

• The relevant legislation comes into force
• The date of commencement for your plant has been agreed with the AOV
• The AOV is present on days 1 and 2 of OTM processing
• The OVS has signed the RMOP prior to commencement of OTM processing on the first agreed day

3.0 Hazard Identification and Control Plan (As required by the Independent Advisory Group) - Specimen copy-information only

Before having an RMOP approved for the slaughter of OTM animals a plant will need to produce a process step identification and control plan. This plan must set out the major hazards involved in the processing of OTM cattle and the controls identified to minimise them.

A number of points should be noted prior to starting to draft your plan:

• As a food producer you must have demonstrable competence in HACCP as set out in Regulation 20 of the Fresh Meat (Hygiene & Inspection) Regulations 1995 (as amended) and in line with Regulation (EC) No. 854/2004 (reference Hygiene 3) when this comes into force in 2006. .
• A fundamental requirement in the drafting of your plan is the involvement of all the relevant personnel from your plant where applicable including both technical and production teams, and MHS staff.
• Ownership of the plan will always remain with the plant Occupier although if required you may choose to use external bodies to assist in the development of the plan.
• Where individuals or staff positions are responsible for controls or monitoring of controls the relevant individual/s must be clearly identified and trained to carry out the task competently.
• The RMOP must take account of the process steps and controls identified in the plan.
• The plan must be regularly reviewed with those people mentioned above and amended as required.
• As a general rule if corrective action is required it should be brought to the attention of the MHS who will verify that the corrective action will be in compliance with the legislation.

The Abattoir process flow chart (24 KB) and table (21 KB) set out the process steps that should be considered when drafting your plan. An outline of a hazard identification and control plan can be found at Annex A (45 KB). It should be noted that this plan is a guidance template only and individual plants will need to modify the control and monitoring procedures to suit their own local circumstances.
The plan should be used to consider relevant amendments to your HACCP plan.

top

4.0 Abattoir Guidance – RMOP - Specimen copy-information only

Please see the following document (46 KB) that gives instructions for drafting of the RMOP.

5.0 Abattoir Guidance – Protocol - Specimen copy-information only

This document (72 KB) sets out the procedures an abattoir needs to have in place before they can start processing OTM cattle for human consumption. This guidance should be used when preparing a plant specific RMOP document.

6.0 Blank RMOP - Specimen copy-information only

An example blank RMOP can be found here (27 KB)

7.0 Abattoir guidance - Hides - Specimen copy-information only

1. These guidelines concern the movement off-site of hides derived from cattle which have been tested for BSE and where a test result is pending. In many cases, abattoirs will choose to retain hides from tested animals at the abattoir under the official control of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS), until results are obtained from the approved testing laboratory. However, as explained below, you may transport hides to hide premises, before a test result is received, subject to the procedures explained below.

2. Where hides are to be retained at the abattoir, procedures must be set down in the Required Methods of Operation (RMOP) agreed between the Abattoir Occupier and the MHS. The rest of this document concerns the procedures for hides moved to external hide premises pending a test result, only.

3. It is recognised that it is not always possible for abattoirs to retain hides on their premises beyond the day of slaughter. If you wish to move hides from BSE tested animals to a hide premises, you will first need to have prepared and signed an agreed hide protocol (see attached template at Annex A).

4. A hide protocol contains details of the procedures to be followed when moving hides from the originating abattoir to a hide premises. A hide protocol template is at annex A. The protocol must be agreed and signed by the abattoir, the hide premises operator, and the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC), who will be responsible for any enforcement action at the hide premises. The MLC is empowered, under the domestic TSE Regulations, to order the destruction of hides from positively tested and ‘no test’ cattle. If the hides are not separately identified, they are also empowered to order the destruction of the whole batch.

5. If you wish to consign hides to more than one hide premises, you will need to agree separate hide protocols for each premises.

Identification of Hides

6. Hides must be individually identified, or, sent to hide premises in clearly marked batches. The agreed system of hide identification must enable the correlation of BSE test results to individual hides, or a batch of hides. It is up to the Abattoir Occupier to devise and agree the identification system in conjunction with the hide premises operator and the MLC, who will act as the enforcement agency in the case of any hides from BSE positive or ‘no test’ animals. The system must be approved by the three signatories to the hide protocol.

