13 replies to this topic

[liv570]

Hello,

 

New member here. Saw the wealth on knowledge on this forum so I decided to create an account. I work in the United States as a safety manager for a company that manufacture's lotion. So we do have tanks where the chemicals are being mixed to create the lotions. We have assembly lines where worker's bottle and package the employees. As well as a distribution center. Do to poor ventilation and other factors employees do experience heat stress in the summer. They wondered if neckfans were acceptable to wear (we don't allow jewelry). I did my research and this is the only relevant topic i could find which says they need to be UL Certified. Can my assembly line employees wear this to protect them in the summer time in our industry? We do offer heat stress training, an a/c room they can cool off in, give them additional breaks, and also provide water, water with electrolytes, and freezer pops.

 

https://www.osha.gov...ns/2005-02-01-1

Edited by liv570, 12 August 2024 - 03:45 PM.

[MDaleDDF]

You're not food, so you don't have many of the limitations we food folks deal with.   I don't see any sort of safety issue to the consumer.   As far as OSHA, meh.   I doubt they'd say anything about that.

[SQFconsultant]

First of all, good morning and welcome!

 

Second - this....

 

"We have assembly lines where worker's bottle and package the employees."

 

We try to stay away from talking about bottling up employees here - it really opens up a stickie wicket!!!

[liv570]

SQFconsultant

 

Lol, my apologies! They bottle and cap the product after it gets dispensed and labeled.

 

example: lotions, creams, and oils.

[SQFconsultant]

I am familiar with neck fans and don't see how they could cause an issue in a facility such as yours.

[MDaleDDF]

First of all, good morning and welcome!

 

Second - this....

 

"We have assembly lines where worker's bottle and package the employees."

 

We try to stay away from talking about bottling up employees here - it really opens up a stickie wicket!!!

I have a few employees I wouldn't mind putting in a bottle, and throwing overboard!   Lol......

[krissy.cwell]

Good afternoon all! I am reviving this. We bottle mostly coffee syrups in our facility and face many challenges with ventilation and it gets extremely hot in the summer months. I purchased one of these neck fans to inspect to see if they pose any foreign material risk and they don't appear to. My initial thought is to say that we cannot use these but I can't deny that it will make the work experience for our employees so much better. What is the thought on using these in a food plant? 

[SQFconsultant]

Seems like a bandaide.

 

Why has the ventilation issues not been addressed, with proper ventilation the need for neck fans would not be needed.

[krissy.cwell]

Obviously I agree but that is easier said than done. Band-aid or not...it is still a question I'd hoped to get some feedback on. 

[Lynx42]

Good afternoon all! I am reviving this. We bottle mostly coffee syrups in our facility and face many challenges with ventilation and it gets extremely hot in the summer months. I purchased one of these neck fans to inspect to see if they pose any foreign material risk and they don't appear to. My initial thought is to say that we cannot use these but I can't deny that it will make the work experience for our employees so much better. What is the thought on using these in a food plant? 

 

Are they something you provide and can keep clean, or is this something employees buy and can take home with them? 

If you are buying them, handing them out each shift, can keep them clean, regularly inspect them, and have a risk assessment...  I'd start with a risk assessment, then contact your CB to see if it would fly during an audit.
I'm a storage and distribution 3PL, so no manufacturing experience and can only guess.  

[kfromNE]

Obviously I agree but that is easier said than done. Band-aid or not...it is still a question I'd hoped to get some feedback on. 

 

Another band-aid idea - dehumidifiers. I don't know how big some of your rooms are but for smaller rooms - they can make a difference. 

[GMO]

Personally I would say no.  I wouldn't be able to justify why I'm allowing these in a production site outside of clothing when I insist on no jewellery, metal detectable pens and hair being covered.  They tend to be multiple component and easily damaged.  And that would apply to consumer goods as well in my view.

 

On low risk areas, floor fans can be good.  Portable air conditioners can help.  If you have large rooms, putting them in a small in factory office as a "relief area" or even a temporary space can be helpful.  If you're high care / high risk, the area tends to be cool anyway but for obvious reasons fans and hire equipment are not good ideas.

 

Anything can be risk assessed away of course but expect close questioning from auditors if you adopt them.

 

Of course the real answer is to have HVAC systems which are suitable for your space and processes.  I just thought I'd throw that in there...  Because we all bodge answers on these topics because we don't have the funding to do it properly.

[AtomicDancer]

Oooh. Interesting topic. We are struggling with one room in particular overheating in our current building. We'd love to install a full HVAC system, but have several hurdles we are working through. This seems like a possible solution, with risk assessment, until we can pass all the hurdles.

 

As summers continue to get warmer, more companies that didn't need AC in the past are finding themselves in need now. 

[GMO]

 

As summers continue to get warmer, more companies that didn't need AC in the past are finding themselves in need now. 

 

Maybe I'm too long in the tooth but I've found that it's more common for installations to go ahead with "non essentials" like HVAC removed to save costs.  Project teams are often well aware that there are heat risks in summer and do nothing to mitigate because it's expensive.