Food Processing Safety Manual

Food Processing Safety vs. Food Safety

A Food Processing Safety Manual addresses employee occupational safety and health and the workplace hazards associated with food-processing and food-manufacturing operations.

It should not be confused with a food safety, HACCP, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), sanitation, or product-quality manual designed primarily to prevent contamination or protect the food product.

Food processors may maintain both types of systems.

The occupational safety manual focuses on protecting employees from hazards such as:

• Machinery.
• Hazardous energy.
• Chemicals.
• Forklifts.
• Electrical equipment.
• Slips and falls.
• Noise.
• Heat and cold.
• Material handling.
• Industrial refrigeration.
• Workplace emergencies.

Food-safety requirements may influence how work is performed, but they do not eliminate the employer’s responsibility to protect employees from workplace hazards.

What Should a Food Processing Safety Manual Include?

The contents of a Food Processing Safety Manual should reflect the facility’s actual operations.

A small specialty food manufacturer may require a different combination of programs than a large meat-processing, dairy, beverage, bakery, frozen-food, or packaged-food facility.

Depending on operations, the manual may address:

• Machine guarding.
• Lockout/Tagout.
• Sanitation worker safety.
• Conveyors.
• Processing machinery.
• Chemical safety.
• Industrial refrigeration.
• Ammonia.
• Forklifts.
• Material handling.
• Cold storage.
• Heat exposure.
• Combustible dust.
• Confined spaces.
• PPE.
• Noise.
• Emergency procedures.

Programs should be selected according to the work actually performed and applicable requirements.

Food Processing Safety Program

An effective Food Processing Safety Program establishes responsibilities and procedures for identifying hazards, safeguarding machinery, controlling hazardous energy, protecting sanitation employees, maintaining equipment, training workers, and correcting unsafe conditions.

Management should provide the training, safeguards, PPE, equipment, and resources necessary for employees to perform their work safely.

Managers and supervisors should:

• Identify workplace and process hazards.
• Ensure machinery is appropriately guarded.
• Establish hazardous-energy-control procedures where required.
• Coordinate production, sanitation, and maintenance activities.
• Evaluate chemical exposures.
• Maintain equipment in safe condition.
• Provide required PPE.
• Train employees before assigning hazardous work.
• Correct unsafe conditions.
• Investigate incidents and near misses.
• Follow up on corrective actions.

Employees should follow established procedures, use required safeguards and PPE, report unsafe conditions, and perform only work for which they have appropriate training and authorization.

Food Processing Hazard Assessments

Food-processing operations should be evaluated to identify hazards associated with machinery, production processes, sanitation, chemicals, material handling, and employee exposures.

Assessments may consider:

• Points of operation.
• Rotating machinery.
• Conveyors.
• Hazardous energy.
• Sanitation activities.
• Chemical exposure.
• Wet environments.
• Refrigeration.
• Forklift traffic.
• Noise.
• Ergonomics.
• Heat and cold.
• Combustible dust.
• Confined spaces.

Assessments should be reviewed when equipment, processes, chemicals, or operations change significantly.

Food Processing Safety Inspections

Facilities should be periodically inspected to identify unsafe conditions and verify that safety procedures are being followed.

Inspection topics may include:

• Machine guards.
• Interlocks.
• Emergency stops.
• Conveyors.
• LOTO devices.
• Electrical equipment.
• Chemical storage.
• Sanitation equipment.
• Floors and drains.
• Forklifts.
• Racking.
• PPE.
• Emergency equipment.
• Fire protection.

Deficiencies should be documented and corrected in a timely manner.

Job Safety Analysis (JSA/JHA)

A Job Safety Analysis or Job Hazard Analysis can be used to evaluate production, sanitation, maintenance, and other higher-hazard activities.

JSAs/JHAs may be appropriate for:

• Operating processing machinery.
• Machine setup.
• Clearing jams.
• Equipment cleaning.
• Sanitation.
• Equipment disassembly.
• Chemical handling.
• Forklift operations.
• Loading and unloading.
• Confined-space entry.
• Refrigeration maintenance.

The analysis should identify task steps, hazards, and controls necessary to perform the work safely.

Machine Guarding

Food-processing machinery should be appropriately safeguarded to protect operators, sanitation employees, maintenance personnel, and other employees from moving-machine hazards.