7. With any agreed hide identification system it must be possible for a specific hide to be easily identified (unless hides are held in batches without individual identification – see below). This means that individually identified hides must be stored in such a way that individual identification labels/tags are clearly visible. In the case of any positive or ‘no test’ result the MLC will require the operator to identify the hide, or its batch, so that it can be directed for disposal at the disposal site detailed in Section 3 of the hides protocol.

8. It is vital that you adhere to the agreed hide identification system, since any doubt over the identity of positive or ‘no test’ hides will necessitate the destruction of the whole consignment. If this is required, compensation will only be paid on the hide from the BSE-positive animal, not for the others. Persistent failure to implement the terms of the agreed hides protocol will result in its revocation, with the result that you will be unable to move hides from your abattoir until test results are known.

9. Containers of hides being transported to hide premises pending test results should be clearly marked ‘Controlled hides – awaiting BSE clearance’ and must bear the details of the originating abattoir and the relevant slaughter date. If a consignment consists of hides from tested OTM cattle and hides from untested UTM cattle, the sequence of kill numbers for the hides from tested animals where results are pending, must also be shown on the container. In addition, the commercial document accompanying the hides under the Animal By-Products Regulations, should be clearly marked ‘Subject to TSE test results’.

10. Basically you have 2 options: you can either choose to individually identify each hide, so that it can be correlated with its respective test result; or you can identify controlled hides in batches, without individual marking. The advantage of individually identifying hides is that, in the event of a BSE positive test result, only the ‘positive’ hide need be destroyed. As noted above, under a batch identification system the entire batch containing the ‘positive’ hide would need to be destroyed, with compensation only being available for the ‘positive’ hide.

11. Where controlled hides are to be individually identified, this must be by means of a tag of robust specification or by another secure method, which is not reusable and will not become obliterated during processing and storage. Spray paint is not an acceptable means of identification. The means of hide identification must ensure that the animal of origin can be clearly and indisputably confirmed. Tags must be durable in the hide processing environment and must not tear or become detached during handling or storage. Synthetic top coated direct thermal printable looped labels have been found to be of acceptable robustness and durability:

12. Examples of acceptable identification systems include (a) eartag reference, (b) a combination of abattoir ID, kill date and kill number or (c) another serial number correlated to the carcase through abattoir records.

13. The positioning of the tag on the hide is important to aid its easy identification when stored with other hides. During the above-mentioned trails the tail root was found to be the most easily accessible place for a tag to be inserted.

14. A batch may be any group of hides, stored consecutively and derived from cattle slaughtered on one day. The batch must be clearly identified so that it can be easily determined whether the batch contains hides from animals subject to BSE testing which are pending a result (see paragraph 8 above).

top

Completion of the Hides Protocol

15. The hide protocol template is at Annex A. It should be drafted by you, and then discussed and agreed with the hide premises operator, who will subsequently discuss it and agree it with the MLC.
Once it has been agreed and signed by all three parties, you should bring it to the attention of the OVS, who will be instructed to check that an agreed hides protocol is in place, before permitting hides to be sent off-site without a test result.

16. During the drafting and agreement process (and prior to ‘live’ testing of OTM animals for human consumption) we recommend that you undertake a dry run of the hide protocol arrangements.
This will enable you, and the other parties to the protocol, to satisfy yourselves that the proposed arrangements are effective. Experience gained during this dummy run should be reflected in the final version of the protocol.

18. Once the draft protocol has been agreed , copies should be retained by all parties to the agreement. In the case of a positive or ‘no-test’ result, it is your responsibility to notify the hide premises by e-mail or by fax. No notification action is necessary on your part, if all test results for the slaughter day, are negative.

19. Although an abattoir may consign hides awaiting a result to more than one hide premises, hides from animals killed on a single day pending a test result, may only be consigned to a single hide premises. On no account can hides awaiting a test result are moved on from the premises identified in Section 3, unless it is authorised by the MLC.

ANNEX A HIDE PROTOCOL TEMPLATE (15 KB)

8.0 Controlling the risk of exposure to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)- Specimen copy-information only

Advice from BSE Occupational Guidance Drafting Group for Abattoir Workers Processing OTM Cattle Born After 1 August 1996.

