Greg Clark does not really like to think about the implications of "making a mistake" and sending the wrong cattle to an abattoir.
It is not something he, or the business he jointly owns - Royal Oak Beef Feedlot, at West Wyalong in New South Wales, has ever done.
In fact, they have never been close to having their systems fail.
But this does not mean it is not a concern or a business risk.
To start with, the 2500-3000-head capacity feedlot is unlike many other bigger Australian operations.
It sends cattle for processing to various places, and sometimes to saleyards.
This is a reflection of the custom-feeding element of the business and the requirements of servicing a diverse clientele.
So, when changes to the National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme (NFAS) accreditation system meant the feedlot had to simulate a livestock recall by practicing what would happen in the event of a dispatching error, Mr Clark and his staff jumped at the chance.
"It got us thinking, and now we have a plan if something does happen," Mr Clark said.
"It could have been a problem at any stage.
"But now, instead of running around thinking about who we would ring, we have a plan.
"It is just straightforward, and everyone knows what to do."
The plan is set down in writing and everyone at the feedlot has been trained to follow it.
A recall procedure has been a requirement for NFAS-accredited feedlots for years.
But from January 1, feedlots must demonstrate an active awareness of this procedure by simulating a recall.
The Royal Oak Beef Feedlot plan was formulated with assistance from the Australian Lot Feeders' Association's (ALFA) Technical Services Officer, Jeff House.
He helped feedlot staff run through a NFAS worksheet, which is designed to guide feedlots to prepare for a recall and implement strategies to react quickly.
The worksheet includes the information that would need to be at-hand to inform an abattoir of a recall, right through to recording the phone numbers of those who need to be alerted and the order to which these phone calls must be made - plus much more.
For the NFAS simulation, Mr Clark gathered the feedlot's stock manager and feed mill operator for the initial discussions.
"Everyone had a point of view about it, a few ideas about how to stop things and who to call first," he said.
"This was a worthwhile process.
"Then we went through the worksheet, ran through what we should do and then discussed how to make it relevant for our business."
By choosing the example of a custom-fed load of cattle that had left the feedlot earlier in the week to be part of the simulation, the Royal Oak Feedlot staff could include steps specific to their operation into the NFAS worksheet and plan.
One step was accounting for the custom-fed cattle consignment's chain of ownership, including the livestock agents who represent the clients.
"In the scenario that we chose, the owners of the cattle had an agent," Mr Clark said.
"We had never spoken to the owners and didn't have contact numbers for them.
"Our contact point was the agent.
"So, considerations like that - such as who should we call first - made us think about whether we need to get the client's numbers in future.
"All these sorts of issues came up."
Creating a "call sheet" with the up-to-date contacts of where the cattle go was also a priority.
"Now we have their numbers on-hand for easy access to get hold of them, say if something happened on a Sunday and it was one of the feed staff that was here," Mr Clark said.
"That staff member might not have everyone's phone number in their phone, but now they can look at the sheet at the office and they are all there."
After the meeting with management staff - which took about 30 minutes to an hour - Mr Clark met with the other two feedlot staff to update them about the recall process and where all the information was stored.
He said this briefing was only 10-15 minutes.
"Our staff do take these things seriously, and that comes back to the calibre of staff that we have," he said.
"They have always understood the importance of quality assurance and processes.
"But this has driven it home even more.
"At the end of the day, it is about improving what we do and our ability to react quicker."
Mr House was at Royal Oak Beef Feedlot for the simulation exercise and said, while a recall was "unlikely to happen", feedlots must be prepared.
He said quick, decisive action was crucial to maintain the integrity of the supply chain and the nation's beef product - and limit costs for industry.
"If you can pick up a mistake that might have occurred while the animals are still on the truck on the way to the abattoir, then it is not too difficult to draft or segregate animals when they arrive at the abattoir," he said.
"When they are individual carcases, they can be tracked, identified and removed before they go into the boning room.
"But after that, there's more at risk.
"The further it goes down the production chain from a meat point of view, the size of the problem can escalate quickly."
The failure to "practice" recall plans at feedlots was identified as a risk to the industry by a NFAS working group.
"It is something feedlots are not likely to have to activate very often," Mr House said.
"But when they do, they have to activate it very quickly and there's a risk if feedlots haven't practiced it
"If they do a trial run - that is, a test - everyone has a better understanding of what's involved."
The NFAS simulation exercise doesn't require feedlots to phone abattoirs and those on their contact lists.
Rather, it is about ensuring these contacts are correct and everyone understands what to do and how to do it.
For Mr Clark at Royal Oak Beef Feedlot, running a trial recall prompted him and other owners to consider additional business risk management options, such as insurance and further procedures.
"The NFAS is not just another layer of management," he said.
"It is about professionalism.
"At the end of the day, it is improving the safety of the product.
"It sets Australia above the rest of the world in what we supply."