Potential hazards include:

• Points of operation.
• Rotating parts.
• Nip points.
• Cutting blades.
• Augers.
• Conveyors.
• Power-transmission components.
• Crushing points.
• Reciprocating components.

Employees should not remove, defeat, or bypass required safeguards.

Equipment with missing or defective safeguards should be removed from service when necessary until appropriate protection is restored.

Food-Processing Machinery

Employees should operate only machinery for which they have received appropriate instruction and authorization.

Before operation, employees should understand:

• Machine controls.
• Emergency stops.
• Guards and interlocks.
• Feed systems.
• Operating limitations.
• Jam-clearing procedures.
• Cleaning procedures.
• Shutdown requirements.

Hands and other body parts should remain outside machine danger zones during operation.

Mixers and Blenders

Industrial mixers and blenders can expose employees to rotating components, agitators, blades, pinch points, and hazardous energy.

Employees should not reach into operating equipment.

Required covers, guards, and interlocks should remain functional.

Cleaning, servicing, or entering the equipment should be performed according to appropriate shutdown and energy-control procedures.

Slicers and Cutters

Powered slicers and cutting machines can cause severe lacerations and amputations.

Employees should:

• Keep guards in place.
• Use provided pushers and feeding devices.
• Keep hands away from blades.
• Follow established operating procedures.
• Shut down equipment appropriately before cleaning or servicing.

Employees should not bypass guards to increase production or simplify operation.

Grinders

Food grinders can expose employees to rotating screws, augers, blades, and feed mechanisms.

Employees should use provided feed tools rather than hands to move material into danger areas.

Guards, covers, and interlocks should remain in place.

Augers

Augers can create severe caught-in, crushing, and amputation hazards.

Employees should not reach into auger systems while they are operating.

Covers and guards should remain secured.

Jam clearing, cleaning, and servicing should be performed using appropriate hazardous-energy controls.

Conveyor Safety

Conveyors are widely used to move ingredients, products, containers, and packaging materials.

Potential hazards include:

• Nip points.
• Rollers.
• Belts.
• Chains.
• Sprockets.
• Transfer points.
• Unexpected startup.

Employees should keep hands, clothing, and tools away from moving conveyor components.

Required guards should remain in place.

Conveyor Emergency Stops

Emergency-stop devices should remain accessible and functional.

Employees should understand how to stop conveyors during an emergency.

Emergency stops should not be blocked by materials, equipment, or product.

Conveyor Crossovers

Employees should use designated crossovers or walkways where provided.

Employees should not climb over, crawl under, or ride conveyors unless specifically designed and authorized for that purpose.

Clearing Conveyor Jams

Employees should not reach into moving conveyors to clear jams.

Where jam clearing exposes employees to unexpected movement or hazardous energy, applicable Lockout/Tagout procedures should be followed.

Packaging Machinery

Packaging equipment may include fillers, sealers, wrappers, labelers, cartoners, palletizers, and other automated machinery.

Employees should be protected from:

• Nip points.
• Crushing hazards.
• Cutting components.
• Heat-sealing surfaces.
• Automatic movement.
• Unexpected startup.

Required guards and interlocks should remain operational.

Machine Interlocks

Interlocked guards and doors should function as designed.

Employees should not bypass interlocks to operate equipment with safeguards open or removed.

Defective interlocks should be reported and corrected.

Jam Clearing

Production jams should be cleared using established procedures.

Employees should not place hands or tools into machine danger zones while exposed to hazardous motion.

Where jam clearing constitutes servicing or maintenance covered by hazardous-energy requirements, Lockout/Tagout procedures should be followed.

Lockout/Tagout

Food-processing machinery can contain electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, gravitational, and other hazardous energy.

Where servicing or maintenance exposes employees to unexpected energization, startup, or release of hazardous energy, the company should follow applicable energy-control procedures.

The Lockout/Tagout Program should address:

• Energy-control procedures.
• Authorized employees.
• Affected employees.
• Energy-isolating devices.
• Lockout/tagout devices.
• Stored energy.
• Verification.
• Periodic inspections.
• Training.

Machine-Specific Energy Control Procedures

Where required, energy-control procedures should identify the equipment and methods necessary to isolate hazardous energy.

