Wholesome Meat and Fish (Slaughter-houses) Rules 1999

No. S 556

Wholesome Meat and Fish Act 1999

(Act 5 of 1999)

Wholesome Meat and Fish (Slaughter-houses) Rules 1999

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 41 of the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act 1999, the Minister for National Development hereby makes the following Rules:

Citation and commencement

1. These Rules may be cited as the Wholesome Meat and Fish (Slaughter-houses) Rules 1999 and shall come into operation on 10th December 1999.

Definitions

2. In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires —

“animal” means any animal which is slaughtered or intended to be slaughtered for the production of meat products;

“carcase” includes any part of a carcase;

“harmful substance” means any substance, material or other article which, if introduced into or allowed to come into contact with any meat product, would render the meat product unfit for human consumption, and includes any pesticide residue, organic or inorganic compound, hormone, hormone-like substance, growth promoter, antibiotic, anthelminthic, therapeutic or prophylactic agent and radio-active fallout which may be harmful to human health if ingested;

“licence” means a licence granted by the Director under section 13 of the Act which licenses any premises as a slaughter-house for the purpose of section 11(1)(a) of the Act;

“licensee” means a person who holds a valid licence.

Person to whom licence may be granted

3.—(1) The Director shall not grant a licence to any person unless the person is carrying on business in Singapore and is —

(a)	registered under the Business Registration Act (Cap. 32); or
(b)	in the case of a company, incorporated or registered under the Companies Act (Cap. 50).

(2) The Director may refuse to grant a licence to an applicant if he is satisfied that the applicant or one of his partners or, if the applicant is a body corporate, one of its directors —

(a)	had previously been convicted of an offence under the Act or these Rules; or
(b)	was the holder of a licence which had been revoked under section 8 of the Act.

Licence not transferable

4.—(1) No licensee shall transfer or assign the benefit of his licence to any other person.

(2) A licensee who contravenes paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Licence to be exhibited

5.—(1) A licensee shall exhibit his licence in a conspicuous position in the slaughter-house in respect of which the licence has been granted.

(2) A licensee who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

No alteration to buildings or premises

6.—(1) A licensee shall ensure that no alteration or change shall be made to the buildings or premises of his licensed slaughter-house unless plans of the alteration or change are first submitted to the Director or a veterinary public health officer and his prior written approval obtained.

(2) A licensee who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Prohibition against employment of persons suffering from certain diseases, etc.

7.—(1) No licensee shall employ or permit any person to work in his licensed slaughter-house if he knows or has reasonable grounds for suspecting that such person —

(a)	is suffering from or is a carrier of any disease or other condition; or
(b)	is afflicted with any infected wound or sore,

that is likely to contaminate any meat product in the slaughter-house or infect any other person employed therein.

(2) A licensee shall —

(a)	cause every person employed in his licensed slaughter-house to be examined by a medical practitioner at the time of his appointment and at least once a year thereafter; and
(b)	obtain from the medical practitioner a certificate of fitness in respect of every such person who is found fit by the medical practitioner to be employed at the slaughter-house.

(3) The certificate of fitness of every person employed at the licensed slaughter-house shall be kept at the slaughter-house and shall be readily available for inspection by the Director or a veterinary public health officer when so required.

(4) The Director or a veterinary public health officer may, from time to time, require a licensee to subject the persons employed by him in his licensed slaughter-house to such additional medical examinations or such other medical tests or vaccinations as the Director or veterinary public health officer thinks necessary.

(5) A licensee who fails to comply with paragraph (1), (2) or (3) or with any requirement under paragraph (4) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

(6) In this rule, “medical practitioner” means a medical practitioner registered under the Medical Registration Act (Cap. 174).

Animals to have sufficient rest and water before slaughter

8.—(1) Every licensee shall ensure that any animal, upon arrival at his licensed slaughter-house, is given sufficient rest and water before slaughter.

(2) A licensee who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Certificate of authorised examiner

9. Where an authorised examiner has —

(a)	examined the carcase of any animal which has died in a licensed slaughter-house before it is slaughtered;
(b)	examined any animal intended for slaughter at a licensed slaughter-house and found such animal to be unfit for slaughter or for use in the production of meat products; or
(c)	examined the carcase of any animal which has been slaughtered at a licensed slaughter-house and found such carcase to be unfit for use in the production of meat products,

the authorised examiner shall, subject to any direction as may be given by the Director, issue a certificate to the owner of the animal stating his findings as to the cause of the death of the animal, the unsuitability of the animal for slaughter or for use in the production of meat products or the unsuitability of the carcase for use in the production of meat products, as the case may require.

Marking and tagging of carcases

10.—(1) Every licensee shall ensure that the carcase of any animal slaughtered in his licensed slaughter-house shall bear a mark or tag in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) The mark or tag referred to in paragraph (1) shall be —

(a)	of coloured innocuous dye-stuff or such other substance as may be approved by the Director;
(b)	of a design approved by the Director; and
(c)	applied in such manner or at such part or parts of the carcase as the Director may approve.

