Ep. 116. Warren, Houlroyd, White: The Intersection of Food Safety and Worker Safety

Hilarie Warren, M.P.H., C.I.H., manages the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center at Georgia Tech, one of the first OTI Education Centers in the national network of occupational safety and health training organizations authorized by OSHA.

Jenny Houlroyd, M.S.P.H., C.I.H., has worked as an industrial hygienist with the OSHA Consultation Program for 16 years, providing onsite OSHA compliance assistance for businesses throughout the state of Georgia. She serves as the Manager of the Occupational Health Group for that program.

Wendy White, M.Sc., is the Food and Beverage Industry Manager for the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech. She leads GaMEP's food industry services, which include regulatory compliance, HACCP food safety plans, and third-party audit certification preparation. Ms. White holds a B.S. degree in Biology and an M.Sc. degree in Food Microbiology from the University of Georgia and is an FSPCA PCQI Human Foods Lead Instructor, an International HACCP Alliance Lead Instructor, and an ASQ Certified Quality Auditor. She is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine.

In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Hilarie, Jenny, and Wendy [18:35] about:

• The critical intersection of food safety and worker safety in food production and processing
• The difficulties third-shift workers face with regard to safety and workplace culture, and how those difficulties affect worker health and safety, as well as food safety
• The importance of internal communication between food safety and personnel safety departments and how communication gaps can occur
• Addressing workplace injury trends, using a holistic approach, to uncover broader issues that may also impact food safety
• Factors that lead to underreporting of worker injuries and how companies can encourage workers to report occupational and food safety hazards
• Confusion that contractors and small businesses face in navigating their responsibilities to OSHA
• Differences between food safety and worker safety audits and inspections
• The OSHA Consultation Program that is available for small- and mid-sized businesses as part of the Occupational Safety and Health Act

Links to Warren, Houlroyd, White Food Safety Magazine articles:Food Safety and Employee Safety: Two Sides of the Same Coin Into the Wee Hours, Sanitation and Safety Keep Working Side by Side

News and Resources FDA Completes Report on Processed Avocado and Guacamole Sampling[5:43] USDA: Salmonella Causes Most Pathogen-Based Import Violations, 2002–2019 [9:37] New FSIS Webpage: Reducing Salmonella in Poultry [14:22] IFST Releases New Best Practice Food Safety Governance Guide for Directors [15:52]

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