Procedures may address:

• Electrical disconnects.
• Pneumatic systems.
• Hydraulic systems.
• Steam.
• Pressure.
• Gravity.
• Thermal energy.
• Mechanical movement.

Employees should verify isolation before beginning covered servicing or maintenance.

Sanitation and Lockout/Tagout

Sanitation work can expose employees to machinery hazards when guards, covers, blades, or other components must be removed for effective cleaning.

Where sanitation activities expose employees to hazardous energy, required energy-control procedures should be followed.

Production demands or sanitation schedules should never be used as justification for bypassing required safeguards or hazardous-energy controls.

Machine Cleaning

Cleaning procedures should address the hazards associated with the specific equipment.

Employees should determine whether equipment must be:

• Shut down.
• Disconnected.
• Locked out or tagged out.
• Drained.
• Depressurized.
• Cooled.
• Mechanically blocked.

before cleaning begins.

Employees should not assume that pressing a stop button alone eliminates all hazardous energy.

Equipment Disassembly

Disassembly for cleaning or maintenance may expose employees to blades, stored energy, heavy components, sharp edges, or unexpected movement.

Employees should follow established procedures and use appropriate tools.

Heavy machine components should be handled using mechanical assistance where necessary.

Removing Blades and Components

Employees removing cutting blades, knives, plates, dies, or other sharp components should use appropriate handling procedures and PPE.

Components should be stored and transported so sharp edges do not expose other employees.

Machinery should be appropriately isolated before removal where hazardous energy is present.

Sanitation Worker Safety

Sanitation employees may work throughout the facility and interact closely with machinery, chemicals, electrical equipment, wet floors, ladders, hoses, and other hazards.

Sanitation procedures should address:

• Equipment shutdown.
• Lockout/Tagout.
• Chemical handling.
• PPE.
• Wet floors.
• Electrical hazards.
• Ladders.
• Hoses.
• Drain covers.
• Machine disassembly.

Sanitation employees should receive training appropriate to the equipment and hazards they encounter.

Sanitation Chemicals

Food-processing sanitation may involve concentrated cleaners, sanitizers, caustics, acids, chlorine-containing products, and other hazardous chemicals.

Employees should follow:

• Product labels.
• Safety Data Sheets.
• Manufacturer instructions.
• Company procedures.

Appropriate PPE, ventilation, dilution systems, and emergency equipment should be provided according to the hazards.

Chemical Dilution and Dispensing

Concentrated chemicals should be diluted and dispensed according to manufacturer instructions.

Employees should use designated dispensing systems when provided.

Employees should wear required PPE and avoid splashing.

Secondary containers should remain appropriately labeled.

Chemical Mixing

Chemicals should not be mixed unless the manufacturer specifically permits the combination and the employee has been trained in the procedure.

Employees should never experiment with chemical combinations.

Incompatible chemicals can generate toxic gases, heat, pressure, or violent reactions.

Caustics and Acids

Strong caustic and acidic cleaning products can cause serious skin and eye injuries.

Employees should:

• Wear appropriate PPE.
• Use designated dispensing systems.
• Avoid splashing.
• Follow dilution procedures.
• Maintain access to required emergency washing equipment.

Chemical containers should remain properly identified.

Chlorine Products

Chlorine-containing products should be handled according to their labels, Safety Data Sheets, and established procedures.

They should not be mixed with incompatible products.

Employees should understand applicable ventilation, PPE, and emergency procedures.

Chemical Storage

Chemicals should be stored according to their hazards and compatibility.

Storage areas should be:

• Orderly.
• Appropriately ventilated where necessary.
• Protected against damage.
• Secured when appropriate.
• Separated from incompatible materials.

Containers should remain closed and labeled.

Chemical Spill Response

Employees should understand procedures for foreseeable chemical spills.

Procedures should address:

• Reporting.
• Area isolation.
• PPE.
• Spill-control materials.
• Ventilation.
• Cleanup.
• Waste handling.
• Emergency assistance.

Employees should not attempt to clean spills beyond their training or capabilities.

Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment

Where employees may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable emergency flushing facilities should be provided as required.

Access should remain unobstructed.

Employees should know the location and proper use of emergency eyewash and shower equipment.

