Food processing machinery

Injury statistics

In the food and drink industries machinery and plant causes:

  • over 30% of fatal injuries
  • over 10% of major injuries (eg requiring hospitalisation)
  • over 7% of all injuries (ie major injuries and over-3-day absence injuries)
  • almost 500 injuries per year reportable to HSE.

Main causes of injury

Analysis of injuries investigated by HSE in the food and drink industries over a four year period highlighted the main types of machinery involved:

  • Conveyors; 30%
  • Fork lift trucks: 12%
  • Bandsaws: 5%
  • Thermoform machines, pie and tart machines, palletisers/depalletisers, strapping/ banding/tapping machines and mincing/ grinding/mixing machines: 4% each
  • Food mixers, wrapping machines, dough moulders and depositors: 3% each
  • Slicers, dough dividers, derinders, drinks bottling machinery, roll plant and kegging plant: 2% each
  • Patty formers, cartoning machines, vertical thermoform machines, drinks labelling/marking machines, shrink wrapping machines and drinks process machinery: 1% each
  • Drinks crating/decrating machines, stamping/ punching / franking machines and drinks canning machinery: 0.5% each

Conveyors

  • Conveyors are involved in 30% of all machinery accidents in the food/drink industries - more than any other class of machine
  • 90% of conveyor injuries occur on flat belt conveyors
  • 90% of the injuries involve well known hazards such as in-running transmission parts and trapping points between moving and fixed parts
  • 90% of accidents occur during normal foreseeable operations - production activities, clearing blockages etc
  • Safeguarding of hazardous parts of conveyors may be by design (eg lift-out rollers that prevent finger trapping), fixed guarding (requiring a hand tool such as a spanner to remove) or hinged or removable interlocked guards (eg guards fitted with coded, magnetic interlock switches to prevent the machine running with the guard removed). In the food industry interlocked guards have the advantage of making the machine easier to hygienically clean on a frequent basis, however maintenance when subject to cleaning fluids may be higher
  • A safe system of work should be in place for daily and routine hygienic cleaning of the conveyor that ensures workers are not placed at risk of injury from unguarded moving parts. The system of work used should be formalised and workers appropriately trained.

Purchasing new machinery

When purchasing new machinery it is important to:

  • Select work equipment which is suitable for its intended use in respect of health and safety
  • Specify clearly the health, safety and hygienic design requirements for the supplier to meet (including noise levels)
  • Check that the equipment supplied meets your specification and the supplier has met their legal duties.

European CEN 'C' standards

The European Standardisation Committee (CEN) has produced a number of European CEN 'C' standards which set out safety requirements for certain types or groups of food machine. If there is a published standard relevant to a machine you are purchasing, this should be specified in the purchase contract. Some standards are still being drafted.

CEN 'C' standards implement the more generic requirements of harmonised CEN 'A' and 'B' standards. 'A' standards are the basic standards which apply to all machinery, an example being BS EN ISO 12100-2:2003, Safety of Machinery - Basic concepts, General principles for design. 'B' standards are group safety standards dealing with one aspect such as electrical parts of machines, or one type of safety-related device such as two-hand control devices.

A 'CE' mark on a machine is a claim by the manufacturer that the machine is safe and complies with the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSRs) of the supply law (for example by complying with the relevant CEN standards). However machine purchasers still need to check the machine is actually safe before use and check the EC Declaration of Conformity provided with the machine.

Pre-CEN Standard machines

Old pre-CEN Standard machines (typically made before 2000-2005) are subject to the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998. This requires machinery to be suitable for its purpose, properly maintained, and safe to clean and use.

The CEN standards referred to above should be used as a benchmark for these older machines. Where the standard of safeguarding on an old machine is lower than that for a new machine (as is usually the case), a risk assessment to determine the 'risk gap' should be carried out. If it is reasonably practicable to upgrade the safeguarding to the modern standard taking into account the technical challenges, frequency of use, cost etc. then this should be done. If upgrading is not reasonably practicable, then consideration should be given to replacing the machine within a reasonable timescale taking into account any increased risk of injury from using the machine, frequency of use, safe systems of work etc.

