Part of a wider programme to improve health and safety at the co-operative, the 49 band saws feature state-of-the art safe cutting technology.
The new band saw technology has been rolled out to Alliance Group’s plants in Dannevirke, Levin, Nelson, Timaru, Pukeuri, Makarewa, Mataura and Lorneville (Invercargill).
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, significantly reducing the risk of any potential injury with the risk limited to, at worst, a small cut.
Technology to support safety
David Surveyor, Alliance Group chief executive, said the installation of the technology reflected the company’s commitment to improving health and safety.
“The use of standard band saws 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,” he said.
“Alliance Group is committed to achieving world-class health and safety standards across our cooperative 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.”
The Alliance Group also expects to invest more than NZ$2m 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.