Wet Processing Areas

Water is frequently used for food processing and sanitation.

Wet environments can increase:

• Slip hazards.
• Electrical hazards.
• Chemical exposure.
• Equipment-access hazards.

Floors, drainage, electrical equipment, footwear, and work practices should be appropriate for the environment.

Slips, Trips and Falls

Food-processing floors may become slippery from:

• Water.
• Oils and fats.
• Food residue.
• Cleaning solutions.
• Ice.
• Product spills.

Hazards should be corrected promptly.

Temporary hazards should be appropriately marked or controlled.

Sanitation Hoses

Hoses should be positioned and stored to reduce trip hazards.

Employees should avoid routing hoses across stairs, exits, or heavily traveled areas where practical.

Hoses should be inspected and maintained in usable condition.

Floor Drains and Grates

Drain covers and floor grates should be maintained in place and in good condition.

Covers removed for cleaning should be replaced promptly.

Employees should not leave unprotected drain openings in travel areas.

Slip-Resistant Footwear

Appropriate footwear can help reduce slip hazards in wet and greasy processing environments.

The company should evaluate flooring, chemicals, temperature, and other workplace conditions when establishing footwear requirements.

Electrical Safety

Food-processing facilities can create significant electrical hazards because powered equipment is frequently located in wet or washdown environments.

Employees should:

• Report damaged electrical equipment.
• Keep inappropriate electrical connections away from water.
• Avoid makeshift repairs.
• Follow equipment cleaning restrictions.
• Maintain electrical enclosures as designed.

Electrical work should be performed only by appropriately qualified persons.

Electrical Equipment in Wet Areas

Electrical equipment used in wet or washdown locations should be suitable for those conditions.

Employees should not direct water at electrical equipment unless the equipment and cleaning procedure are specifically designed for washdown.

Damaged seals, enclosures, cords, or fittings should be reported.

Cut and Laceration Prevention

Employees may be exposed to sharp hazards from:

• Knives.
• Machine blades.
• Metal edges.
• Packaging materials.
• Broken containers.
• Equipment components.

Employees should use appropriate tools, work practices, and PPE.

Sharp components should be stored and transported safely.

Knife Safety

Employees using knives should:

• Use a knife suitable for the task.
• Maintain stable cutting positions.
• Keep body parts outside the cutting path.
• Store knives appropriately.
• Avoid attempting to catch falling knives.
• Maintain appropriate blade condition.

Cut-resistant protection should be used where appropriate for the task.

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE should be selected according to the hazards associated with each task.

Depending on operations, PPE may include:

• Safety glasses.
• Goggles.
• Face shields.
• Chemical-resistant gloves.
• Cut-resistant gloves.
• Aprons.
• Protective footwear.
• Hearing protection.
• Thermal protection.
• Respiratory protection.

PPE should not substitute for required machine guarding or other engineering controls.

Eye and Face Protection

Eye and face protection may be necessary for:

• Chemical handling.
• Sanitation.
• Cutting operations.
• Pressurized systems.
• Maintenance.
• Grinding.
• Splash hazards.

Face shields should supplement primary eye protection where both are necessary.

Hand Protection

Hand protection should be selected for the actual hazard.

Different gloves may be required for:

• Chemicals.
• Cutting.
• Cold environments.
• Heat.
• General material handling.

Gloves should not be used where they create an entanglement hazard around exposed moving machinery.

Protective Footwear

Footwear should reflect hazards associated with:

• Wet floors.
• Heavy materials.
• Cold environments.
• Chemicals.
• Material-handling equipment.

Slip resistance may be particularly important in wet processing and sanitation areas.

Respiratory Protection — When Applicable

Respiratory hazards may arise from:

• Chemicals.
• Dust.
• Ammonia.
• Cleaning operations.
• Combustion products.
• Specialized ingredients or processes.

Engineering and other feasible controls should be used where appropriate.

Where respirators are required, the company should maintain an applicable Respiratory Protection Program.

Industrial Refrigeration — When Applicable

Food-processing and cold-storage facilities may use industrial refrigeration systems.

Employees should understand hazards associated with the refrigerant and equipment present.

Only appropriately trained and authorized employees should operate, service, or maintain refrigeration equipment.

