Posted By Steve Holliday
Having moved from the chemical business to the food business a couple of years ago, the biggest difference that I came across was the lower standard of H&S understanding by operational management. It would seem that the food industry in general still believes that pre-'74 style safety officers still exist and it is they not management that are RESPONSIBLE for all aspects of H&S. In most cases they fail to understand that H&S is a management function supported by competend ADVICE!

With this in mind I recently read the 48 pages of jobs advertised in the September issue of "Food Manufature". I could find only one supervisory, engineering or management position that mentioned H&S as part of the recruitment criteria or job description. This single entry was not in the food industry however but for Toyota car manufacture, recruiting from the food industry. From memory, these types of jobs advertised in the equivalent chemical manufacturing periodical would virtually all have contained references to H&S.

I am not entirely sure what my point is here and I am also sure it is not just the food industy that has this issue, or that all food manufacturers are the same. I do however think it is worthy of comment as we as safety practitioners strive to improve safety management as an integrated function. If managers are not recruited with even a reference to H&S surely this puts us on a backward foot from the start.

Comments please.