Are Israel’s shochtim working under dangerous conditions?
Photo: Flash90
While Israel has taken action in recent years to increase safety measures in other industries the government has yet to enact standards in the slaughterhouse where shochtim stand side by side often in crowded conditions sharpened knives in hand.
“In the poultry-slaughtering industry there is no supervision no regulation and no procedures in place in case of accidents” says Sabi Amar chairman of the Shochtim Association at the Milo’of factory in Acco. “This is a matter of life and death and we have to make sure to deal with it before it’s too late.”
Amar says the government has never provided clear guidelines for a safe amount of space between ritual slaughterers. “It’s enough for the knife of the shochet next to you to slip a bit too far and you can be injured” he says. “That’s also the reason there are very few shochtim who don’t bear scars of injuries some worse some less.”
At the factory where he works he says the company recently added two shochtim to stand on a ramp that already included 12 slaughterers. He has contacted the Economy Ministry to complain about workplace conditions but so far they have done nothing to address his concerns.
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