European CEN 'C' standards for food machinery safety

The British Standards listed below provide the safety design requirements for food processing machinery.

Most of these Standards have been updated since publication (e.g. BSEN453:2000 was updated in 2009 to become BSEN453:2000 + A1:2009). These regular +A1, +A2 etc. updates are not shown on the tables below.

The Standards are based on European CEN Standards and are available from British Standards Institution Tel: 020 8996 9001

Generic standards for all food machines

  • Hygiene requirements (for all food machines) - BSEN 1672-2:2005
  • Safety requirements (for all food machines) - In draft as a prEN 1672-1
  • Food depositors - In draft as prEN 15180

Bakery machinery

  • Dough mixers - BSEN 453:2000
  • Planetary mixers - BSEN 454:2000
  • Rotary rack ovens - BSEN 1673:2000
  • Dough & pastry brakes - BSEN 1674:2000
  • Moulders - BSEN 12041:2000
  • Intermediate provers - BSEN 12043:2000
  • Pie and tart machines  - BSEN 13390:2002
  • Automatic dividers - BSEN 12042:2005
  • Bowl lifting and tilting machines - BSEN 13288:2005
  • Mixers with horizontal shafts - BSEN 13389:2005
  • Fixed deck oven loaders - BSEN 13591:2005
  • Bread slicers - BSEN 13954:2005

Meat machinery

  • Mincing machines - BSEN 12331:2003
  • Circular saw machines - BSEN 12267:2003
  • Band saw machines - BSEN 12268:2003
  • Filling machines - BSEN 12463:2004
  • Derinding, skinning and membrane removal machines - BSEN 12355:2003
  • Rotating bowl cutters - BSEN 12855:2003
  • Portable/hand guided machines with mechanically driven cutting tools - BSEN 12984:2005
  • Mixing machines - BSEN 13570:2005
  • Chop cutting machines - BSEN 13870:2005
  • Curing injection machines - BSEN 13534:2006
  • Cube cutting machinery - BSEN 13871:2005
  • Forming machines - In draft as prEN 15165
  • Automatic back splitting machines - BSEN 15166:2008
  • Clipping machines - BSEN 13885:2005
  • Smokehouses - BSEN 15861:2012

Edible oils and fats

  • Centrifuges for processing edible oils and fats - BSEN 12505:2000
  • Raw materials crushers & kneaders - In draft

Pasta machinery

  • Spreader, stripping and cutting machines - BSEN 13379:2001
  • Driers and coolers - BSEN 13289:2001
  • Pasta presses - BSEN 13378:2001
  • Grinding and processing flour & semolina - BSEN 14958:2006
  • Processing fresh and filled pasta - BSEN 15774:2010

Fish processing machinery

  • Fish heading and filleting machines - In draft as prEN 15467

Cereal processing

  • No standards currently planned

Dairy machinery

  • Bulk milk coolers on farms - BSEN 13732:2002

Catering machinery

  • Slicing machines - BSEN 1974:1998
  • Vegetable cutting machines - BSEN 1678:1998
  • Catering attachments for machines having an auxiliary drive hub - BSEN 12851:2005
  • Food processors and blenders  - BSEN 12852:2001
  • Hand held blenders and whisks - BSEN 12853:2001
  • Beam mixers - BSEN 12854:2003
  • Vegetable peelers - BSEN 13208:2003
  • Salad dryers - BSEN 13621:2004
  • Cooking kettles with powered stirrers - BSEN 13886:2005
  • Baguette slicing machines - BSEN 14655:2005
  • Dishwashing machines with conveyor - BSEN 14957:2006

Other useful British Standards:

Protective clothing

  • Protective clothing – protection against cuts and stabs by hand knives  
  • Part 1: Chain mail gloves and arm guards - BSEN 1082-1:1997
  • Part 2: Gloves and arm guards (non chain mail)  - BSEN 1082-2:2000
  • Protective clothing - gloves and arm guards protecting against cuts by powered knives - BSEN 14328:2005
  • Protective clothing – aprons, trousers and vests protecting against cuts and stabs by hand knives - BSEN ISO 13998:2003

Packaging machinery - in all manufacturing industries

Industries using packaging machines

Packaging machines are used in most manufacturing industries. The largest proportion are used in the food/drink manufacturing industries, with the pharmaceutical industries the second largest user. 

