SHEARING contractors who attended the WA Shearing Industry Association (WASIA) annual meeting on Saturday were urged to download and use the SafeSheds phone app.
About 15 contractors attending the Belmont meeting indicated they used a hard copy version of the SafeSheds checklist covering shearing sheds, machinery and equipment, amenities and facilities, work practices and general working conditions.
But when WASIA executive officer Valerie Pretzel asked who used the checklist on the SafeSheds phone app, only Sarah Buscumb, Crackers Contracting, Quindanning, put her hand up.
"While we want people to use the checklist on their phone, the paper checklist is better than not using any checklist at all," Ms Pretzel said.
She explained the phone app allowed anonymous data to be collected and collated to track potential problem areas that keep reappearing in SafeSheds checklists or any improvement in occupational health and safety in the shearing industry.
"The people always remain anonymous, but the data can be rolled up into reports that look at reoccurring issues, because it is much more accessible on the app," Ms Pretzel said.
"Also, the completed app checklist becomes a document a (shearing) contractor can easily share with a farmer - they can both keep a copy and that is important now.
"With the paper copy, there is a risk it goes into the office and gets lost or forgotten.
"Nobody is asking for everything (to improve shearing sheds as workplaces) to be done immediately, but we do expect to be able to track some improvement over time."
Guest speaker, managing director and founder of farm occupational health and safety adviser ProcessWorx, Danielle McNamee, told the meeting WorkSafe's attitude to documenting consultation between contractor and farmer, safety audits, staff inductions, or any other action aimed to reduce workplace risk, was "if it's not written down, it didn't happen".
WAFarmers president John Hassell, who attended the WASIA meeting, pointed out there was little point inspecting a shearing shed immediately before shearing was due to start and it was too late to rectify any problems beforehand.
"I have a conversation with my shearing contractor a long time ahead of shearing," Mr Hassell said.
Veteran shearer, shearing contractor, shearing instructor and designer of his own shearing shed, Don Boyle, suggested a joint shed inspection at the end of shearing.
"Any problems can be fixed straight away and the shed's ready for the next shearing," Mr Boyle said.
WASIA president Darren Spencer told the meeting he and Ms Pretzel had assessed four shearing sheds in the Esperance area under SafeSheds when they visited in April.
They would be returning in July and hoped to assess a further 20 sheds.
The SafeSheds program was jointly developed by WASIA and Australian Wool Innovation.
At the meeting, long-serving WASIA members, vice-president and 40-plus-years shearing industry veteran Eddie McEllister and former shearing contractor turned TAFE instructor Rob Carter, both from Narrogin, stood down from the committee.
Former WASIA treasurer and Dongara contractor Mike Henderson was appointed vice-president, Kojonup contractor Lowanna Jury stepped up as treasurer and Kat Carrie, KGT Shearing, Katanning, joined the committee.
