Safety first in October
October is the month for the annual European Health and Safety Week. This year, 13 October sees the start of the campaign designed to raise awareness of health and safety and Arla can safely say it's taking part.
In fact, health and safety awareness will be highlighted across all six dairies next week, with each site planning to improve the awareness of health and safety risks in the work place.
"This year the campaign aims to focus on hazardous substances which is something people in our dairies deal with everyday," said Andy Baxter, health and safety advisor for the south.
"When we heard about the week, we had to get involved. Everyone has put a lot of effort into organising courses and training which highlights the issues and efforts we go to with regards to health and safety at Arla," he added.
Highlights of the activities planned for national health and safety week include;
- COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health) training and practical sessions for risk assessors at both Hatfield Peverel and Settle
- COSHH presentations at Newcastle
- Health and safety poster campaign at Bamber Bridge
- Official opening of the chemical store at Hatfield, following months of work refurbishing the building
- Launch of a chemical electronic register for all employees at Settle
- Ecolob, one of Arla's main suppliers of chemicals will be visiting both Hatfield Peverel and Settle to share their expertise
- Leeds will be focussing all their efforts on updating all COSHH information at the site
"I would like to thank everyone involved in promoting European Health and Safety Week and in the projects undertaken at each site to target the safe use and handling of substances," said Bill Page, group health and safety manager.
"It is through initiatives like this that awareness is raised about the importance of following safe working practices when dealing with chemicals and other hazardous substances."
Arla Foods UK plc is home to some of the UK’s leading dairy brands including Cravendale, Lurpak and Anchor. Processing approximately two billion litres of milk a year Arla continues to be one of the UK’s leading dairy companies and a supplier of fresh liquid milk and cream to the top seven retailers.
Over 2,500 daily deliveries are made directly to stores nationwide and Arla brands can be found across the dairy category. As well as the leader of the butter, spreads and margarine sector, and a major supplier of other added value products including flavoured milk and cheese, Arla continues to build working relationships with Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a unique group of dairy farmers, which supplies around 90 per cent of Arla's total milk requirements.
Behind this leading business is a team of circa 2,800 people across the UK located at our dairies, distribution centres and head office.