Dairy Processing - January/February 2024 - 34

OPERATIONS
ASSESSING
uncertainty
by Allison Gibeson | dairyprocessing@sosland.com
F
acing and managing risks is an inevitable part of doing
business in any sector of manufacturing, and the way
dairy processors approach the safety of both food
and workers must also keep in mind the unique challenges
of producing a product that must stay cold. Additionally,
cyber security threats must be taken seriously to avoid
opportunistic attackers. As a result, processors are developing
innovative ways of addressing each of these risks as the
industry seeks to respond to challenges with resiliency.
WORKER SAFETY
Preventing injuries and promoting the well-being of
employees is critical to minimizing risks in dairy processing.
The top safety issues for workers at dairy processing plants
are similar to those in other manufacturing sectors and
include slips, trips and falls.
Procedures around the use of forklifts, machinery and
energy and process safety management are also critical,
said Danielle Quist, vice president of regulatory affairs and
counsel for the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA),
Washington, DC.
While those potential hazards have been long-standing
critical points of worker safety for the industry, Quist said
new issues are also emerging. The training of temporary
workers is now front and center, as the shortage of frontline
workers has led to the use of many temporary workers.
Overall, Quist said increasingly companies are taking a
more holistic and preventive approach to safety by using
environmental health and safety management systems.
" There's a belief that if you really use them consistently,
and they're championed across the company, they can result
in fewer safety and environmental incidents and ultimately
improve worker safety, health and welfare, " Quist said.
Safety regarding ammonia refrigeration is also a hot
topic for processors, Quist said. While such refrigeration
is being used more consistently because it results in lower
greenhouse gas emissions, it also comes with a new set of
safety considerations.
" Process safety management and ammonia
refrigeration systems are heavily regulated,
but they are also an important part of
our industry's ESG journey, " Quist
said. " As we have a policy push away
from using hydrofluorocarbons
and moving toward the use of
ammonia and natural, loweremissions
systems, the worker
safety and environmental risks
that follow are something our
industry is going to have to pay
more attention to. "
Employee engagement is also
critical to preventing injuries, and
involving hourly employees in
discussions regarding reducing
injuries is essential and more
effective than corporate-driven
initiatives, said Gregg Junck,
34 JAN-FEB 2024 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy processors
develop solutions
to address the most
significant risks facing
their businesses.
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Dairy Processing - January/February 2024

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