ABSTRACT
The health and safety of brewery employees can easily become a secondary consideration to the pressures and expectations of beer production. However, safety has to be seen as an equal part of a three-legged stool. Each leg—production, quality, and safety—must share an equal part in the outcomes of a successful brewery operation. All three legs of this stool are considered in this text. All the preceding chapters have dealt with the brewing process, from its conception to the modern process, considering the best routes to quality, quantity, efficiency, and waste disposal. But one essential ingredient that has not yet been fully discussed is trying to operate a brewery without people—nothing would happen! A brewery is a community of its own. Experienced staff operate the brewery, transport staff deliver the raw materials and distribute the beer, experts establish a security system, and a curious public will want to visit the facilities and hope for a tasting, or a meal; and, occasionally, a health and safety officer will appear. Although there are many rules and regulations that must be followed, each brewery is unique; sound good sense and a “seeing eye” go a long way in avoiding unexpected problems. It is anticipated that this chapter will be read by staff of large breweries (many with modern safety machinery) and also by staff of smaller craft breweries, where fewer employees will encounter a wide range of activities, possibly more manually orientated. All should have training on the correct procedures throughout their brewery and be encouraged to comment on specific potential problems that they have identified. 1
