Day 111 - 30 Mar 95 - Page 07

     
     1        temperatures because the chillers were regularly over
     2        filled by carcasses.  I started measuring the carcass
     3        temperatures as they were taken out of the main chillers
     4        and distributed between being loaded as carcass meat into
     5        the trucks and some of them went into the boning hall.
     6
     7        I measured temperatures of the carcasses at this point and
     8        sometimes even in the boning hall.  The carcass
     9        temperatures were regularly about 70 degrees Centigrade.
    10        There were incidents where we had to turn a truck back that
    11        had left the premises without my permission since the
    12        carcass temperatures were up around 14/15 degrees
    13        Centigrade which is totally acceptable.  As the truck left,
    14        we had to turn it back on its way to the harbour to rectify
    15        the matter.
    16
    17   Q.   This was whole carcasses?
    18        A.  Yes.
    19
    20   Q.   If we go back to the beginning, could you describe the
         circumstances of your gaining the employment at Jarretts?
    22        A.  When we returned to UK from Nicaragua, I was very keen
    23        to take up my speciality in public health and meat
    24        inspection again after the working as an Animal Health
    25        Adviser in Nicaragua for a year and I contacted the
    26        veterinary practices around Bristol.  The two biggest meat
    27        hygiene veterinary practices that provide meat hygiene
    28        services to the local councils, Eville & Jones and Martin
    29        Cooke & Associates, and looking for employment as an OVS.
    30
    31        Very soon after I had contacted them all, I suppose, in
    32        January 1994, the contract with the Kingswood Council at
    33        the Alec Jarrett abattoir came up.  One of the local
    34        veterinary practices in Bristol plus Martin Cooke &
    35        Associates and Eville & Jones all tendered for this
    36        contract.
    37
    38   Q.   With Jarretts?
    39        A.  Yes, they all contacted me to offer me employment.
    40
    Q.   Why did they all contact you?
    42        A.  I suppose it was partly because there was a clause in
    43        the tender document requiring that the veterinary surgeon
    44        who would work the bulk of the time at Jarretts would be an
    45        experienced OVS who had experience of highput export
    46        standard abattoirs before.
    47
    48        I was interviewed by the Council, by the Senior
    49        Environmental Health Officer, Les Wilde, and the Senior
    50        Meat Inspector, David White, as well.  Basically, that was 
    51        probably the reason why they were keen to employ me.  All 
    52        these practices were keen to offer me as their candidate 
    53        for the OVS post because of my experience.
    54
    55   Q.   Why did they particularly want someone of great experience?
    56        A.  Well, in my interview with the Senior Environmental
    57        Health Officer, Les Wilde, and the Senior Meat Inspector,
    58        David White, from the Kingswood Borough Council, they
    59        stressed to me that they considered that there were serious
    60        problems as far as the hygiene standards -----