Safety Is Not Optional in Food Manufacturing
A Recent Reminder of Operational Risk
January brought a tragic reminder that food manufacturing carries real operational risk. An explosion and fire at a cookie manufacturing facility resulted in the death of five workers and the hospitalization of seven others.
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident.
On January 15th, a 42-year-old worker at a food manufacturing facility in Manitoba, Canada died after being pulled into industrial machinery. One day later, a father of two in Florida was killed in an industrial dough mixer accident.
While the financial cost of these tragic incidents will be significant, the human costs are incalculable.
Food Manufacturing Is Not Hazard-Free
Despite common perception, food manufacturing is neither simple nor hazard-free.
Modern food production environments are complex, equipment intensive, and fast-paced. They present a wide range of workplace hazards that must be actively managed, including:
- Rotating machinery and pinch points
- Fire and dust explosion risks
- Steam systems and hot surfaces
- Slippery and sharp surfaces
- Anhydrous ammonia and other chemical exposures
- Ergonomic strain and repetitive motion risks
Unfortunately, workplace injuries in food and beverage manufacturing are not uncommon. According to OSHA, the 6,987 food & beverage manufacturing plants in the U.S. reported the following injury statistics in 2024:
- ~45,000 total injuries (6.4 per facility)
- 45% of these injuries were severe enough that they required days away from work or placing the employees on restricted duty
- ~1.1 million aggregate days away from work or restricted duty
- And worst of all, 28 deaths
Take a moment to digest this data:
- 1 out of every 35 food & beverage manufacturing employees is injured at work each year (~45K injuries across ~1.6 million production employees).
- The average injury results in the injured employee missing 24 days of work – i.e., these typically aren’t papercuts.
- Again, worst of all, more than 2 a months!
As we previously discussed in our Insight, “Don’t Wait for a Tragedy to Make Safety Your Plant’s #1 Priority,” proactive safety leadership is far more effective than reactive compliance.
Safety incidents extend beyond regulatory exposure. They impact workforce morale, operational continuity, insurance costs, brand equity, and ultimately enterprise valuation. Importantly, safety is also just good business, as there is a clear correlation between a safe work environment and efficient operational performance. In sum, a disciplined safety management system is a strategic necessity.
A Recipe for Safety Success: Building a Safety Management System
To proactively address workplace hazards, food manufacturing facilities should implement a structured Safety Management System (SMS) built around 5 essential elements:
- Establish Clear Roles and Accountability: Designate accountable leadership to coordinate occupational safety and make line-management accountable for safety outcomes.
- Conduct Hazard & Risk Assessments: Systematically identify and evaluate workplace safety hazards.
- Develop a Regulatory Register: Identify and define applicable regulatory requirements and compliance obligations.
- Implement Operational Controls: Put effective controls in place to mitigate significant risks and meet regulatory standards.
- Establish Targets, Objectives & Continuous Improvement Plans: Set measurable safety goals and drive ongoing performance improvement.
Questions for Leadership Teams
- When was the last time your safety management systems were assessed?
- Are safety accountabilities clearly defined at the line-management level?
- Do you track safety performance with the same rigor as production or financial KPIs?
How Saphineia Supports Food & Beverage Manufacturers
If your organization has not formally assessed its safety management system within the past 12–24 months, now is the time to do so. Saphineia partners with food and beverage manufacturers to design and implement practical, effective Safety Management Systems that protect people, brands, and reputations.
Dennis Averill, Saphineia’s Senior Director of Safety, Health & Environment (SHE), brings extensive experience designing and implementing Safety Management Systems at leading manufacturers including Unilever, Kimberly-Clark, SC Johnson, American Cyanamid, and L3 Harris.
Dennis also brings substantial expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Quality Management Systems, and Total Productive Manufacturing. He is a Certified Safety Professional, Certified Industrial Hygienist, Certified TPM Instructor, Six Sigma Green Belt, and author of the Singo Award-winning book Lean Stability.