Ammonia Refrigeration — When Applicable

Anhydrous ammonia is commonly used in industrial refrigeration, including food-processing operations.

Ammonia can create serious inhalation, skin, eye, fire, and release hazards.

Where ammonia refrigeration is present, procedures may address:

• Refrigeration machinery rooms.
• Piping and valves.
• Equipment inspection.
• Leak detection.
• Emergency shutdown.
• Employee evacuation.
• Maintenance.
• Emergency response.

Employees should understand alarm and evacuation procedures.

Ammonia Exposure

Employees should avoid entering areas affected by an ammonia release unless they are specifically trained, equipped, and authorized for the response.

Untrained employees should follow emergency evacuation procedures and move to a safe location.

Suspected ammonia leaks should be reported immediately.

Process Safety Management — When Applicable

Certain food-processing facilities with covered quantities of highly hazardous chemicals may be subject to OSHA’s Process Safety Management requirements.

Where applicable, the program may address:

• Process safety information.
• Process hazard analysis.
• Operating procedures.
• Employee training.
• Contractor safety.
• Mechanical integrity.
• Management of change.
• Pre-startup safety review.
• Emergency planning.

PSM applicability should be determined according to the chemicals, quantities, processes, and applicable requirements at the facility.

Cold Storage

Employees working in refrigerated and frozen areas may be exposed to cold, ice, condensation, material-handling equipment, and slippery floors.

Procedures should address:

• Appropriate clothing.
• Exposure duration.
• Ice accumulation.
• Walking surfaces.
• Material storage.
• Forklift traffic.
• Emergency communication.

Freezer Safety

Walk-in and industrial freezers should be maintained so employees can safely enter and exit.

Employees should report defective doors, interior release mechanisms, lighting, or other conditions that could affect safe egress.

Cold Stress

Employees exposed to significant cold should receive appropriate protection and instruction.

Controls may include:

• Insulated clothing.
• Gloves.
• Appropriate footwear.
• Warm-up periods.
• Work practices.

Employees should understand symptoms of excessive cold exposure.

Heat Stress

Some food-processing operations expose employees to substantial heat from ovens, fryers, cookers, boilers, steam, and hot production environments.

Where significant heat exposure exists, controls may include:

• Ventilation.
• Hydration.
• Rest breaks.
• Work practices.
• Acclimatization where appropriate.

Employees should understand signs and symptoms of heat-related illness.

Hot Processing Equipment

Employees working around ovens, cookers, fryers, kettles, retorts, and other hot equipment should be protected from hot surfaces, liquids, steam, and splashing.

Appropriate guarding, insulation, PPE, and work practices should be used.

Steam and Burns

Steam and pressurized hot-water systems can cause severe burns.

Employees should:

• Avoid opening equipment under pressure.
• Use appropriate PPE.
• Stand clear of escaping steam.
• Follow shutdown procedures.
• Report leaking valves or piping.

Boilers — When Applicable

Facilities operating boilers should establish appropriate operating, inspection, maintenance, and emergency procedures.

Only appropriately trained and authorized employees should operate or service boiler systems.

Combustible Dust — When Applicable

Certain food ingredients and processes can generate combustible dust.

Potential materials may include:

• Flour.
• Sugar.
• Starch.
• Grain.
• Powdered ingredients.
• Certain spices.

Where a combustible-dust hazard exists, the company should evaluate dust generation, accumulation, ignition sources, equipment, and housekeeping practices.

Dust Collection

Dust-collection systems should be appropriate for the material and process.

Employees should not modify, disable, or bypass dust-control equipment without authorization.

Systems should be inspected and maintained as required.

Ignition-Source Control

Where combustible dust is present, potential ignition sources should be controlled.

Sources may include:

• Hot work.
• Electrical equipment.
• Sparks.
• Hot surfaces.
• Static electricity.

Work practices should reflect the specific dust hazard.

Confined Spaces — When Applicable

Food-processing facilities may contain spaces such as:

• Tanks.
• Vessels.
• Silos.
• Hoppers.
• Pits.
• Mixing vessels.

The company should evaluate spaces to determine whether they meet applicable confined-space definitions and whether permit-required confined-space procedures are necessary.

Tanks and Vessels

Employees should not enter tanks, vessels, or similar spaces until hazards have been evaluated and applicable entry procedures have been established.

