Bottling and Food Processing

Workplace injuries are bad for people and terrible for business, and no sector is immune to their effects, including the bottling industry. In the first five years of operation, Thompson Safety has partnered with some of the biggest bottlers in the U.S., helping them to deliver on their safety programs.

Organizations want to partner with reliable problem solvers that make their lives easier, and operations run smoother. That's what Thompson Safety provides, quick, practical solutions to help bottlers deliver for their customers.

The bottling industry presents a unique set of challenges from a safety perspective, inexperienced service technicians can drastically exacerbate these challenges. From complicated lines running throughout the plant… to safe chemical storage, a bottling plant carries with it an extremely diverse set of safety challenges.

Accidental contamination from biological, chemical, and physical hazards threatens your customers and your company's reputation. It can even lead to shutting down a line for a period, resulting in significant loss of productivity you won’t get back. Plants that want to avoid this must take cleanliness and proper food handling best practices seriously.

Proper PPE including hair nets, beard nets, gloves, masks, gowns, and safety glasses are essential. In addition, properly stocked first aid kits with blue metal detectable bandages is a great best practice.

Many bottling plants use chemicals for their products, water treatment, packaging and keeping their facility clean. As a result, they often store large quantities of these chemicals onsite, which creates additional safety and compliance requirements that companies need to consider. For example, according to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151(c), your facility will likely require an emergency eyewash station if an employee's eyes or body can be exposed to harmful corrosive materials.

Regularly serviced and maintain plumbed and portable eyewash units are, generally, required within a few seconds of where the chemicals are stored. Keeping these clean with a regular flush is essential to maintain the cleanliness of the plant and safety of your team.

Fire hazards present a complicated story within bottling plants. From expensive electrical panels that might require a halogenated unit to extremely expensive capital equipment that may be better served by a CO2 extinguisher. Matching the extinguisher to the hazard could mean the difference between a small outage and a plant completely shutting down.

It is essential to have service technician that is not only familiar with NFPA 10 but just as important someone who is familiar with your plant. Conducting just an annual inspection of your extinguishers, what we see all the time, does not cut it. Monthly inspections on your extinguishers with a technician that knows and has walked your plant before is the only way to get this done.

Forklifts are an essential tool in the bottling industry. Many bottling plants have manufacturing and distribution within the same building. Untrained forklift drivers working, often at high speeds, around expensive equipment can pose serious risks to the effectiveness of the plant and the safety of drivers and pedestrians alike.

In person, hands on, forklift training is the only solution we would ever recommend in this circumstance. Without the hands-on experience in the often-chaotic environment of plant they will not be ready to preform their work safely when the plant is running at max capacity during the busy times of the year.

Bottling facilities often have a high employee headcount onsite at any given time, and as numbers grow, so do the risks. For example, sudden cardiac arrest is one of the most common causes of workplace fatalities. If you have a large workforce, it is only a matter of time before you deal with one of these potentially life-threatening events.

Monthly AED inspections is essential for keeping your defibrillators ready to go. Batteries and pads can expire rendering the AED infective and without eyes on it regularly it impossible to know if you are ready. Moreover, it is essential to be trained on the device and have experience with the device you physically carry in your building. Lastly, there must be multiple people trained to use the device on all shifts, this is often overlooked but essential.

High-voltage electrical panels are a common hazard within bottling facilities due to the high energy demands of the equipment. Therefore, understanding and managing the threat electrical panels present to workers is essential to prevent a potentially life-altering accident.

The systems running bottling plants are extremely complicated and arc flash assessments are extremely important. These evaluations give you the essential information you need to help you put the programs, PPE and processes in place to reduce risk your risk of an arch flash incident.

Managing all the hazards above can be stressful for anyone especially when you have a plant to run and 1000’s of people to worry about. Having a trusted partner who understands these risk and has the experience in some of the biggest bottling plants in the world will give you peace of mind knowing that those aspects of safety and compliance are taken care of. Not only will Thompson Safety help you get back to the work that matters most, but they will also free up your time.

By pairing excellent service with today's technology, we can help you deliver a first aid and safety program that is more efficient, more affordable, and ultimately keeps your employees safe. Schedule a consultation today to learn how Thompson Safety can help you create a safer and more compliant workplace.