Chapter 5: Undertake Value Addition Processes

5.1 Procedures for occupational safety and health

Value addition moves the worker from the crop to the processing table, and the hazards change with it. Instead of soil, spray chemicals and ladders, the worker now faces sharp knives, hot water and steam, slippery floors, heavy pots, freezers, electrical equipment and sometimes the pressure inside a canner. These hazards exist in any place where vegetables are dried, blanched, canned, frozen, waxed or blended, whether it is a room attached to a greenhouse farm or a small processing unit shared by a group of growers. Safe procedures protect workers and also protect the food from contamination.

Hazards in value addition work

Each hazard is linked to the process that produces it:

• Burns and scalds: Blanching water, steam, hot sugar or brine, jars straight from the canner and hot trays all cause burns. Steam escaping from a lid or from a pressure canner can cause severe scalds.
• Cuts: Knives, slicers, graters, mandolines and broken glass jars cause cuts, especially when blades are blunt or hands are wet.
• Slips, trips and falls: Spilt water, peels and trimmings make floors slippery, and trailing cables or hoses cause trips.
• Electric shock: Blenders, slicers, freezers and dryers are used in wet areas. Damaged cables and wet hands increase the risk.
• Fire: Gas cylinders, charcoal burners, heaters and electrical faults can start fires, and oil and wax are flammable.
• Pressure and explosion: A pressure canner with a blocked vent, or glass jars heated suddenly, can burst.
• Chemicals: Sanitisers, detergents, descaling products and food-grade wax or coating liquids can irritate the skin, eyes and lungs, and some give off fumes.
• Cold: Entering a cold store or handling frozen product without protection can cause cold injury, and ice on the floor causes falls.
• Manual handling and posture: Lifting crates and heavy pots, and standing or bending for long hours during peeling and slicing, cause back and muscle strain.
• Noise and dust: Grinders and blenders are noisy, and dry powders such as vegetable flour can irritate the lungs.

Safety procedures

1. Assess the risks before work. Walk through the processing area, list each hazard, decide who could be harmed and mark the controls needed.
2. Train every worker in the use of each machine and process before they are allowed to work alone, and display simple instructions and warning signs in each work area.
3. Wear the correct protective equipment, listed below, and make sure that it is clean, in good condition and the right size.
4. Keep floors dry and clean, and use non-slip mats where water is used. Clean spills at once and place a warning sign until the floor is dry.
5. Keep knives sharp, cut on a stable board and always cut away from the body. Store knives in a holder and never leave them in a sink full of water.
6. Handle hot items with insulated gloves or cloths, lift lids away from the face so that steam escapes away from you, and use tongs, baskets or lifters for jars and trays.
7. Before using a pressure canner, check the vent, gauge and sealing ring, and open it only when the pressure has fallen to zero.
8. Switch off and disconnect equipment before cleaning or clearing a blockage. Keep cables off wet floors, and make sure equipment is earthed and that wet hands never touch plugs or switches.
9. Keep a fire extinguisher suitable for the area, a first aid kit and an emergency contact list where they are easy to reach, and keep the exits clear.
10. Store gas cylinders upright, outside or in a ventilated place, and check hoses and connections for leaks.
11. Lift loads correctly, with a straight back and bent knees, and use trolleys for heavy crates. Rotate tasks to avoid standing in one position for too long.
12. Report every injury, near miss and unsafe condition to the supervisor, so that the cause can be corrected.

Personal protective equipment

First aid for common injuries

• Burns and scalds: Cool the area under clean running water for a long time, remove tight items such as rings, do not burst blisters or apply fat, and cover with a clean dry dressing. Take serious burns to a health facility.
• Cuts: Press on the wound with a clean cloth to stop the bleeding, raise the limb, clean and cover the wound, and seek medical help for deep cuts. Any piece of glass in the food batch means the batch must be discarded.
• Chemical splash: Rinse the eyes or skin with plenty of clean water and seek medical help, taking the product label along.
• Electric shock: Switch off the power at the main switch before touching the person, and then give first aid and call for help.

The record of injuries and corrective actions is kept as set out under Record keeping.