Yorkshire land-based training provider Lowe Maintenance has launched a new Safe Use of Sheep Dip course – and for the first time, training takes place online.
The City & Guilds-accredited course is a one-day blended session, taught via video online along with a detailed workbook, and assessed face-to-face in Settle, North Yorkshire.
The managing director of Lowe Maintenance, Demelza Lowe, said she appreciated that sheep farmers and contractors are really squeezed for time.
“We also know that there’s recently been a significant rise in sheep scab,” she added. “To help, we developed a course that can be studied remotely, even on a mobile phone, with only a short face-to-face assessment.”
To legally purchase organophosphate (OP) sheep dip, a Safe Use of Sheep Dip Certificate of Competence is required. OP dips are an effective treatment against a wide range of ectoparasites, such as sheep scab, ticks, lice, keds and blow fly. Dips are a dangerous product and an environmental risk, and operator safety is paramount throughout.
A recent winner of the Yorkshire Post Rural Award for Rural Innovation, Demelza Lowe is no a stranger to being a pioneer in her industry.
“After offering sheep dipping courses face-to-face for years, we’re excited to now offer more candidates the opportunity to study the subject online,” she said. “It’s a game changer!”
To become a qualified sheep dip operator, candidates need to pass both a multiple choice exam and a practical assessment. Passing the course eliminates complacency at every stage of the dipping process.
With more than 16 years in land-based training and forestry course provision, Lowe Maintenance has recently developed a range of their courses to be more accessible, with a combination of online learning and face-to-face assessments.
