In the twelve year period April 2000 to March 2012 there were 53 fatal injuries in the food and drink manufacturing industries.
These fatalities involved machinery/plant (38%), workplace transport (25%), falls from height (15%), confined spaces/asphyxiation (11%), struck by an object (8%), animals (2%) and electrocution (2%).
Fatal injuries since April 2000 include:
| Industry | Agent involved | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee | Transport (fork lift truck) | Driver crushed when FLT overturned, possibly during sharp turn |
| Biscuits | Transport | Reach truck struck door lintel which dislodged and fell on driver |
| Brewing | Transport | FLT driver trapped when FLT overturned while unloading beer kegs from HGV |
| Sea food | High fall | Worker fell 2.3m from racking in freezer store and suffered head injuries |
| Cocoa/chocolate | High fall | Lift stuck between two floors. Worker climbed out, lost footing, and fell to basement |
| Slaughtering | Machinery/plant | Electrician crushed by animal handling machinery he was trying to repair |
| Bakery | Transport | Driver crushed when shunter unit reversed onto HGV trailer docked in loading bay |
| Soup | Machinery/plant | Worker scalded when pressurized cooking vessel was opened due to fault |
| Fish products | High fall | Worker fell from FLT forks while attaching bulk bag onto forks |
| Bakery | Machinery/plant | Fitter struck by dough mixing machine which fell from raised forks of FLT |
| Animal feed | Machinery/plant | Worker reached through feed opening on top of large mixer when pneumatic sliding hatch over opening closed unexpectedly |
| Meat processing | Transport | Worker run over by fork lift truck carrying plastic crates |
| Bakery | Low fall | Worker fixing machine when he fell from a low platform and struck his head on floor |
| Meat | Transport | FLT entered chiller unit, driver found on floor behind truck with head injuries |
| Meat | Transport | HGV driver trapped between tractor and trailer when it moved as the trailer legs were raised |
| Sugar | Transport | Worker struck by loading shovel while crossing large warehouse |
| Sugar | Machinery/plant | Worker suffered burns when boiler at sugar processing plant exploded |
| Cheese | Confined space | TIG welding contractor overcome after entering vessel containing small volume of argon at base |
| Bakery | Transport | Pallet of flour fell from lorry during unloading trapping worker |
| Sugar | High fall | Contractor fell 8.5m from scissor lift fitted with a fenced platform |
| Pet food | Machinery/plant | Worker trapped while unblocking palletising/depalletising machine |
| Sugar | Machinery/plant | Excavator with driver fell into water while being transferred from jetty to hold of ship |
| Animal by-products | Confined space | Electrical fitter overcome by fumes when he entered plant to assist a co-worker checking a blockage |
| Malt products | High fall | Worker fell from fenced access platform at a silo/bucket elevator |
| Milk/creamery | Transport | HGV driver crushed between his vehicle and another as he ran to stop his unbraked vehicle running away |
| Bakery | Transport | Agency lorry driver's head became trapped in tail lift mechanism while driver unloading empty bread baskets |
| Animal feed | High fall | Employee fell 5m to the ground through an unfenced opening in a mezzanine floor |
| Animal feed | Machinery/plant | Two maintenance workers cleaning the inside of a large feed mixer died when it started running |
| Brewery | Asphyxiation | Maintenance fitter was overcome by carbon dioxide when working on a carbon dioxide pump |
| Pet foods | Machinery/plant | Maintenance worker became trapped in a packaging machine which stacked trays of pet food |
| Slaughtering | Animals | Heffer escaped from rear of delivery lorry and struck worker who died of head injuries |
| Snack foods | Asphyxiation | Delivery driver died of chlorine inhalation while unloading chemicals |
| Rice | Machinery/Plant | Worker entered silo and trapped leg in screw auger, died later in hospital |
| Animal feedstuffs | High falls | Lorry driver fell from road tanker being loaded with animal feedstuffs |
| Animal feedstuffs | Asphyxiation | Lorry driver was buried by animal feed pellets at rear of bulker lorry during tipping/unloading. |
| Meat processing | Machinery/plant | Cleaning supervisor died while carrying out a cleaning operation on a large meat blender |
| Sugar confectionery | Machinery/plant | Worker became trapped when clearing blockage in sweet making machine |
| Meat processing | Machinery/plant | Worker crushed when meat conveyor he was assisting to dismantle fell on him |
| Wine production | Struck by object | Vineyard worker unloading bottles from lorry when load fell on him |
| Pet foods | Transport | Lift truck driver trapped head between cab and fixed plant |
| Confectionery | Machinery/plant | Production worker received severe head injuries when his head was trapped in a 'robot' depalletising machine. |
| Bakery | Machinery/plant | Production manager died following an explosion during the lighting of a gas oven |
| Animal feed | Machinery/plant | Worker reached through feed opening on top of large mixer when pneumatic sliding hatch over opening closed unexpectedly |
| Meat processing | Transport | Worker run over by fork lift truck carrying plastic crates |
| Pet foods | Machinery/plant | Telehandler operator was trapped by moving mast while leaning out of cab side window |
| Soft drinks | Struck by object | Maintenance engineer struck on back of head by gantry as he dismantled it |
| Meat processing (abattoir) | Struck by object | Worker dismantling sliding partition wall mechanism in old refrigeration trailer when mechanism trapped him |
| Animal feed mill | Asphyxiation | Driver was standing at rear of bulk grain tipping trailer and was engulfed by grain when the trailer body was raised to discharge its load |
| Salads | Electrocuted | Contractor working in roof space electrocuted by live wire |
| Meat processing (abattoir) | Machinery/plant | Worker trapped in hide-pulling machine while cleaning it |
| Animal by-products | Machinery/plant | Cow carcass came off overhead rail and hit worker |
| Meat processing (abattoir) | Machinery/plant | Maintenance worker scalded by steam while repairing industrial cooker |
| Animal feeds | Transport | Worker struck by loading shovel whilst collecting samples |
| Dairy | Transport | Worker trying to couple HGV tractor unit to trailer at milk processing/ bottling site |
Note: the above table includes some fatalities to contractors
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