Tahi Ngatahi aims to improve woolshed work

Dion Morrell.

Alexandra shearing contractor Dion Morrell is featured in an online resource which will provide training for farmers, farm workers and wool harvesters.

New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association (NZSCA), Federated Farmers, ACC and WorkSafe NZ have combined to develop Tahi Ngatahi (or TNT), which include a series of videos wool harvesters can use to improve health, safety, animal care and productivity.

ACC has provided $1 million over three years for programme development. Although TNT will be officially launched at the Canterbury A&P Show in November, it will be showcased in workshops throughout the country in July and August.

TNT project manager Trish Ryan said they had developed the videos to teach industry workers about physical fitness, stress management, nutrition, animal welfare and handling, and injury prevention.

Many of the videos star respected industry shearers, including Alexandra contractor Dion Morrell.

''The videos are a great resource for anyone in the industry, including farmers who do shearing themselves and while a lot can shear, they might not have the right techniques and can injure themselves.''

Ms Ryan said those who successfully completed the programme received a certificate.

There was also an app for a digital woolshed ''Warrant of Fitness'' which farmers and contractors could use to check if the building is compliant.

Federated Farmers Meat and Wool chairman Miles Anderson said if farmers used the resource it became evidence they were meeting their compliance obligations and if it helped reduce the number of injuries in the woolshed, shearing contractors could then approach ACC to possibly have their levies reduced.

-By Yvonne O'Hara