The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015

Exposure to gas – poultry

30.—(1) No person may stun poultry by exposure to gas unless each bird is exposed to the gas for long enough to ensure it is killed.

(2) No person may stun poultry by exposure to—

(a) gas mixture 3 (“carbon dioxide associated with inert gases”) in Table 3 of Chapter I of Annex I unless the carbon dioxide concentration is 30% by volume or less and the oxygen concentration is 2% by volume or less; or

(b) gas mixture 4 (“inert gases”) in Table 3 of Chapter I of Annex I unless the oxygen concentration is 2% by volume or less.

(3) The business operator and any person engaged in the stunning of poultry by exposure to gas must ensure that—

(a) the gas stunner is equipped to maintain the gas concentration, as appropriate, in the gas stunner (in accordance with Table 3 of Chapter I of Annex I and this Schedule);

(b) there is a means of visually monitoring poultry which are in the gas stunner;

(c) there is a means of flushing the gas stunner with atmospheric air with the minimum of delay;

(d) there is a means of access to any poultry with the minimum of delay;

(e) no poultry are passed through or allowed to remain in the gas stunner at any time when the visible and audible warning signals have been activated or when there is any defect in the operation of the gas stunner; and

(f) no poultry are shackled before they are dead.

(4) The business operator and any person engaged in the stunning of poultry by exposure to gas mixture 3 (“carbon dioxide associated with inert gases”) or gas mixture 4 (“inert gases”) in Table 3 of Chapter I of Annex I must ensure that no bird enters the gas stunner if, as appropriate—

(a) the displayed concentration of oxygen is above 2% by volume, except that the concentration of oxygen may occasionally rise to a concentration of not more than 5% by volume for not more than 30 seconds; or

(b) the displayed concentration of carbon dioxide is above 30% by volume.