Extra light needed for wool handling

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 264, 22 November 1988, Page 7

Extra light needed for wool handling

The correct artificial lighting makes an astonishing difference to woolhandling - and ultimately to profit, says a fellow Wool Board production officer, Owen Petrie of Palmerston North.

At a field day m the Wairarapa, he has been putting up TDL86 fluorescent tubes alongside the usual shed lighting. "Everyone has been

amazed by the difference, even in supposedly well lit sheds," he says. Consistent "It makes the point

that you need good artificial light for a consistent job all day long. You start usually in the dark, you have the low early morning light coming straight in the windows ... conditions are always changing. "Moreover, most sheds are dark wood and the conventional light bulb is not very good for seeing discoloration. Dull and difficult surroundings are not the way to g e t careful work f r o m shedhands." In Otago, production officer Robert Pattison has constructed four light boxes lit by different bulbs and tubes. Samples of wool in the four boxes are identical - but even skilled woolmen find it hard to believe. Convince "I had to take the wool out of the boxes to convince myself, " said shearing contractor Bill Morrison from the Wairarapa, who says all sheds need good lighting at 7 am and some need it at noon.

The Wool Research Organisation has tested and recommends TDL86's. Two 5ft tubes with a reflector should be hung 1.5 metres above the wool table. Fitted with chain hangers, they can be easily moved over a wool stack for handling second shear and lambs. (they can also be moved over barbecues and workbenches). Fittings The tubes are an imported line and may not work in old fittings. A complete unit costs about $16 0. Tubes without reflector are much less effective. "They cost almost nothing to run; the investment could pay for

itself in a day," says Mr Petrie. There are a m p 1 e stocks of TDL86's in the country, according to the importers. Shops in provincial towns may not carry them but should b e able to order from regional wholesalers. A national distributor, IIlumination Distributors Ltd of Napier, reports steady demand. "Wool Board production officers are always available to advise," says Mr Petrie. He has a final word: Clean windows and sky-lights and a coat of white paint do a lot to brighten a shed - but many times that is not enough.