Note: this guidance is not intended for abattoirs processing other cattle (e.g. those known to have BSE – see http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg85.htm), which should continue to follow existing guidelines on controlling the risks from BSE.

Abattoir Workers: Guidelines to Minimise the Risk of Exposure to BSE

A. Introduction

1. Following a review of the Over Thirty Months (OTM) rule Health and Rural Affairs Ministers have agreed that cattle born after 1 August 1996 may now enter the food chain. This will depend on each animal testing negative for BSE before release. Thereafter, these cattle will be processed in the same way as those under thirty months old intended for human consumption.

2. Cattle born before 1 August 1996 will still be excluded from the food chain, and will continue to be processed in dedicated OTMS abattoirs to the existing HSE guidelines.

What is the risk of cattle now entering the food chain having BSE?

3. Cattle born in the UK after 1 August 1996 should not have been exposed to feed contaminated in the UK. The incidence of BSE in these cattle is significantly lower than for those born before August 1996. Modelling suggests that 40-60 cattle destined for processing in fresh meat abattoirs will test positive for BSE in the first year after the OTM rule changes, but these numbers would be expected to decline year on year. However, this is a worse-case scenario as it assumes that all casualty cattle, many of which will be excluded from the food chain, would also be sent to abattoirs.

4. If any cattle (including pregnant cows and those about to calve) are suspected of having BSE, they must be reported to Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) immediately. They must not be slaughtered in a conventional abattoir. Defra will assume responsibility for the destruction and disposal of BSE suspects and further information can be found on the Defra website.

So should I be concerned about handling a BSE positive animal?

5. Every OTM healthy animal and every over 24 months old casualty animal processed for human consumption will be tested for BSE post slaughter. Any positive carcasses will be removed and destroyed (this will also include the carcass before and two after on the slaughter line, unless there are alternative procedures in place). This is to ensure no potentially contaminated meat enters the human food chain. However, you will not know if an animal is positive until after you have handled it. So you will need to take certain precautions when handling all cattle, just in case a positive animal is processed.

How could I be exposed to the BSE agent if I process a positive animal?

6. The main risk of exposure is from an inoculation injury (i.e. a skin penetrating injury by a sharp object) potentially contaminated with the animal material most likely to contain the BSE agent or via broken skin and splashing of mucous membranes (i.e. your mouth, nose or eyes). Such animal material is classed as specified risk material (SRM), the most important for potential exposure being

• The brain; and
• Spinal cord
  (It is important you take care to avoid cutting yourself with knives, bone fragments or other sharp objects.)

7. Exposure to contaminated equipment or clothing could also occur, so good hygiene practices in your abattoir are essential.

8. To avoid contamination you will need to avoid splashes and cover up cuts, and wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This guideline gives advice on good hygiene and PPE.

top

What precautions should I take when processing cattle in my abattoir?

9. The Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP) has issued new advice on how to control the risk of exposure to BSE when processing cattle in fresh meat abattoirs (see pages 3-5)

Are there guidelines for taking the brain samples used to test for BSE?

10. Yes – these have been produced by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive, the Meat Hygiene Service and trade unions. The guidelines can be accessed here (1.07 MB *this is a very large file).

Are there other guidelines for people working with BSE?

11. Yes – the ACDP has produced guidance for people working with all types of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) in the laboratory and in healthcare.The ACDP have also published guidance for other professions working with BSE called ‘BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy): Background and general occupational guidance’, which is available from HSE Books – an updated version of this last document (which will incorporate the advice in this leaflet) is due in late 2005/early 2006.

B. BSE: Control Measures for Abattoir Workers - Specimen copy-information only

Even though the following paragraphs suggest control measures for some abattoir activities, you must conduct a risk assessment to assess the hazards present in your workplace and evaluate the potential risks to staff from each activity. This risk assessment will help you decided which control measures are suitable and appropriate to put in place.

Your own risk assessment for a specific work activity may reveal that different controls are more appropriate and provide the same level of protection as those indicated here. If this is the case you are legally able to use the measures dictated by your risk assessment instead.

