Slaughterers and Meat Packers

Work in slaughtering, meat packing, or wholesale establishments performing precision functions involving the preparation of meat. Work may include specialized slaughtering tasks, cutting standard or premium cuts of meat for marketing, making sausage, or wrapping meats.

tasks jobzones knowledge skills abilities work_activities work_context interests work_styles work_values

Tasks

• Wrap dressed carcasses and/or meat cuts.

• Stun animals prior to slaughtering.

• Grind meat into hamburger, and into trimmings used to prepare sausages, luncheon meats, and other meat products.

• Saw, split, or scribe carcasses into smaller portions to facilitate handling.

• Trim head meat, and sever or remove parts of animals' heads or skulls.

• Shackle hind legs of animals to raise them for slaughtering or skinning.

• Skin sections of animals or whole animals.

• Trim, clean, and/or cure animal hides.

• Shave or singe and defeather carcasses, and wash them in preparation for further processing or packaging.

• Sever jugular veins to drain blood and facilitate slaughtering.

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Job Zone

• Name: Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed

• Experience: No previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a cashier even if he/she has never worked before.

• Education: These occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some may require a formal training course to obtain a license.

• Job training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.

• Examples: These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include taxi drivers, amusement and recreation attendants, counter and rental clerks, cashiers, and waiters/waitresses.

• Svp range: (Below 4.0)

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Knowledge

Browse Knowledge

• Education and Training
  Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

• Food Production
  Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

• Mechanical
  Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

• Chemistry
  Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

• Production and Processing
  Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

• Public Safety and Security
  Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

• Administration and Management
  Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Transportation
  Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

• Psychology
  Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

• Mathematics
  Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

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Skills

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• Monitoring
  Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

• Coordination
  Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

• Time Management
  Managing one's own time and the time of others.

• Operation and Control
  Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

• Instructing
  Teaching others how to do something.

• Service Orientation
  Actively looking for ways to help people.

• Operation Monitoring
  Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

• Quality Control Analysis
  Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

• Social Perceptiveness
  Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

• Equipment Maintenance
  Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

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Abilities

Browse Abilities

• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

• Manual Dexterity
  The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

• Finger Dexterity
  The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

• Static Strength
  The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.

• Oral Comprehension
  The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Control Precision
  The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

• Trunk Strength
  The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

• Reaction Time
  The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.

• Near Vision
  The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

• Auditory Attention
  The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.

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Work Activities

Browse Work Activities

• Handling and Moving Objects
  Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

• Performing General Physical Activities
  Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.

• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
  Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

• Controlling Machines and Processes
  Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
  Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
  Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
  Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

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Work Context

• Spend Time Standing
  How much does this job require standing?

• Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
  How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?

• Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable
  How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?

• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
  How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?

• Time Pressure
  How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

• Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
  How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?

• Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
  How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?

• Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
  How much does this job require making repetitive motions?

• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
  How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

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Interests

Browse Interests

• Realistic
  Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

• Enterprising
  Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

• Conventional
  Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

• Investigative
  Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

• Artistic
  Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

• Social
  Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

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Work Styles

• Dependability
  Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

• Cooperation
  Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

• Attention to Detail
  Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

• Integrity
  Job requires being honest and ethical.

• Self Control
  Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

• Independence
  Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

• Initiative
  Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

• Concern for Others
  Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

• Stress Tolerance
  Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

• Leadership
  Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

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Work Values

Browse Work Values

• Security
  Workers on this job have steady employment.

• Independence
  Workers on this job do their work alone.

• Activity
  Workers on this job are busy all the time.

• Moral Values
  Workers on this job are never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

• Company Policies and Practices
  Workers on this job are treated fairly by the company.

• Supervision, Human Relations
  Workers on this job have supervisors who back up their workers with management.

• Co-workers
  Workers on this job have co-workers who are easy to get along with.

• Support-Mean Extent
  Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

• Working Conditions-Mean Extent
  Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

• Compensation
  Workers on this job are paid well in comparison with other workers.

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