Abstract
Although employers are required, by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act of 1970 (OSHA, www.osha.gov), to maintain a place of employment free from hazards, food protection professionals (FPPs) can sometimes find themselves in a wide range of settings that present potential safety hazards: walking in wet, slippery environments, climbing ladders, working around extreme temperatures, brushing against moving pieces of equipment, working around sharp objects, moving cautiously around live animals, rummaging in dark basements, or being threatened by an irate store owner. The FPP must be aware that conditions or practices that could lead to injury, or even death, are nondiscriminate and can affect not only an establishment’s employees but also individuals who may be present at the establishment as a visitor, including contractors, delivery personnel, and the FPP himself or herself (the terms employee and FPP in this chapter are used interchangeably when referencing OSHA).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The terms employee and FPP in this chapter are used interchangeably when referencing OSHA.
References
De Pavia (2004) How much is prevention worth? The solution to indoor air pollution. Enviro-Times, February, vol 2. http://www.envirotestltd.com/PDF%20files/Newsletter02.pdf. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
Oklahoma State University (2014) EHS safety training. Electrical safety. http://ehs.okstate.edu/modules/electric/index.htm. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). Workplace safety & health topics. Correctional health care workers. Cross-contamination. http://198.246.124.22/niosh/topics/correctionalhcw/cross.html. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Handwashing and nail hygiene. http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/hand/. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013) Legionella (Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever). http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/causes-transmission.html. Accessed 2 Oct 2014
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (1999) OSHA technical manual (OTM). Section III: Chapter 2. Indoor air quality investigation. https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_iii/otm_iii_2.html. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2013) OSHA fact sheet. Reducing falls in construction: safe use of extension ladders. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3660.pdf. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2014a) Chapter 1—Basics of machine safeguarding. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/Mach_SafeGuard/chapt1.html. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2014b) Safety and health topics. Confined spaces. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/confinedspaces/index.html. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2014c) Fall protection. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2014d) Frequently asked questions: HAZWOPER. https://www.osha.gov/html/faq-hazwoper.html. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2014e) Occupational noise exposure. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/noisehearingconservation/. Accessed 8 Oct 2014
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2014f) OSHA brief. Hazard communication standard: safety data sheets. https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3514.html. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2014g). Eye and face protection. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/eyefaceprotection/. Accessed 23 Dec 2014
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2014h) OSHA technical manual (OTM). Section VII: Chapter 1. Back disorders and injuries. https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_vii/otm_vii_1.html. Accessed 14 July 2014
Additional Resources
U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (1999) OSHA technical manual (OTM). Table of contents. https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_toc.html
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Appendices
Take-Home Message
Whether new on the job or experienced, the FPP must always be alert to potential personal safety hazards that could arise during the course of his or her job, including severe weather conditions, equipment components, and exposure to hazardous substances. FPPs should receive safety training when hired, along with annual refresher training in order to continue to be well-prepared during the course of their jobs.
Activity
You have been asked to conduct inspections at the following types of facilities. For each scenario, what safety considerations might arise, and what types of PPE might be needed?
-
1.
A flour mill
-
2.
A warehouse
-
3.
A meat department in a grocery store
-
4.
A temporary concession stand at a county fair
-
5.
A cookie processing facility
Answer Key (Potential Answers—Additional Answers May Also Apply)
-
1.
A flour mill
Possible safety considerations: confined spaces, climbing, dust exposure, poor air quality, visibility issues, or overhead objects
Potential PPE: flashlight, respirator, safety harness, safety glasses, bump cap, or hard hat
-
2.
A warehouse
Possible safety considerations: climbing, slippery floors, forklift traffic, noise, or overhead objects
Potential PPE: non-slip footwear, hearing protection, bump cap, or hard hat
-
3.
A meat department in a grocery store
Possible safety considerations: moving equipment, wet or slippery floors, or overhead objects
Potential PPE: protective outerwear, non-slip footwear, or bump cap
-
4.
A temporary concession stand at a county fair
Possible safety considerations: tight quarters, open fryers, or tripping hazards
Potential PPE: non-slip footwear
-
5.
A cookie processing facility
Possible safety considerations: tripping/falling hazards, noise, moving equipment, or overhead objects
Potential PPE: non-slip footwear, hearing protection, bump cap, or hard hat
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Topie, J., Buchanan, E., Madden, T., Fagel, M. (2015). Employee Safety. In: Bradsher, J., Wojtala, G., Kaml, C., Weiss, C., Read, D. (eds) Regulatory Foundations for the Food Protection Professional. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0650-5_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0650-5_16
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-0649-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-0650-5
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)