Beer safety

Surprisingly, beer and safety have a lot in common.

A friend of mine, Chris LaPierre who is a brewmaster at Iron Hill Brewery, shared this post from Solemn Oath Brewer's blog that talks about both safety and the dangers inherent in brewing beer. It's both humorous (sometimes, going for the funny is the best way to make sure people pay attention) and serious at the same time. As in most manufacturing industries, there are many dangers present due to the chemicals and compounds used as well as the dangers associated with powered equipment and equipment that contains compounds under pressure.

I think that the following paragraph from the blog applies to not just to breweries but to all industries.

"While breweries are businesses that have to turn a profit, there’s absolutely no justification for the loss of life or limb to save a few bucks, grow faster, make your job easier, or even to make better beer. Making great beer will keep the customers coming back, keep the lights on, and pay the employees, but a single accident could cost all of that–and much more. Because the costs are so high, it is a brewery’s first obligation to protect its employees, contractors, and customers from physical harm. Large breweries have had fully staffed and compliant safety programs in place for years, while small start-ups often don’t have the time or resources to spare to make their operations as safe as they could be."

The size of your company or how long you have been in business is not an excuse to skip basic safety operations and making sure that you do the things necessary to make sure that you stay safe.

If you have a manufacturing area or an area that handles hazardous materials, do all of your employees understand the following:

• What hazardous materials may be located within your building
• Where are these materials located
• Equipment that may be hazardous if operated outside of recommended operating values
• Location of shutoff switches for gas, electric, etc.
• Emergency exit plans from all locations in your building
• Do the office staff understand safe walking areas in manufacturing or shipping areas in your facility

The other point that I like at the end of the blog is something that all job seekers should keep in mind if interviewing for positions at manufacturing facilities - ask what safety precautions are in place. If you don't get a solid answer, you might want to rethink working there.

Just a quick note, when you click the link to Solemn Oath's blog, you will be asked to click yes to being 21 in order to read the blog. It is only used to allow you to access the page.