1. PPE that should be worn during all abattoir work

• Overalls, protected by a waterproof apron or waterproof leggings.
• Chain mail aprons and/or leggings should be worn where a risk assessment shows that there is a risk of stabbing or cutting injuries.
• Impervious and washable boots.
• Impervious gloves that cover hands and arms if exposed.
• Protective clothing should be disposable, or if this is not practical must be washable, and stored separately from personal clothing. This protective clothing must be cleaned before storage.
• When a risk assessment shows the need for face protection to avoid risks from splashing provision should be made for visors/face protection equipment to be cleaned as necessary during the working day.

• Avoid hand-mouth or hand-eye contact while working.
• Take rest breaks and meal breaks away from the main work area, after removing PPE, and any other contaminated clothing, in a separate, designated area.
• Wash hands (and arms and face if necessary) and remove PPE before eating, drinking, smoking, using the telephone, taking medication, or touching contact lenses.
• Cover all new and existing cuts and grazes with waterproof dressings and/or gloves before starting work. If cuts or grazes occur at work, wash immediately with soap and running water and apply a waterproof dressing.

• Avoid hand-mouth or hand-eye contact while working.
• Take rest breaks and meal breaks away from the main work area, after removing PPE, and any other contaminated clothing, in a separate, designated area.
• Wash hands (and arms and face if necessary) and remove PPE before eating, drinking, smoking, using the telephone, taking medication, or touching contact lenses.
• Cover all new and existing cuts and grazes with waterproof dressings and/or gloves before starting work. If cuts or grazes occur at work, wash immediately with soap and running water and apply a waterproof dressing.

• Make sure heavy debris has been removed from the work area before pressure cleaning.
• During cleaning, use as low a pressure as practicable when hosing down the area. (Hosing must not be undertaken if it contravenes the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995.)- for example, if carcasses are nearby.
• (Note: it is essential that you carry out a risk assessment for all cleaning work in your abattoir, using low and high pressure, and put appropriate controls in place.)

Annex 1: Safeguarding against possible exposure to the BSE agent in OTMS cull abattoirs

Introduction

This guidance was produced by HSE following discussions with the Interventions Board (represented by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA)), and based on a similar document prepared by the HSE in 1997/98. This version was issued in August 2001, and circulated to all cull abattoirs and RPA inspectors.

Advice on control measures

Due to concerns that abattoir workers may be exposed to the BSE agent during the cull of animals in the Over Thirty Month and associated schemes it has been agreed that technical inspectors with the Intervention Board (IB) should have information on what HSE considers the main risk areas to be.

The main risk is splashing of broken skin or mucous membranes with materials containing the agent. Action must be taken to avoid cuts and to ensure the wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

This checklist is intended to highlight the main precautionary measures required to prevent and control possible exposure to the BSE agent during the slaughtering and carcass handling process in abattoirs. Failure to comply with the advice given in this checklist is likely to be in breach of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (as amended).

Abattoirs must NOT:
1. *Pith
2. *Centre split carcasses (this does not apply to OTM carcasses for human consumption).
3. Use high pressure water jets (1)
4. Allow employees to eat, drink or smoke in the workplace

(1) Water pressure should be as low as practicable consistent with hygiene needs but not more than 500 psi

Abattoirs MUST:
5. *Use bungs to plug the captive bolt hole after stunning.
6. Use PPE appropriate to the task (see BMMA Guidance Note 55), which will include

• Impervious overalls and boots
• Impervious gloves that cover hands and arms
• Chain mail or equivalent cut protection
• Full face visors during back splitting and stunning (a fixed guard may be substituted for a visor during stunning but such a guard must be shown to be effective as there is evidence that neural material from stunning may be ejected up to 2 metres)

7. Use protective clothing that is disposable, for preference, or washable and stored separately after cleaning.
8. Ensure that skips used for disposal of carcasses are in good condition and do not leak.

