Milling & Baking News - May 18, 2010 - 25

I.A.O.M. Review 

I.A.O.M. conference focuses on safety
Products and worker safety emphasized during educational programming at
association's annual event in Las Vegas

AS VEGAS - It was crystal
clear to those attending this
year's International Association
of Operative Millers (I.A.O.M.) Conference & Expo in Las Vegas that the
milling industry is taking the issue of
safety - both for its products and personnel - very seriously.
About one-third of the educational
portion of the conference, which was
held April 19-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, was devoted to plant
safety, including the keynote address
at the International Milling Education Foundation (I.M.E.F.) breakfast
from Cargill's Troy Anderson entitled,
"Safety - common challenges in the
milling industry." Another special
presentation, delivered by Ricardo
Carvajal of Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, focused on "The F.D.A.'s direction and management's responsibility
in food safety."
"This year, food safety has been
brought back to the forefront in terms

of how high the bar has been raised
and what our responsibilities are to
our customers, our companies and to
our industry," said Bart Hahlweg, newly elected president of
the I.A.O.M., during his incoming remarks. "Although we are
fierce competitors in the marketplace, we have a common goal
of making sure we protect the food
supply from foodborne illnesses."
There is evidence that the milling
industry is improving its plant safety
performance based on the number of
facilities that received safety awards at
this year's conference. One-hundredseven facilities were recognized for
their safety record in 2009, compared
to 70 facilities in 2008.
"That is great news for the milling
industry as it shows we are making
progress in delivering on the promise of
protecting employees by building better
safety programs," Mr. Hahlweg said.
He added, "The I.A.O.M. is in a

great position to carry the message to
members both in the U.S. and abroad
about how important plant safety and
food safety are to our industry
and that we need to collaborate
and share our best practices.
This is a message that I will continue to share during my term."
Mr. Hahlweg, plant manager,
ConAgra Mills, Oakland, Calif., who
said his theme for his presidency is
"Building for the Future," outlined
four other goals that he would like to
achieve during his one-year term:
completing the on-line correspondence course and starting the process
of translating the materials into several different languages;
continuing the growth of the
I.M.E.F. to promote professional development efforts in the interest of
flour milling for future members;
keeping membership informed
of any government regulations
that might have an impact on the

Millers urged to make safety a value
LAS VEGAS - Troy Anderson, regional operations manager for
Cargill Horizon Milling, said there is good news and bad news regarding the U.S. milling industry's efforts to create a safer work environment. Progress will require recognition of safety as a "value,"
he said.
During his keynote address at the International Milling Education Foundation breakfast, Mr. Anderson noted that the injury
incident rate (number of injuries per 100 employees) for the U.S.
flour milling industry had dropped from 9.1 in 1999 to 5.6 in 2008,
including an average rate of 5.8 over the past five years. However,
the injury incident rate for the milling industry was higher than
that of private industry every year during that period, including
2008 when private industry had a rate of 4.2.
"You can see over time that our industry has lagged behind
general industry on this issue," Mr. Anderson said.
Those attending this year's I.A.O.M. Conference & Expo in Las
Vegas were informed of several new regulatory proposals designed to make facilities safer. For instance, OSHA has proposed
a combustible dust standard that would reduce the dust accumulation allowed in a facility from the current 1/8th of an inch
to 1/32nd of an inch. The Department of Homeland Security has
implemented the Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standard, which
has increased regulation on chemicals used by flour mills such as
chlorine and phosphine.
But it's Mr. Anderson's opinion that regulations, policies and
procedures such as these can only go so far in making the milling
environment safer. He said studies show the three most influential
26 / May 18, 2010 Milling & Baking News

components to an effective safety program are developing a safety
culture, training and development with an emphasis on peer-topeer discussions, and being proactive in managing risk through
leading indicators.
"In the past, too many people have been focused on compliance
in which they follow rules and regulations to avoid getting hurt
and simply do it because they're told to do it," Mr. Anderson said.
"We must continue to drive toward a safety culture where every
employee identifies exposures, proactively removes the barriers and
the risks, and do it to protect themselves and their co-workers."
Good safety cultures are developed when company management emphasizes safety by setting a good example and having an
open line of communication with their employees on safety issues,
Mr. Anderson said.
He also said that focusing on leading indicators, which are
proactive measures such as audits and reporting "near-miss"
incidents, gives companies a better chance to prevent injuries or
fatalities.
"When we focus on lagging indicators such as incident results,
we have no idea what the risks and whether they have been eliminated," he said. "We simply know there are fewer injuries than
there were before."
Mr. Anderson challenged his fellow I.A.O.M. members to make
safety a "value," which he said is defined as "an enduring set of
beliefs and ideas shared by members of a culture."
"Priorities and programs change," he said. "Values remain constant." MBN

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