Meat + Poultry - October 2009 - 111

Risk Management

Risky business
Ongoing communication
between processors and
equipment suppliers limits
liability, enhances safety
BY GEORGE FORRESTER AND MIKE DEROSIER
meatpoultry@sosland.com

mplementing risk management and
safety programs and procedures,
while generally a process that starts
as an internal company program, is
increasingly spreading beyond company walls to become a partnership
among vendors, suppliers, customers
and contractors all working toward
the same goal. These partnerships
have led to increased communication on risk and safety issues as they
arise from either party.

* Crushing injuries and traumatic
amputations are most often caused
by inadequate machinery guards,
improper repairs and equipment
training, or unsafe work conditions.
According to the "2008 Litigations
Trend Survey" conducted by the law
fi rm of Fulbright & Jawarski, Houston, Texas, the manufacturing sector
has felt the brunt of legal action. More
than 90 percent of manufacturers were
hit with at least one new lawsuit in the
previous year, with greater than half
facing more than 20 new suits.

Partnering for safety

This spread of willingness and
responsibility to minimize risk and
ensure safety is positively impacting
the industry and giving companies
that adopt this methodology a step
up on their competition.
According to the U.S. Department
of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics:
* Dangerous and defective products
cause more than $500 billion in
deaths, injuries and property damage annually.

The need for strong risk-management
and safety programs throughout the
industry is evident. Meat and poultry
processors must form partnerships with
their employees, vendors, suppliers,
contractors and others to reach shared
safety goals. The following guidelines
can help processors reach these goals:
Communicate - It is critically
important that once a piece of machinery is installed and in use, employees are instructed on its proper
use. This instruction includes written standard operating procedures
(SOPs), sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs) and maintenance procedures. All of these should
emphasize potentially hazardous areas of the machine and safeguards
that are in place to prevent injury.
While these initial steps of an internal safety program already occur
for the most part, an often forgot-

112 * Meat&Poultry * October 2009 * www.MeatPoultry.com

ten key step is to continue consistent communication with employees on safety issues surrounding the
existing equipment in the facility -
long after the equipment has been
installed. An understanding of the
machinery, reminders on hazards and
the safeguards in place and knowing the procedures to follow if safeguards are ever damaged, missing or
modified will strengthen the success
of the plant's safety program. Consistent communication will promote
the exchange of information from
employees as well as when they encounter safety issues.
In addition to internal cooperation,
partnerships between processors and
their machinery manufacturers are
essential. These partnerships should
begin prior to machine installation. In
fact, a processor should make its riskmanagement goals and safety processes
known to the equipment supplier even
before the purchase. Ask the manufacturer to participate in an open line of
communication established internally
and with the processor's other suppliers. Finally, partnering with suppliers
can provide evidence of their internal
risk-management and safety programs.
Each manufacturer should be able to
explain its internal procedures to identify, eliminate and reduce hazards on
its machinery. A manufacturer that has
adopted this methodology will stand
out from its competition.
Consequences - Many unfortunate incidents occur after operators
defeat safety features on machines.
In one instance, an accident occurred
when the operator decided to clean
an area of a machine without turning the machine off and performing
the lock-out, tag-out procedure. He
defeated an interlocked guard and
put the machine in a slow-run mode
and then proceeded to wash and wipe
down moving rolls and belts.
He was injured when a rag he had
wrapped around his hand became
caught in a belt pulley. The operator
fractured three fingers, suffered minor
lacerations and dislocated his wrist.

http://www.MeatPoultry.com

Meat + Poultry - October 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat + Poultry - October 2009