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Top hazards in food manufacturing: Protect your workplace and team with these safety resources

Published Date
Author Jessica Bowes

Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) is a not-for-profit occupational health and safety association committed to ensuring every worker goes home healthy and safe at the end of the day. As your dedicated health and safety association for the food manufacturing industry, we are here to help with resources and support.

The food manufacturing industry and partners are working with WSPS to develop solutions that address the top risks in this sector. In a recent study, this group identified the top 10 risks in the food manufacturing industry. Find out what these risks are and how you can protect your business with these resources below.

Top 10 risks in food manufacturing: Resources and training

Click on a hazard to learn more and access health and safety resources and training.

  1. Inadequate lockout/tag out of equipment
  2. Mobile equipment incidents
  3. Bypassing safeguarding on equipment
  4. Slips, trips, and falls
  5. Inadequate safeguarding of equipment
  6. Loading/unloading trailers
  7. Musculoskeletal disorders
  8. Electric rider pallet truck incidents
  9. Struck by mobile equipment
  10. Temporary workers

Have health and safety questions? We're here to help. Contact us at 1-877-494-9777 or fill out this form and a member of our team will contact you soon.

Inadequate lockout/tag out of equipment 

Lockout/tagout is the process of isolating the equipment from its energy source, draining the equipment of any energy that may be stored, and applying locks to secure it in a de-energized state. This allows you to safely interact with the equipment to clean, maintain and service it or remove jams or blockages.  Improper lockout/tagout can lead to contact with dangerous energy. To be effective, a lockout program needs clear procedures, proper training, and supervision.

Resources

Training and consulting

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Mobile equipment and pallet truck safety

In a fast-paced manufacturing environment, workers share space with different mobile equipment including forklifts, manual pallet jacks, electric pallet jacks, lift trucks, cranes, and trucks. To keep workers safe, ensure these elements are considered in your safety plan:

  • Powered Mobile Equipment and Pedestrian Safety. Mobile equipment like lift trucks and vehicles working near pedestrians can put workers at risk. These risks can lead to serious injuries or death. These incidents can also cause property damage, downtime, and expensive fines for your business.
  • Loading Docks. Loading docks are often crowded with equipment, goods, and people. They can be exposed to weather and are usually in tight, dimly lit spaces, which can cause injuries and property damage.
  • Loading and Unloading Trailers. Loading and unloading trailers have unique risks, such as falling from the dock due to trailer movement, early departure, or breaking through weak trailer floors. These can result in worker injuries or fatalities.

Use the resources below to learn more about building or updating your traffic management and pedestrian safety plan.

Resources 

Safety Checklists 

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Safeguarding and machine safety

The workplace is filled with moving parts—gears, conveyors, cogs, spindles, and pulleys. Each of these components poses significant hazards to workers if machines are not properly safeguarded during operation or locked out during maintenance. These dangers can lead to severe injuries, such as limb amputations or even fatalities, and can result in substantial costs for employers.

Hazard prevention programs should review machine guarding, conduct pre-shift inspections, follow specific lockout procedures, and measure program effectiveness. They should also clearly define responsibilities and refer to safety laws and standards.

Find out how safeguarding machinery can protect your team with the resources below.

Resources

Training and consulting

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Slips, trips and falls

Slips, trips, and falls are common workplace injuries. A good housekeeping program, including quick spill clean-ups, can help reduce the risk of injury.

Working at heights, including the use of ladders and mobile access platforms, can also pose significant risks in the workplace. Develop effective work plans, policies, and programs with input from key stakeholders, including workers. This collaboration ensures safe practices are developed, applied, and maintained, which is critical for reducing risks.

Resources

Training

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Musculoskeletal disorders 

Materials handling is common in workplaces, done either manually or with lifting equipment. Manual material handling involves lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, holding or carrying materials from one place to another and can lead to overexertion and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). MSDs are different aches and pains affecting the musculoskeletal system (muscles, tendons, and nerves) and make up almost half of all compensation claims in Ontario. Common MSDs include back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tendonitis. 

Use the resources below to build a safety program that addresses these hazards to keep your business running smoothly.

Resources

Training and consulting

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New and temporary workers

Labour shortages and seasonal demand mean more businesses are relying on new and temporary workers. A new worker is:

  • any new hire, permanent or temporary, including supervisors, with or without industry experience
  • current workers assigned to new jobs
  • student workers, co-op placements, or apprentices
  • contract workers

A strong orientation program is key to keeping new and temporary workers safe in your workplace. Start strengthening your safety training with tips from the resources below.

Resources

Training

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