Table 10.

Outcome table on ‘head‐only electrical stunning’: hazards, welfare consequences and relevant welfare indicators; hazard origin and preventive and corrective measures

Hazard	Welfare consequence/s occurring to the rabbits due to the hazard	Hazard origin/s	Hazard origin specification	Preventive measure/s of hazards (implementation of SOP)	Corrective measure/s of the hazards
Manual restraint (see Section 3.6.1.5)	Pain, fear	Staff	Presentation of rabbits to the method is required	None	None
Poor electrical contact (see Section 3.6.1.6)	Consciousness, pain, fear	Staff, equipment	Lack of skilled operators, staff fatigue; incorrect placement of the electrodes; poorly designed and maintained equipment; intermittent contact, thickness of fur	Staff training; staff rotation; ensure correct presentation of the rabbits, ensure correct maintenance of the equipment; ensure the equipment includes electrodes for different sized animals; ensure continuous contact between the electrodes and the rabbits	None
Too short exposure time (see Section 3.6.1.7)	Consciousness, pain, fear	Staff	Lack of skilled operators, too fast operation	Staff training; reduce throughput rate; ensure a timer is built in the stunner to monitor the time of exposure or use of a visual or auditory warning system to alert the operator	None
Inappropriate electrical parameters (see Section 3.6.1.8)	Consciousness, pain, fear	Staff, equipment	Wrong choice of electrical parameters or equipment; poor or lack of calibration; voltage/current applied is too low; frequency applied is too high for the amount of current delivered; lack of skilled operators, lack of monitoring of stun quality; lack of adjustments to the settings to meet the requirements	Use parameters appropriate to the frequency and waveforms of current; ensure the voltage is sufficient to deliver minimum current; regular calibration and maintenance of the equipment; staff training; consider the factors contributing to high electrical resistance and minimise‐eliminate the source of high resistance; monitor stun quality routinely and adjust the equipment accordingly; use constant current source equipment; wetting the head with a damp sponge	None
Prolonged stun‐to‐kill interval (see Section 3.6.1.9)	Consciousness, pain, fear	Staff	Lack of skilled operators; too long time between stunning and the application of the killing method	Staff training; prompt and accurate killing; reduce stun‐to killing interval	None
Welfare indicators: signs of state of consciousness (conscious), injuries (pain), vocalisations (pain, fear), escape attempts (fear, pain, consciousness)