News on Occupational Health and Safety

Great news for potato producers: Codex Alimentarius, the 'Food Code' has confirmed the safety of 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene (1,4-DMN) for use on potatoes. 1,4-DMN is a naturally occurring biocontrol agent that enhances dormancy, controls spouting and encourages field-fresh quality in stored potatoes.

Workers at a crisp factory in South Australia have complained that a spicy ingredient is affecting their health.

The United States Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is publishing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings

Patatas Meléndez, la empresa vallisoletana líder en el sector de la patata fresca, pone en marcha el I Plan de Igualdad con el objetivo de alcanzar la equiparación real y efectiva entre hombres y mujeres en todos los niveles de la empresa.

The Washington Potato Co. facility in Warden still smolders the next morning and smoke fills the air after a fire broke out in a potato dehydrator the afternoon of Jan. 21, prompting a response from fire departments across Grant and neighboring Adams counties.

The Washington Potato Company potato dehydration plant in Warden, Washington, was destroyed by a massive fire overnight. The fire caused the immediate evacuation of about a third of nearby town of Warden (pop: 2700) for several hours due to concerns that an ammonia tank located in the plant could burst.

The J.R. Simplot potato processing plant in Grand Forks has closed for two weeks, beginning on Thursday, April 23.

In the United Kingdom, restrictions on the use of products containing Maleic Hydrazide (MH) - used to control volunteers and to suppress sprouting during storage - have been removed following a review by the Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) of the HSE.

Heat-related illness is one of the most common maladies to befall outdoor workers, particularly in agricultural settings.

One of the snack factories of Agro Tech Foods limited, a subsidiary of Conagra Brands in India, was destroyed by fire Sunday.

An equipment fire at the Simplot potato processing plant in Grand Forks, ND late last Wednesday, forced employees to evacuate and caused an estimated USD 150.000 of damage.

The weather has not been kind to potato growers in the United Kingdom. AHDB potatoes offers some helpful tips and guidance to make it a successful potato growing season nevertheless.

An ammonia gas leak from a cold storage plant near Agra (UP, India) has caused damage to potato crops across four nearby villages, affecting some 500 farmers in the area.

Potato Farmers are reminded to consider safety during harvest, since incidents during the potato harvesting season remain a common cause of serious and fatal injury.

Belgian metalworking specialist Burgmetaal has installed 20 lifting systems at Lutosa to facilitate the handling and exchange of the (bag) forming shoulders for the VFFS packaging machines.

Improving safety practices and achieving a safer working environment is a priority for all the EU starch producers. Starch Europe announces today the winners of this year’s safety awards.

Repeated serious safety violations have resulted in a serious workplace injury and in a large fine for the Washington Potato Company, a potato processing company in Warden, Washington.

A fire broke out at the Olde York Potato Chips plant in Brampton, Ontario early Friday morning (June 17).