*These measures are required by the contract between IB and the cull abattoirs

9.0 Guidance notes formal 2 day trial assessment - Specimen copy-information only

NOTES FOR GUIDANCE ON THE USE OF UNDER 30 MONTH CATTLE FOR ANY DRY RUN ASSESSMENT TRIALLING AND FOR THE 2 DAY OFFICIAL ASSESSMENT TRIAL

Note – Many of the points made below will be requirements for real ‘live’ testing of OTM cattle, as well as being requirements for the official assessment trial. Those requirements which are unique to the assessment trials are underlined

Initial Preparations

• You will need to agree the date for any dry run assessment trial, and the dates for the official assessment trial with both your OVS and your Area Official Veterinarian (AOV). Please give as much notice as you can, when agreeing these arrangements.
• Choose a cut off age (this must produce a reasonably representative number of the likely throughput of OTM animals at the plant) which will mean the majority of animals will need to be tested, and only a small number will not. This needs to be agreed with the OVS ahead of the assessment trial taking place.
• You will also need to calculate an age cut-off reflecting 30 months before the date of the assessment trials, to replicate the OTM age restriction and the ability to ‘count back’ thirty months. This also needs to be agreed with the OVS ahead of the assessment trial taking place.
• You will need to order sufficient consumables, including barcode labels (see below). You can use one of the companies on the list included in the Application Pack, or from another source, providing this source can supply consumables, which comply with UN Standard 650 (transport of diagnostic samples).
• Decide whether you are going to use the manual or electronic sample identification system (see below and at Annex A for further information). You will need to contact the Approved Test Laboratory (LGC) on their Customer Help Line - 01928 511678 - to inform LGC when you intend to submit samples; and, to discuss the way in which you intend to transport your samples including which one of the 3 LGC laboratories (Teddington, Runcorn or Edinburgh) you intend to use. You should also discuss with LGC when (at what time) you anticipate despatching samples, and what this might mean in terms of when your samples can be tested and when you can expect to obtain your results.
• Remember to always notify the testing laboratory on the day, in advance of despatching samples, so that they are alerted to your testing needs (see the testing guidelines in your application pack for further information).

• If using the manual system, the duplicate barcode labels should have a 13 character number. The first 4-6 digits being the plant licence number, followed by the letter ‘D’ in the case of a 6 figure license number, or ‘DDD’ if the plant licence number is only 4 figures. This signifies to the laboratory that the sample is a dummy sample originating from an under 30 month animal. The final 6 figures are simply a consecutive number code. For example, the first set of duplicate barcode labels used for your trial could read 1134DDD000001, with the next set of labels being 1134DDD000002, etc.
• Having placed one of these duplicate barcodes on the sample pot relating to the animal being tested, the second identical label should be attached to a movement card taken from the animal passport of the animal being tested, placed in such a way as to avoid any obliteration of other barcode or text information on the card. In addition, the following information needs to be stamped on the movement card - Occupier Initials, Date, Kill Number, and category of sample i.e. OTM 24-30 month casualty.Attached below is an example of a stamped movement card taken from an OTMS plant.

• The rubber stamp and ink pads can be obtained from the address(es) included in the list of possible suppliers of consumables included in your application pack. Alternatively, these items can be supplied from any other commercial supplier. Please ensure that the stamp contains the box details laid down above.
• In situations where there is no movement card left in the passport, you should use a copy of the front page of the passport instead, attaching the duplicate barcode label and stamp as appropriate.
• The above barcode requirements relate specifically to any dry assessment runs and the 2 day official assessment trial. When testing is ‘live’ you should follow the same instructions for either the Manual system (described above) or the electronic system described below. The only difference is that the D needs to be replaced by either E (if you are using an Electronic barcode system -see below) or, M if you are using the Manual a system described above. This enables LGC to process the barcode information more efficiently, and it also enables them to spot any missing paperwork at an early stage. Annex A provides further guidance.
• The change in the use of formatted barcode labels between those needed for the trials, and those needed for a ‘live’ testing situation, will be a key control issue for the MHS.

AAAAAAENNNNNN or

AAAAAAMNNNNNN or

AAAAAADNNNNNN

E Indicates that the sample data has been captured and sent
electronically

M Indicates that LGC are to manually enter the sample data

D Indicates Dummy data, used for sampling trials

NNNNNN is a sequential number starting with 000001, 000002,
000003 etc

AAAAEEENNNNNN or

AAAAMMMNNNNNN or

AAAADDDNNNNNN

EEE Indicates that the sample data has been captured and sent
electronically

MMM Indicates that LGC are to manually enter the sample data

DDD Indicates Dummy data, used for sampling trials

NNNNNN is a sequential number starting with 000001, 000002,
000003 which, should ideally start from number 000001 on a daily basis.

 

Page last modified: 14 July, 2008
Page last reviewed: 18 September, 2006

Top of the page