The AVA Annual Conference is the nation’s premier veterinary event, covering all fields of veterinary science and in 2017 brought together over 920 veterinary professionals and 115 exhibitors.
Mechanical stunning (for example, non-penetrating percussive stunning and penetrative captive bolt) is used widely in Australian abattoirs and overseas and when correctly executed, it induces a state of concussion during which the animal is unconscious. Human factors is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interaction of humans and other elements of a system. Human factors have been shown to have an impact on the effectiveness of stunning and can be further influenced by the design of the facilities and equipment. An understanding of the factors that influence the stunning outcome will help to determine optimum conditions for the use of mechanical stunning in Australian establishments.
