The food processing and manufacturing industry has come a long way since Upton Sinclair wrote and released "The Jungle" in 1906. In the century since, employers have improved safety, implemented important regulations, and taken steps to mitigate hazards employees may encounter in the workplace.
Nevertheless, work remains to be done. Each year, workers face hazards large and small, ranging from easily-overlooked wet floors to exposed machine parts that may cause severe bleeding, amputation, or death.
Our infographic highlights important worker safety information, including some of the risks employees face in food processing and manufacturing plants, and how you can help keep food manufacturing workers safe.
The following is a transcript of the Food Industry Safety Infographic:
U.S. workers routinely face the danger of being struck by falling objects or equipment; caught in or compressed by equipment or objects; caught in running equipment or machinery; or being stuck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structures, equipment, or material. These dangers led to a total of:
Exposure to harmful substances (such as ammonia) and environments is a common threat facing employees in the U.S. workforce and in food manufacturing and processing plants. Among U.S. workers, exposure has led to:
Slip, trip, and fall hazards are among the most common causes of injury in both the food manufacturing industry and U.S. workplaces in general. Broadly speaking, slip, trip, and fall hazards caused:
2015 injury statistics for the food manufacturing industry:
2014 injury statistics for the food manufacturing industry:
2013 injury statistics for the food manufacturing industry:
2012 injury statistics for the food manufacturing industry:
2011 injury statistics for the food manufacturing industry:
Deaths in the Food Manufacturing Industry:
The food manufacturing and processing industries are among the most dangerous in the United States. Even with technological advances and new regulations, workers still face a variety of dangers unique to their industry.
Visual communication is important for keeping workers aware of dangers and helping them take action to stay safe. Here's a look at how pipe marking and safety signs can cut down on costly OSHA citations and improve worker safety.
Workers in the food manufacturing and food processing industries may encounter machines and conveyors with moving or exposed parts. Some of those risks may include the following:
Solution:
Lockout/tagout (LO/TO) equipment is one of the best defenses to protect against moving machine parts. In accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147, every facility must have a LO/TO program for maintaining and servicing electrical equipment.
Here's a look at how to comply with OSHA regulations, avoid costly citations, and keep workers safe:
Conveyors are common in the food processing and manufacturing industries, and visual communication can protect workers from exposed and moving parts, pressurized systems, hot surfaces, and more. The Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association (CEMA) has developed standardized safety labels to keep workers safe around conveyors; CEMA's designs comply with standards established by ANSI and use three signal words to communicate the seriousness of a hazard:
Anhydrous ammonia is commonly used as a refrigerant in food processing and manufacturing facilities, including:
For all its benefits, ammonia poses numerous risks to workers, including:
Solution:
Pipe marking labels help keep workers safe by quickly identifying a pipe's contents, its flow direction and the pressure levels. Food processing and manufacturing plants of all sizes rely on pipes for transporting water, gases, liquids, and other materials.
Ammonia Refrigeration Systems: IIAR Bulletin No. 114
The International Institute for Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) has a standard for labeling the pipes and components in ammonia-based refrigeration systems, commonly used in food manufacturing and processing plants. The IIAR standard is described in IIAR Bulletin No. 114.
Each ammonia pipe marker has five components:
Additionally, employers must label system components, such as compressors, pumps, and receivers.
Each component label must include two features:
General Purpose Pipe Labels: ANSI/ASME A13.1
The most common pipe labeling standard in the United States is ANSI/ASME A13.1, which describes general requirements for pipe marking and provides a color scheme for employers to follow.
The color codes are as follows:
Given the amount of liquids used in food manufacturing and processing, workers are routinely exposed to wet surfaces and slip, trip, and fall hazards. Workers may slip in puddles of water, trip over uneven surfaces, or fall when trying to access a platform.
Uneven, slippery or wet surfaces are common in the food manufacturing industry, but OSHA 29 CFR 1910.22 provides several guidelines to protect workers:
Solution: Textured Floor Tape
Textured floor tape can help workers stay upright, safe, and mobile in wet and slippery conditions. Here's how:
Learn lean manufacturing techniques, establish and reinforce industry best practices, and ensure compliance with conveyor equipment labeling standards.