The meatworks is trialling the Smart Badge, a wearable device that provides businesses with the ability to respond rapidly to a COVID-19 outbreak with instant contact tracing.

The device, which looks like a smart watch, is being trialled at Warrnambool's Midfield Meats with the boss Dean McKenna meeting with Smart Badge general manager Simon Finlayson on Wednesday.

Mr Finlayson said the technology would help people feel more comfortable returning to their workplaces and get businesses back on their feet amidst the pandemic.

"Ultimately the technology will allow businesses to take control of the controllables with social distancing and be on the front foot with any outbreaks by being able to respond immediately using the contact tracing capabilities," he said.

In the event an employee tests positive to the virus, the technology will allow businesses to instantly download contact tracing details of the badge wearer and anyone who has been in close contact via the Smart Badge software.

Mr McKenna said the company was the first meat processing facility in Australia to trial the new technology.

"The product was developed in Melbourne, and as an Australian owned and operated company ourselves this is particularly important to our business ethos," he said.

"We have had a trial at our Warrnambool plant this week and are confident of implementing the system after a few tweaks to customise the technology for Midfield."

Mr McKenna said the technology trial helped the company monitor staff numbers across the plant and enhanced existing in-house measures implemented to comply with government capacity regulations.

"Seeing live data of the number of people in each area of the plant allowed us to manage capacity limits, which is obviously a critical component of business operations in our industry in the current pandemic," he said.

"We take the safety and livelihood of our staff and the broader community very seriously and this Smart Badge technology has helped us to proactively protect both."

The trial comes after Midfield voluntarily ceased production and tested all workers in July, after a meat inspector who visited the west Warrnambool site tested positive.

All staff tested negative.

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