Is homicide a risk in your food plant?

Workplace safety — it's a must-have criterion for every food processor. But accidents and injuries do happen — here is a quick look at workplace fatalities in the United States in 2006.

The US Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2006 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries makes interesting reading as many parallels can be drawn with Australian/New Zealand occupational health and safety. In the US between 1992 and 2006, the four most frequent work-related fatal events were:

• Highway incidents
• Homicides
• Falls
• Struck by object

Transportation incidents accounted for more work-related fatalities than any other event. Highway incidents alone accounted for nearly one out of every four fatal work injuries in 2006. Within the food and beverage manufacturing sector in Australia and New Zealand, transportation is also one of the most dangerous activities.

However, in Australia and New Zealand, contrary to the US, assaults and violent attacks are not a frequent cause of workplace fatalities. In 2006, in the US, 754 people died as a result of assaults and violent acts. This means that 13% of workplace fatalities were from assaults and violent acts, with 9% of workplace fatalities being homicides.

In the report, the total number of fatalities for food, beverage and tobacco product manufacturing was 72, which includes 33 fatalities from transportation incidents, 18 from "contact with object and equipment", five from falls, five from "exposure to harmful substances or environments", seven from "fires and explosions" and three fatalities from assaults and violent acts.

It is obviously better to be in food processing than dealing directly with the public however, because there were 61 fatalities among food and beverage store workers and 100 deaths in food services and drinking places.

At the other end of the food chain, farming, fishing and forestry had the highest fatality rate at 29.2 deaths per 100 000 employed (the 'all worker' fatality rate was 3.9 deaths per 100 000 employed). The safest occupation group was 'office and administrative support' with 0.4 fatalities per 100 000 employed.

There are a few other highlights that may be worth considering when reviewing your workplace safety.

Women: Only 8% of US fatalities were women but their fatality rate was higher than that for men in both highway incidents and homicides.

Age: Contrary to what you might expect, the fatal work injury rates increased as the workers' ages increased. The fatality rate for workers under 45 was lower than the overall rate (3.9/100 000). This rate increased to 4.0 for workers aged between 45 and 55, 4.9 for workers aged between 55 and 65 and to a staggering 10.8 for workers aged 65 and over.

No one wants to see any workplace injuries or even worse, deaths. Is it time to review your occupational safety protocols?