(3) A licensee who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Removal of animals or carcases, etc., from slaughter-house

11.—(1) Every licensee shall ensure that —

(a)	no animal that has been admitted into his licensed slaughter-house for slaughter;
(b)	no carcase of any animal which has died in his licensed slaughter-house before being slaughtered; or
(c)	no animal or carcase of any animal in his licensed slaughter-house which has been examined and found by an authorised examiner to be unfit for use in the production of meat products,

is removed from the slaughter-house unless such removal is carried out —

(i)	with the written approval of the Director or a veterinary public health officer; or
(ii)	in accordance with any directive issued by the Director under rule 13.

(2) Any licensee who fails to comply with paragraph (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

(3) Any person who, without lawful excuse —

(a)	removes any animal or carcase of any animal in contravention of paragraph (1); or
(b)	tampers with any animal or carcase of any animal referred to in paragraph (1)(b) or (c),

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Personal and environmental cleanliness

12.—(1) Every person who is employed in a licensed slaughter-house to handle any meat product shall do so in a hygienic manner.

(2) No person who is employed in a licensed slaughter-house shall —

(a)

while handling any meat product —

(i)	apply his fingers to his mouth, eye, ear, nose or scalp;
(ii)	cough, spit, sneeze or expel mucus from his nose;
(iii)	smoke, or use tobacco or snuff or any other preparation or chew tobacco or betel nuts; or
(iv)	wipe his hands on his clothing or with any other material other than a clean, single-use towel; or

(b)

place any harmful substance in such manner as to be likely to come into contact with any meat product.

(3) Every person who is employed in a licensed slaughter-house shall, when handling any meat product —

(a)	wear clean attire and keep his body clean;
(b)	wear appropriate protective attire;
(c)	protect or cover with water-proof dressing any open cut or lesion or graze on his hand;
(d)	keep his fingernails clean and short; and
(e)	upon every occasion before commencing such work, or after visiting any urinal, water closet or other similar convenience and before resuming such work, wash his hands thoroughly with soap and clean water.

(4) No person shall gamble or litter within the premises of a licensed slaughter-house.

(5) No person shall vandalise or do any act which soils the premises, equipment or other appurtenances of a licensed slaughter-house.

(6) Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with this rule shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

(7) Where an offence under paragraph (6) is proved to have been committed with the consent and connivance of, or to be reasonably attributable to any neglect on the part of, the licensee of the licensed slaughter-house, the licensee shall also be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Power of Director to issue directives

13.—(1) The Director may, from time to time, issue to licensees such written directives as he thinks necessary for the proper control and management of licensed slaughter-houses.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), the Director may issue written directives —

(a)

regulating the time, place and manner of slaughter of any particular animal or animals in a licensed slaughter-house;

(b)

requiring licensees to implement such quality assurance programmes as the Director thinks fit;

(c)

prescribing standards to regulate the exposure of meat products to microbial and chemical contaminants;

(d)

prohibiting the slaughter of any animal in a licensed slaughter-house unless an authorised examiner is present while the slaughter is being carried out;

(e)

requiring a licensee to inform the Director or a veterinary public health officer whenever —

(i)	any animal intended for slaughter at a licensed slaughter-house dies before it is slaughtered;
(ii)	the licensee knows or has reason to believe that any animal intended for slaughter at the licensed slaughter-house is infected with any ailment or disease, is injured or has been treated with or exposed to any harmful substance; or
(iii)	any animal, upon being slaughtered at the licensed slaughter-house, is found to have been diseased, injured or treated with or exposed to any harmful substance;

(f)

requiring that any animal or carcase of any animal be examined by an authorised examiner prior to its destruction and disposal;

(g)

regulating —

(i)	the treatment or destruction of any animal that is diseased, injured or otherwise unfit for slaughter or for use in the production of meat products; and
(ii)	the destruction and disposal (as the case requires) of any carcase or other waste matters;

(h)

regulating the use of labels, tags, dye-stuffs or any other substance in connection with the marking or tagging of carcases in a licensed slaughter-house;

(i)

prohibiting the keeping or use in a licensed slaughter-house of any harmful substance and regulating the disposal of such substance; and

(j)

requiring the licensee to furnish at such times and in such manner as the Director may specify, such information as the Director may require relating to the operation and functioning of the licensed slaughter-house.

(3) Where the Director has reason to believe that any meat product which has been produced in a licensed slaughter-house is adulterated, contaminated or otherwise unfit for human consumption, the Director may issue a written directive to the licensee of the slaughter-house requiring the licensee to forthwith recall all stocks and to cease the sale, supply or distribution, of the meat product.

(4) Any licensee who, without lawful excuse, fails to comply with any written directive issued under this rule shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

Offences to be compoundable

14. All offences under these Rules may be compounded in accordance with section 39 of the Act.

Revocation

15. The Slaughter-houses Rules (Cap. 307, R 1) and the Slaughter-houses (Fees) Rules 1998 (G.N. No. S165/98) are revoked.

Made this 6th day of December 1999.

LAM CHUAN LEONG

Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of National Development,
Singapore.

[ND 202/1-72 Vol. 6; AG/LEG/SL/349A/99/1 Vol. 1]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 41(4) of the Wholesome Meat and Fish Act 1999).

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