Injuries at packaging machines 

Because of their widespread nature it is not possible to pinpoint an injury rate for any particular type of machine. However an analysis of machinery accidents investigated by HSE in the food/drink industries has established the classes of machines listed below require particular attention. Injuries arising from the use, maintenance or clearing blockages at packaging machines can be severe or even fatal (for example with palletizers).

Conveyors

  • Conveyors are involved in 30% of all machinery accidents in the food/drink industries - more than any other class of machine.
  • 90% of conveyor injuries occur on flat belt conveyors.
  • 90% of the injuries involve well known hazards such as in-running nips, transmission parts and trapping points between moving and fixed parts.
  • Safeguarding of hazardous parts of conveyors may be by design (eg lift-out rollers that prevent finger trapping), fixed guarding (requiring a hand tool such as a spanner to remove) or hinged or removable interlocked guards (eg guards fitted with coded, magnetic interlock switches to prevent the machine running with the guard removed). In the food industry interlocked guards have the advantage of making the machine easier to hygienically clean on a frequent basis, however maintenance when subject to cleaning fluids may be higher.
  • A safe system of work should be in place for daily and routine hygienic cleaning of the conveyor that ensures workers are not placed at risk of injury from unguarded moving parts. The system of work used should be formalised and workers appropriately trained.

Thermoform, fill and seal machines

Around 50% of injuries are caused by failures in guarding the two main hazard areas:

  • the forming dies, and
  • the cutters that separate the continuous packaging into individual packs.

The major causative factors are:

  • guards removed or inadequate (36%)
  • guards not provided or fallen into disuse (19%) - unsafe systems of work especially during maintenance (17%).

Guidance on injury prevention is given in:

  • BS EN 415-3:2000
    Safety of packaging machines - Part 3: Form, fill and seal machines available from BSI .

Palletisers and depalletisers

  • Most injuries occur when operators or maintenance personnel enter the machine and become trapped between fixed parts and moving parts such as transfer heads, sweepers, pushers etc. The risk is made greater by the unexpected nature of machine movements.
  • There are also hazards from falling loads, sudden movements of jammed product or pallets that are freed, or by movement due to failure to dump stored energy in pneumatic or hydraulic systems.

Guidance on injury prevention is given in:

  • BS EN 415-4:1998
    Safety of packaging machines - Part 4: Palletisers and depalletisers available from BSI

Pre-formed rigid container machines

Guidance on injury prevention is given in:

  • BSEN 415-2:2000
    Safety of packaging machines Part 2: Pre-formed rigid container packaging machines, available from BSI (see below).

Wrapping machines

  • BSEN 415-5:2006
    Safety of Packaging Machines: Wrapping machines

Pallet wrapping machines

  • BSEN 415-6:2006
    Safety of Packaging Machines: Pallet wrapping machines

Group packaging machines

  • BSEN 415-7:2006
    Safety of Packaging Machines: Group packaging machines

Strapping machines

  • BSEN 415-8:2008
    Safety of Packaging Machines: Strapping machines

Noise measurement methods for packaging machines

  • BSEN 415-9:2009
    Safety of Packaging Machines: Noise measurement methods for packaging machines, packaging lines and associated equipment

Availability of BS EN standards

Copies of published BS EN standards (but not those in preparation) are available from:

BSI Customer Services
389 Chiswick High Road
London W4 4AL
Tel: 020 8996 9001
Website: http://www.bsigroup.com/

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Updated 2025-05-20