New injury targets for food industry

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Food Section, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and the main food industry trade unions - the GMB and T&G general unions, distribution workers' union USDAW and the BFAWU bakers' union -have agreed injury reduction targets.

The targets form part of a new common strategy document on health and safety. The objectives of the revised document include raising awareness of the need to further improve health and safety performance and the cost and benefits in doing so and concentrating on the 'priority' health and safety issues as set out in the HSE's booklet A recipe for safety. Since the FDF, trade unions and HSE's Food Section began implementing the common strategy in 1990, injuries have dropped by over 15% and fatalities by over 40%.

* A recipe for safety is free from HSE books, tel: 01787 881165 or visit www.hse.gov.uk.