Food manufacturers fail to learn from safety mistakes

Matthew Holder, head of campaigns and engagement at the BSC, told FoodManufacture.co.uk in this exclusive video that despite the number of fatalities at work in the UK falling from 172 to 148 in the last year there was still room for improvement because the same causes for injuries are still occurring.

“We see year in year out the same causes of injuries and fatalities – the same mistakes again and again,”​ he said.

‘Unfamiliarity of the work place’​

Watch this video to find out what Holder said the main causes of accidents in the food manufacturing sector were and how firms could prevent them from happening.

Also, find out what Holder said were a number of dangers threatening food firms when employing new staff – especially temporary summer workers – and why there needed to be a change in safety culture within the industry.

Earlier this month FoodManufacture.co.uk reported that over 2,600 new jobs​ had been created in the food manufacturing sector so far this year.

The Office of National Statistics estimated 123,000 people will take up seasonal work in the UK between July and September.

Food safety conference ​

Meanwhile, Food Manufacture ​will be hosting a one-day food safety conference on Thursday October 17 2013 at the National Motorcycle Museum, near Birmingham.

Speakers include FSA director of operations Andrew Rhodes, David Brackston, technical director of the British Retail Consortium, and Sue Davies, chief policy advisor at consumer group Which? For more information, click here.