Isle of Man Meats have confirmed to Manx.News that a ‘malfunction in a computer part in a control panel’ is to blame for the latest breakdown at the Meat Plant.
Managing Director, Rebecca Miah said: “We have informed producers we believe this can be traced to a malfunction in a computer part in a control panel, this had been bypassed at some point in the past.
“It led to the hock holder malfunctioning and breaking a hook. Whilst the company who supplied this equipment is now defunct, we have sourced a spare to arrive Friday the 22nd which will be fitted on-island and the line tested for use.”
Breakdown
Miah says that the Company is “aware” that its equipment is, “in some cases, 30 years old”, and “are putting into place a project to fully review all equipment, maintenance and servicing to move away from reactive repairs as much as is practicable, but as with other change processes in the businesses, this takes time”.
She also confirmed that there are 57 animals currently held in the lairage at the plant, which were due to be processed on the 19th.
The plant intends to process these animals as soon as it has a “full repair”.
Lairage
The animals are under the care of the meat plant’s lairage staff, and with the oversight and decision making of the Government Appointed Veterinarian.
According to the Managing Director, the Government Vet is “happy” with the animals feed and welfare.
She says “they are settled and as with last time their producer can come to lairage to check on them”.
Adding: “All our audits have noted the incredibly high quality of our lairage staff and processes in caring for animals.”
Something that is out of the Meat Plants hands is the animals being unable to return to the farm after being accepted into the plant.
These animals cannot be let back to the farm they came from due rules around animal health, which are there to keep the Island at a high level of disease free status.
Rebecca said: “Once an animal is on our site we are not allowed to return to producer.”
4 Comments