Food firm tackles falls

A food manufacturer has reduced accidents and near-misses after taking advice from shopworkers' union USDAW.

Cavaghan & Gray, a subsidiary of Northern Foods making chilled ready meals, had a high accident rate in its Carlisle factory until managers and union reps agreed a joint approach to making the workplace safer, culminating in a "zero tolerance" campaign last year.

Since then, no major accidents have occurred, RIDDOR-reportable accidents (see "Workplace accidents are heavily under-reported" elsewhere in this issue) have fallen by two-thirds and lost-time accidents are down by 90%.

"The fact that the management worked closely with the union was the key to success," said USDAW convenor Mary Kennedy.