Health and safety

Strategy

As a member of the Food and Drink Manufacture Forum, UK Flour Millers has pledged its support for the Forum’s Common Strategy and key objectives on: accident reduction; risk management of slips and trips; and occupational health.  Our work programme is devised so as to promote and encourage achievement of these objectives.

Accident prevention

UK Flour Millers conducts an annual survey of accidents and occupational health, allowing trends to be identified and addressed, as well as benchmarking of milling sites, so that best practice can be highlighted and shared across the industry.  A copy of the annual Accident Survey report can be downloaded by members on our publications page (you will need to be logged in to gain access).

Research

A dust explosion can occur when a source of ignition is introduced into the right mix of dust and oxygen. UK Flour Millers has commissioned research into the 'mildly explosive' characteristics of flour dust, providing essential information for millers and mill engineers alike. UK Flour Millers has also jointly sponsored projects with the HSE e.g. vent design for elevators used to move grain.

Raising awareness

UK Flour Millers runs initiatives aimed at raising and maintaining awareness of health and safety throughout the workforce, across the country. Seminars are regularly held with speakers from HSE, the industry and elsewhere.

H&S training

‘Safety, Health and Hygiene' is the first module in UK Flour Millers’ distance learning programme, and is studied by the vast majority of mill employees early in their careers.

Approximately once a year, UK Flour Millers runs H&S seminars for the industry, attended by some 40-60 delegates from all levels within the industry from site management to the ‘mill floor’. These may be general in focus or concentrate on specific topics. Over the last few years, workshops have discussed subjects including: behavioural safety, personal resilience and responsibility, fire and dust explosions, workplace transport, safe deliveries, working at height, lone working, confined spaces, rescue plans, noise and vibration and risk management.

Safe deliveries

The flour milling industry is concerned for the safety of its employees and others not only on site, but also when deliveries are being made to customers. In recent years, UK Flour Millers has issued guidance to member companies on: safe bagged and bulk deliveries of flour; considered various safety aspects of bulk flour tankers; and assisted the industry in developing safe procedures for grain and other deliveries to mill sites.

With significant progress made, the guidance outlined above has been withdrawn;  this leaves member companies to continue pursuing constructive relationships with their customers in producing a safe working environment for all.

Millers also need to provide their customers with information on the safe handling of flour and other products.  Members can download the generic safety data sheet for wheat flour, which is provided for member companies to review, amend and use as appropriate.