Potential hazards may include:

• Hazardous atmospheres.
• Mechanical equipment.
• Engulfment.
• Chemicals.
• Restricted entry and exit.
• Hazardous energy.

Silos and Hoppers

Silos and hoppers can expose employees to engulfment, mechanical equipment, hazardous atmospheres, falls, and difficult rescue conditions.

Entry should be performed only under applicable confined-space and hazardous-energy procedures.

Forklift/PIT Safety — When Applicable

Food-processing plants frequently use powered industrial trucks to move raw materials, packaging, ingredients, finished products, and waste.

Operators should be trained and evaluated as required.

Procedures should address:

• Pre-use inspections.
• Pedestrians.
• Intersections.
• Loading docks.
• Racking.
• Trailers.
• Refrigerated areas.
• Battery charging or fueling.

Pedestrian Traffic

Pedestrian and forklift traffic should be coordinated to reduce struck-by hazards.

Controls may include:

• Marked aisles.
• Mirrors.
• Warning devices.
• Barriers.
• Restricted areas.
• Traffic rules.

Employees should remain alert around material-handling equipment.

Loading Docks

Loading docks can expose employees to falls, forklifts, trailers, trucks, dock plates, and moving materials.

Procedures should address:

• Trailer movement.
• Dock edges.
• Dock plates.
• Pedestrians.
• Lighting.
• Material handling.

Receiving and Shipping

Receiving and shipping areas should be organized to control vehicle, forklift, pedestrian, and material-handling hazards.

Employees should maintain clear communication during loading and unloading operations.

Material Handling

Employees may handle:

• Raw ingredients.
• Containers.
• Bags.
• Drums.
• Packaging materials.
• Finished products.
• Pallets.

Mechanical assistance should be used where appropriate.

Loads should be stored and transported securely.

Racking and Storage

Storage systems should be suitable for the materials and loads placed on them.

Damaged racking should be reported.

Aisles should remain clear.

Materials should be stacked or stored to reduce falling-object and collapse hazards.

Ergonomics

Food processing can involve highly repetitive work, forceful exertions, awkward postures, prolonged standing, reaching, cutting, lifting, and production-paced tasks.

The company should evaluate ergonomic hazards associated with specific jobs.

Potential controls include:

• Workstation adjustment.
• Tool selection.
• Mechanical assistance.
• Improved material positioning.
• Task variation.
• Work-practice changes.

Repetitive Production Work

Employees performing repetitive cutting, trimming, packing, sorting, or processing work may be at increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders.

Workstations and work methods should be evaluated to reduce excessive repetition, force, and awkward posture where feasible.

Employees should report recurring discomfort.

Manual Lifting

Employees should evaluate the weight, size, and shape of materials before lifting.

Team lifting or mechanical assistance should be used where loads cannot be safely handled by one employee.

Repeated lifting tasks should be evaluated for ergonomic improvements.

Noise Exposure

Processing machinery, conveyors, compressors, packaging equipment, refrigeration equipment, and other industrial systems may generate significant noise.

Employee exposure should be evaluated where warranted.

Engineering and administrative controls should be considered where appropriate.

Hearing Conservation — When Applicable

Where employee noise exposure meets applicable criteria, the company should implement a Hearing Conservation Program.

The program may address:

• Exposure monitoring.
• Audiometric testing.
• Hearing protection.
• Training.
• Recordkeeping.

Compressed Air

Compressed air should be used only for appropriate purposes.

Employees should not direct compressed air at themselves or others.

When compressed air is used for cleaning, applicable pressure, guarding, and PPE requirements should be followed.

Safer cleaning methods should be used where practical.

Compressed Gas Cylinders — When Applicable

Compressed gas cylinders should be appropriately secured, stored, handled, and protected from damage.

Employees should use appropriate regulators and connections.

Cylinders should be separated and stored according to applicable requirements and gas hazards.

Welding, Cutting and Hot Work — When Applicable

Maintenance and fabrication activities may involve welding, cutting, brazing, grinding, or other hot work.

Procedures should address:

• Fire hazards.
• Combustible materials.
• Hot-work authorization.
• Ventilation.
• PPE.
• Compressed gases.
• Fire protection.

