Abattoirs hit

West Gippsland abattoirs Radford’s Meats in Warragul and Victoria Valley Meat Exports at Trafalgar are both facing an unprecedented level of restriction and COVID compliance this week.

Both abattoirs are adapting processing methods to meet stringent regulations.

Two West Gippsland abattoirs have joined meat processors across the state in adapting processing methods to meet stringent new COVID-safe regulations.

Radford’s Meats in Warragul and Victoria Valley Meat Exports at Trafalgar are both facing an unprecedented level of restriction and COVID compliance this week.

Radfords has reassessed its processing operations to run smaller crews within the new guidelines, while not having to cut its 110-member workforce.

But, at Trafalgar, business has been far from usual since March, after standing down almost 50 staff because of the loss of export markets.

Abattoirs and meat processors across Victoria are being forced to cut production by a third and will introduce some of the most stringent safety measures in industrial history following Premier Daniel Andrews’ announcement last week.

As well as reducing workforce and production by one third, workers in abattoirs will be required to wear gloves, gowns, face masks and shields much like healthcare workers to protect against COVID-19. Employees also will be subject to routine temperature testing and will only be able to work in one workplace.

Thirteen Victorian meat processors have already been impacted by coronavirus outbreaks, linked to more than 500 cases.

Under the new regulations, abattoirs and meat processing plants are the only businesses held to the same rules regardless of whether they are in metropolitan Melbourne or regional Victoria.

Mr Andrews said “meatworks are a really significant challenge for us”.

“There will be some of the most stringent safety protocols that have ever been put in place in any industrial setting,” he said.

Radford’s managing director Rob Radford said they had adjusted their processing operations to ensure they could maintain staff.

“We haven’t put staff off but they have to be properly spaced for occupational, health and safety.

“The main thing is we are still working, it could’ve been far worse. We just have to work with the authorities,” he said.

Mr Radford said staff would be wearing full masks, face shields, robes and gloves and like other companies in the industry, the cost will be borne by them.

“We are a little bit different than most abattoirs given we have three processing floors dedicated to processing beef, lamb and goat, so it’s been a little difficult to interpret the specific rules to date.”

Mr Radford said he did not envisage problems in supply for Victoria.

He said their business did some export and interstate trade, but, like a lot of Victorian producers they were are able to adjust the ratio of where their product goes.

He said given there was plenty of stock on hand, people in Gippsland and Victorians should not notice a significant reduction in supply.

Di Grandis Butchers in Drouin said their supply would be largely unaffected given Radford’s had already reduced production and as a breeder of their own livestock they will be continuing to supply customers as normal.

VVME operations manager Dale Mesken said staff levels and production had already been significantly reduced at their Trafalgar abattoir.

“When COVID first started it was hard to export at the time so we had to make cuts,” he said.

VVME services both export and domestic markets. Export markets in Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam virtually ended overnight with COVID.

Mr Mesken said preCOVID staff levels were 122 and now they were operating with 75.

The site has gone from a five day a week kill to one day killing and one day boning.

He said he was not surprised by the significant levels of restrictions being imposed on the industry.

Staff at Trafalgar are temperature checked every day and they are trialling a new app requiring staff to complete daily health checks.

He said their staff already wore a lot of personal protective clothing and was waiting for direction on what extra PPE had to be used.