Reduce the risk, protect your employees

Hand hygiene plays an important role in any food handling environment. It is vital to reduce the risks of cross-contamination and keep workers skin healthy. Failure to do so can lead to:

The spread of germs, leading to the cross contamination of food is a significant threat to any food handling environment with food workers consistently implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks.

“Every year foodborne diseases cause 1 in 10 people to fall ill and can be deadly resulting in 420,000 deaths.”[1]

“39% of staff do not wash their hands after visiting the toilet, while 53% do not wash their hands before preparing food.”[2]

Occupational Skin Disease (OSD) is an invisible threat to health and efficiency in the workplace that goes largely unreported. With no clear guidelines for skin care best practice there is insufficient perception of the problem and the lack of understanding of the consequences of poor skin condition.

40% of dermatitis cases in the food industry are caused by contact with foods Furthermore; damaged skin increases the risk of cross-contaminating food.”[3]

“The incidence of occupational skin disease may be underestimated by 10-50 time”.[4]

Safer food, better business

Food workers are consistently implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks. Preventing the spread of germs and cross-contamination of food is therefore essential to running a safe and effective food business.

To help meet overall safety and sustainability goals, effective and environmentally sound skin care solutions must be sought as part of your food safety management procedures.

Implementing skin care best practice is essential to ensure hand hygiene compliance and maintain food safety standards in the workplace.

 

 

Risks for Employees

  • Sickness absence from work
  • Reduced efficiency at work
  • Reduced pay
  • Lower morale

 

An invisible threat to efficiency, health & well- being

It’s not only foodborne illness that presents a significant threat to the food industry. Occupational skin disease is a serious health issue that goes largely unreported in the workplace.

However, most cases of occupational skin disease can be avoided by implementing structured skin management processes to reduce the risk of skin exposure to irritating substances and hazards.

About 40% of dermatitis cases in the food industry are caused by contact with foods. Furthermore, damaged skin increases the risk of cross-contaminating food.

Risks for Employers

  • Contaminated food entering the food chain
  • Food spoilage and wastage
  • Bad publicity
  • Reduced productivity
  • Increased costs due to sickness days
  • In worst cases, potential compensation claims

Occupational dermatitis is more easily prevented than cured and the costs of prevention are much less than those of a cure.


[1] WHO Estimates of the Global Burden of Foodborne Diseases, 2015   
[2] Food Standards Agency  
[3] HSE Food    
[4] European Dermatology Forum White Book – Skin Diseases