All the food safety standards call for a food safety team. This team should be multi-disciplinary and collectively should take the responsibility for the development and implementation of the food safety management system.
Most guidance documents and consultants would agree that participants should include representatives from quality control/quality assurance, production and maintenance at the very least. This team can then assess the processes to identify hazards and appropriate control measures. Are these the only contributors? Certain PRP’s such as Supplier Quality Assurance by necessity require input from procurement or buyers. Similarly, the inclusion of food fraud and the vulnerability assessment process requires input from those who have the closest relationships with suppliers.
It is also advisable to include marketing and product development as labeling compliance is usually more of a marketing challenge than production. Allergen control is best controlled at the development stage of a new product.
But what about other support departments? Today’s discussion centres around the health and safety team.
Protecting the health and safety of employees is a legal requirement. The Department of Labour defines the requirements for all employers in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Act 181 of 1993 and its regulations, some of which are shown in the table below.
General regulations
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Scope of application
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Regulations
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Environmental Regulations for Workplaces, 1987
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These regulations, in general, refers to the physical conditions of the work environment
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2. Thermal requirements
3. Lighting
4. Windows
5. Ventilation
6. Housekeeping
8. Precautions against flooding
9. Fire precautions and means of egress
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Facilities Regulations, 1990
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These regulations in general refers to sanitary facilities, toilets, bathrooms, showers, dining facilities, drinking water, certain prohibitions as well as the conditions of these facilities that forms part of the work environment
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2. Sanitation
3. Facilities for safekeeping
4. Change-rooms
5. Dining-rooms
6. Prohibition
7. Drinking water
8. Seats
9. Condition of room and facilities
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General Administrative Regulations, 2003
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These regulations in general refers to sanitary facilities, toilets, bathrooms, showers, dining facilities, drinking water, certain prohibitions as well as the conditions of these facilities that forms part of the work environment
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2. Access to premises
3. Exemption
4. Copy of the Act
5. Health and safety committee
6. Negotiations and consultations before designation of health and safety representatives
7. Designation of health and safety representatives
9. Recording and investigation of incidents
10. Witness at inquiry
11. Returns
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General Health and Safety Regulations, 1986
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These regulations refers to general health and safety matters or requirements set for the work environment
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2. Personal protective equipment and facilities
2A. Intoxication
2B. Display of substituted notices and signs
2C. Admittance of persons
3. First aid, emergency equipment, and procedures
4. Use and storage of flammable liquids
5. Work in confined spaces
6. Work in elevated positions
7. Working in danger of engulfment
8. Stacking of articles
9. Welding, flame-cutting, soldering and similar operations
10. Operating trains
13A. Ladders
13B. Ramps
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Source:www.labourguide.co.za
A quick look at this table should make it abundantly clear why the health and safety team should be included on the food safety team.
The overlap in health and safety requirements with PRP requirements is considerable. If health and safety and food safety are not on the same page, it is highly likely we can land up with duplication and worst-case scenario, systems and facilities that contradict each other. Why not combine forces and integrate systems for efficiency?
Working together will also assist employees by REDUCING paperwork – a concept everyone will love you for!
