Meat co-op dilemma
Meat processor Alliance Group's cash-strapped farmer shareholders face a dilemma - either pour more money into the co-operative or risk losing 100% ownership and control.
The co-op says 49 band-saws featuring state-of-the art safe cutting technology have been installed at eight plants across the country.
Designed specifically for the meat industry, the band-saws are uniquely designed to stop the blade within 15 milliseconds when the unit senses a person, glove or both are in close proximity or in contact with the saw.
This significantly reduces the risk of any potential injury with the risk limited to at worst a small cut.
David Surveyor, Alliance Group chief executive says the installation of the technology reflected the company’s commitment to improving health and safety, which was a key component of the co-operative’s business strategy.
“The use of standard bandsaws is one of the highest risk activities industry-wide. We want our people to be safer and our business to be stronger and this technology will support that.
“Alliance Group is committed to achieving world class health and safety standards across our co-operative and we are continuing to invest in this area.
“We have made strong progress towards ensuring that safety is embedded in our culture as our absolute number one priority. There is still a long way to go but we are absolutely committed to working with our people, customers and suppliers to make our workplaces safe.”
Alliance Group also expects to invest more than $2 million in a phase two programme, which will see the replacement of 20 larger band-saws as soon as the technology becomes available on those models.
The technology has been rolled out to Alliance Group’s plants in Dannevirke, Levin, Nelson, Timaru, Pukeuri, Makarewa, Mataura and Lorneville (Invercargill).
