Do you work in a food processing facility or plan on joining one? Before you do, ensure that you’re familiar with the common hazards food processing workers face in our explainer.
Heavy Machinery
As anyone could surmise, food processing facilities are often full of heavy equipment and machinery that can harm workers if mishandled. Machine-related injuries are too common in food processing, so every facility with such equipment should have sufficient safety measures like machine guarding, as well as lockout and tag-out procedures.
Machine guarding is when guards are placed on the machine at exposed and moving parts to keep workers from getting caught or snagged by the movement. Lockout measures ensure that machinery is de-energized and locked out whenever someone performs maintenance.
Excessive Noise
Another potential danger from heavy machinery in food processing facilities is the extremely loud noise they continually create. While noise isn’t imminently dangerous to a worker’s health, exposure to excessive sound can cause hearing loss, headaches, and a lack of workplace communication.
There may be ways to reduce the machine’s noise through engineering, but most facilities take other precautions by providing hearing plugs to workers and limiting their time in noisy areas.
Pro Tip: If you work in a noisy area and are worried about your hearing, ask your employer about a Hearing Conservation Program, which OSHA requires for workplaces with loud noises.
Combustible Dust
Another common hazard food processing workers must face on the job is the danger of combustible dust. Especially for those facilities that house and process foods like grain, sugar, and flour, combustible dust can quickly get into the air and become dangerous.
Combustible dust hazards in food processing plants are one of the leading causes of industrial fires, as the dust is very flammable and is difficult to remove from the air. Sufficient ventilation and cleaning are essential in every food processing facility that has combustible dust to ensure worker safety.
Harmful Chemicals
As anyone might guess, sanitation is a major concern in a facility that handles food. To keep a clean facility and environment for food, many plants utilize powerful agents and chemicals to ensure that bacteria can’t infiltrate the environment.
While these chemicals help clean the machines and workspaces, exposure to them can also harm workers. Anhydrous ammonia injuries, for example, are all too common in food facilities as they can cause damage to workers’ eyes, skin, and lungs.
Slips and Falls
These frequent sanitation and cleaning pose other hazards—slippery floors and surfaces. In any workplace with lots of heavy machinery and chemicals, a simple slip can cause severe injury to an individual worker.
Anti-slip safety measures like slip-resistant shoes, handrails, secure mats, and safety flooring are critical in food processing facilities. With proper measures, a slip and fall harms only a worker’s pride, not their body.
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