Safer Operations Across the Board: Silver Fern Farms Safety Upgrades

Silver Fern Farms, New Zealand’s leading processor, marketer, and exporter of premium lamb, beef and venison, operates complex processing lines across its Takapau and Pacific (Waipatu) sites.

The Challenge

Following third-party risk assessments, several high-risk pieces of machinery, including hide pullers, mincers, paunch washers, omasum lines and rooms with rotating equipment, required engineered safety solutions to meet AS/NZS4024 standards. These upgrades were essential to protect personnel, maintain operational efficiency and ensure seamless integration with existing process PLCs and SCADA systems across both sites.

Our Solutions

Hide Puller Drum (Pacific)
CR Automation provided a complete safety upgrade including documentation, electrical design, programming, commissioning and validation. A new safety controller monitors five emergency stops and safely stops hydraulic pumps when triggered, interfacing directly with the process PLC. The system meets a minimum performance level PLd.

Interlocked Access Doors (Takapau)
Controlled personnel access was engineered for three rooms containing rotating equipment. Fortress interlocked unique key systems were installed, with STO modules and standstill monitors ensuring equipment was safe-stopped before granting access. The solution ensures PLd compliance while integrating with the existing PLC and SCADA.

Mincer (Pacific)
Five personnel access guards were integrated with a new safety control system, including interlocked chutes and mesh cleaning guards. A new MCCB and safety contactors were installed and the system interfaces with two non-safety process PLCs. Safety validation confirmed full compliance with AS/NZS4024 and performance level PLd.

Omasum Safety PLC Upgrade (Pacific)
Seven interlocked personnel access guards and emergency stops were installed across three safety zones. Standstill monitors confirm machinery has stopped before access is permitted. All field equipment is IP69K-rated, and the system meets minimum PLd standards.

Paunch Washer (Takapau)
Following a site survey, CR Automation designed a safety solution with standstill monitors, Fortress key exchanges, new mechanical guards, emergency stops, status indicators and pneumatic dump valves. The system ensures operators can safely access the machinery and meets PLd requirements while integrating with the existing PLC and SCADA.

The results

Across all five projects, CR Automation delivered fully engineered safety solutions that protect personnel, comply with AS/NZS4024 standards and integrate smoothly with existing systems. Equipment downtime during maintenance is now safer and more controlled, while operational efficiency has been maintained.