Additional precautions may be necessary where combustible dust is present.

Hazard Communication

Food-processing facilities using hazardous chemicals should maintain an applicable Hazard Communication Program.

Potential chemicals may include:

• Sanitation chemicals.
• Refrigerants.
• Lubricants.
• Maintenance chemicals.
• Laboratory chemicals.
• Water-treatment chemicals.

Employees should have access to labels and Safety Data Sheets and receive required information and training.

Chemical Safety

Chemicals should be handled according to their hazards.

Employees should:

• Review Safety Data Sheets.
• Maintain labels.
• Follow storage requirements.
• Use appropriate PPE.
• Follow spill procedures.
• Avoid incompatible chemical combinations.

Unidentified chemicals should not be used.

Housekeeping

Good housekeeping is essential in food-processing facilities.

Employees should control accumulation of:

• Food residue.
• Packaging.
• Water.
• Oil.
• Grease.
• Dust.
• Waste.
• Pallets.
• Hoses.

Aisles, exits, electrical equipment, fire equipment, and emergency equipment should remain accessible.

Walking-Working Surfaces

Floors, platforms, stairs, and other walking-working surfaces should be maintained to reduce hazards.

Employees should report:

• Damaged floors.
• Missing grates.
• Slippery surfaces.
• Ice.
• Loose materials.
• Unprotected openings.
• Damaged stairs or platforms.

Temporary hazards should be controlled until corrected.

Fire Prevention

Food-processing facilities should identify and control foreseeable fire hazards.

Potential sources may include:

• Hot work.
• Cooking processes.
• Combustible dust.
• Electrical equipment.
• Flammable materials.
• Packaging.
• Maintenance operations.

Employees should maintain access to exits and fire-protection equipment.

Emergency Action Plan

Facilities should establish procedures for foreseeable emergencies.

Potential emergencies may include:

• Fire.
• Chemical release.
• Ammonia release.
• Serious injury.
• Severe weather.
• Power failure.
• Refrigeration emergency.
• Other process emergencies.

Employees should understand alarm systems, evacuation procedures, emergency contacts, and assembly locations.

First Aid

First-aid supplies should be readily available according to workplace hazards and applicable requirements.

Employees should know how to obtain emergency medical assistance.

Serious injuries involving amputations, crushing, chemical exposure, burns, electrical shock, or other significant trauma require prompt medical attention.

Spill Prevention and Response

Procedures should address foreseeable spills involving:

• Chemicals.
• Oils.
• Ingredients.
• Refrigerants.
• Cleaning products.
• Maintenance fluids.

Employees should understand reporting, containment, PPE, cleanup, and emergency-response limitations.

Hazardous Waste Management — When Applicable

Facilities generating hazardous waste should establish appropriate procedures for identification, accumulation, labeling, storage, handling, and disposal.

Ordinary food waste should not automatically be treated as hazardous waste.

Applicability should be based on the actual waste stream.

Contractor Safety Management

Food-processing facilities may use contractors for:

• Sanitation.
• Equipment maintenance.
• Refrigeration.
• Electrical work.
• Construction.
• Pest control.
• Specialized cleaning.

Contractors should receive appropriate information concerning hazards that could affect their work.

The host employer and contractor should coordinate applicable LOTO, chemical, process, emergency, and facility-safety requirements.

Working Alone — When Applicable

Employees performing maintenance, refrigeration, sanitation, security, or other isolated work may sometimes work alone.

The company should evaluate the hazards and establish appropriate communication and emergency procedures.

Tasks requiring immediate assistance or rescue capability should not be assigned as lone work when doing so would create an unacceptable hazard.

Food Processing Safety Training

Employees should receive training appropriate to their assigned work and exposures.

Training may include:

• Machine guarding.
• Lockout/Tagout.
• Conveyor safety.
• Sanitation safety.
• Chemical safety.
• PPE.
• Forklift safety.
• Electrical safety.
• Slips and falls.
• Ergonomics.
• Refrigeration hazards.
• Emergency procedures.

Training should occur before employees independently perform work requiring specialized knowledge or authorization.

New and Short-Service Employees

New and inexperienced employees may be unfamiliar with machinery, sanitation procedures, chemical hazards, and facility operations.

Orientation should address applicable hazards before employees begin independent work.

