September 5, 2023 : Occupational Disease in the Food Industry
© 安岡喜晴 (JoyShine)
Today I went to a committee meeting.
The most common cause of occupational disease in the food industry is musculoskeletal disorders, such as back pain and work-related upper limb disorders due to repetitive work.
Occupational asthma and rhinitis are caused by exposure to flour and bread dust and are relatively industry-specific.
Among the chemicals used, hydrochloric acid is a volatile acid and workers with a history of asthma or other allergies should be cautious when handling it.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, injuries to food industry workers are very common,
affecting about 5% of workers each year and accounting for about a quarter of all reported injuries in all manufacturing industries.
Nearly 16% of injuries are serious, resulting in broken bones and hospitalization, mostly due to slips, falls and machinery;
relatively minor injuries, which allow workers to return to work after a three-day absence,
are mainly due to lifting and loading, slips and trips, and being struck by objects such as hand knives and falling objects.
In particular, "caught in" accidents involving machinery are very common in manufacturing industries and highly likely to result in serious injuries.
Among these, fatal entanglements and entrapments account for nearly 90% of all fatal accidents, and it is imperative that measures be taken to prevent these industrial accidents.
If a safety-related part is not working properly, such as an emergency stop button actuator that has come loose or a safety cover that has been damaged,
it must not be left unattended, even if it doesn't affect production, because it is a very dangerous situation.
In this case, it must be reported immediately to the responsible person on site.
Similarly, in situations such as cleaning the belt while the conveyor is running, washing the hose while the mixer is running, or cleaning the floor next to a moving conveyor,
be sure to stop the machine and conveyor before doing so.
It is important that all workers always know the location of the safety device buttons and always check to see that the safety device buttons are always located where people are working,
and that all workers, not just managers and supervisors, establish rules that they can follow and ensure that these rules are thoroughly disseminated to prevent industrial accidents.
The basic principle for preventing these workplace accidents is to establish and disseminate rules that all workers, not just managers and site supervisors, can follow.