New employees should not operate specialized machinery, perform Lockout/Tagout, operate forklifts, enter confined spaces, or perform other higher-hazard work until required instruction, qualification, or authorization has been completed.

Supervision should reflect the employee’s experience and familiarity with the work.

Food Processing JSA/JHA

JSAs/JHAs can be developed for recurring or higher-hazard activities.

Useful topics may include:

• Processing-machine operation.
• Conveyor operation.
• Equipment sanitation.
• Machine disassembly.
• Jam clearing.
• Chemical handling.
• Forklift operation.
• Loading and unloading.
• Confined-space entry.
• Ammonia-system maintenance.
• Hot work.

The JSA/JHA should reflect the actual equipment, process, chemicals, and workplace conditions.

Food Processing Toolbox Talks

Short safety meetings can reinforce hazards associated with current operations.

Useful topics may include:

• Machine guarding.
• Lockout/Tagout.
• Sanitation safety.
• Conveyor safety.
• Chemical handling.
• Wet floors.
• PPE.
• Forklifts.
• Ergonomics.
• Ammonia awareness.
• Confined spaces.
• Emergency procedures.

Toolbox talks supplement formal training but should not replace required regulatory or task-specific training.

Additional Food Processing Safety Programs

Depending on the machinery, processes, chemicals, equipment, and employee exposures involved, additional programs may include:

• Ammonia Safety.
• Chemical Safety.
• Cold Stress.
• Combustible Dust.
• Compressed Air Safety.
• Compressed Gas Cylinders.
• Confined Space.
• Conveyor Safety.
• Electrical Safety.
• Emergency Action Plan.
• Ergonomics.
• Fire Prevention.
• First Aid.
• Forklift/PIT Safety.
• Hand Protection.
• Hazard Communication.
• Hazardous Waste Management.
• Hearing Conservation.
• Heat Stress Prevention.
• Lockout/Tagout.
• Machine Guarding.
• Manual Lifting and Material Handling.
• Personal Protective Equipment.
• Process Safety Management.
• Respiratory Protection.
• Rigging and Material Handling.
• Slips, Trips and Falls.
• Spill Prevention and Response.
• Walking-Working Surfaces.
• Welding, Cutting and Hot Work.
• Working Alone.

Programs should be selected according to actual operations rather than automatically included simply because a company processes or manufactures food.

Building a Food Processing Safety Manual

The most useful Food Processing Safety Manual is based on the facility’s actual equipment and operations.

Consider whether employees:

• Operate powered processing machinery.
• Work around conveyors.
• Perform sanitation.
• Remove machine guards or components for cleaning.
• Perform maintenance or jam clearing.
• Handle concentrated chemicals.
• Work in wet processing areas.
• Operate forklifts.
• Work in refrigerated or frozen areas.
• Work around ammonia refrigeration.
• Handle combustible powders or ingredients.
• Enter tanks, vessels, silos, or hoppers.
• Work around hot equipment or steam.
• Perform repetitive production work.
• Work in high-noise areas.

These activities help determine which individual safety programs should be included.

A small specialty food manufacturer should not receive a manual filled with programs for ammonia refrigeration, combustible dust, confined spaces, forklifts, or industrial boilers it does not have. Likewise, a large food-processing plant may require extensive programs addressing machinery, LOTO, sanitation, ammonia refrigeration, PSM, chemicals, industrial trucks, ergonomics, confined spaces, combustible dust, noise, and other specialized hazards.

Customized Food Processing Safety Manuals

Companies can request a customized Food Processing Safety Manual containing programs selected according to the processing operations, machinery, chemicals, refrigeration systems, material-handling equipment, and employee exposures present.

Manuals can be developed for food-processing plants, food manufacturers, beverage manufacturers, commercial bakeries, meat and poultry processors, dairy facilities, produce processors, frozen-food manufacturers, packaging operations, and other food-production businesses.

Applicable programs can be selected for machine guarding, Lockout/Tagout, sanitation, conveyors, chemical safety, ammonia refrigeration, forklifts, PPE, ergonomics, confined spaces, combustible dust, electrical safety, emergency procedures, and other food-processing hazards.

Individual safety programs can also be selected when a company needs to add or update a particular program within an existing safety manual.