How to prevent produce department pitfalls, (almost) literally

You can have it all. Or not.

You can drive the maximum produce sales, have the highest gross profits, be a leader in merchandising and innovation. A real trendsetter. However, it’s all for naught with a single injury to an employee or if a customer slips and falls.

Because of this, every company has a safety and loss department (or equivalent) as a part of its organization. The produce industry at every level is no exception. Loss is defined as product neglect, damage or theft. Included in this equation, and just as important, are safety standards. When precautions are overlooked, people can and do get hurt — even killed.

Nobody wants to see the loss in human terms, but when safety is compromised, the unsavory results are lost time, doctor bills, insurance, legal costs and more. These losses can bury an organization. It's why many workplaces post “Safety First” signs with “X Amount of Days Accident Free!”

Read more: This article is from the May-June issue of PMG magazine. See all the rest.

The message is for everyone to think safety and remain accident and injury-free.

In 2021 alone, there were 2.6 million cases of nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses and 5,190 deaths in private industry overall, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. It’s unfortunate, sad, sobering, all too real — and preventable.

To prevent adding to these sobering numbers as much as possible, consider these five suggestions in your produce operation.

1. Incorporate safety into everything

Many produce warehouses or retail crews begin their day with a team briefing. This is the time to remind everyone that whatever they do, do it safely. The safety talk given on a regular basis can vary in creativity or delivery. “If anyone wants to leave here in stitches today, we’d rather it happen due to a clever joke, not because of an ugly injury,” might be one (albeit, groaner) example.

2. Coach best practices when monitoring clerks throughout their shifts

The emphasis always seems to focus on the how-to portion of training: How to locate needed produce, how to operate trash compactors, how to use a hand-operated pallet jack, how to use a power jack, how to unload a truck, how to put away a produce load, how to stock, how to trim, how to rotate product, and more. The important part too often missing is how to perform these tasks safely.

3. Identify potential hazards and be proactive, not reactive

My dad used to warn us when we were young that “sharp things cut, and hot things burn,” whenever handling or being around anything that could cause an injury. In a warehouse or retail backroom, the same message could be conveyed when observing someone use a riding electric mule or jack. Mention that dangling a foot over the equipment platform might feel liberating but has also caused many a crushed ankle when suddenly wedged against a wall or curb. Have a blind corner in the warehouse or backroom produce hall? That’s a good place to mandate slowing down. Consider adding flashing yellow lights or hanging a convex safety mirror. Or both.

Other accidents waiting to happen might be prevented by:

• Regularly keeping spills cleaned up. Avoid working on wet or icy surfaces.
• Disposing of all empty cartons or other debris to avoid trips and falls.
• Looking up. If product in reserve racks leans, this needs immediate attention.
• Looking up some more. Be aware of where electrical or ammonia lines are located.
• Only using properly operable tools, sharp knives or box cutters. Dull blades are far more prone to slipping, which causes injuries.
• Safely and neatly stacking empty pallets, being aware of exposed nails or other sharp edges.
• Shipper crates or cartons can pose potential safety hazards such as being wet, overly heavy or having sharp exposed staples or wires.
• Produce loads often have heavy plastic wrap or shipping straps. Dispose of all hazardous materials promptly to avoid cuts, trips or falls.
• Dim areas conceal potential hazards. Keep all work and prep areas well-lit and replace fixtures with bright LED bulbs.
• Keeping fire extinguishers and exit doors clear of debris, in working order and accessible.
• Wearing protective gear (as applicable) such as gloves, back braces, steel-toed footwear.

Everyday safety stocking tips in the produce aisle

• Avoid overloading produce carts.
• Haste makes waste. Maneuver carts and pallets around carefully. Never rush.
• Ask for help. For example, it’s wise to ask for help when unloading a precarious pallet off a truck, using ladders, unloading heavy bales of potatoes, onions or when stacking watermelons.
• Use common sense. Coach employees how to lift product safely, using leg muscles, and especially avoid lifting and twisting when handling produce.
• Keep all knives, tools, supplies and prep areas properly sanitized, within reach and orderly.
• Avoid use of and report any damaged or malfunctioning equipment right away.
• Use “wet floor” signs to warn others of potential slippery surfaces.
• Follow all cleaner chemicals guidelines, handle with care and take all precautions.

Taking care of business … and working overtime?

It’s not just the lyrics to the 1973 Bachman-Turner Overdrive hit song. Overtime is something to avoid. Many on-the-job injuries happening when working overtime. It only makes sense: Extended shifts create fatigue. Fatigue slows reaction time and concentration, and injuries can result. Besides costing an organization a higher effective hourly rate, overtime injuries negate any benefit. Schedule accordingly and minimize the OT risks.

Training is key. Incorporate safety training for not only warehouse and retail produce managers but with every employee. Encourage everyone to enroll in company first-aid training, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) training, and make them aware of emergency procedures. Health and safety should be part of everything you do when working with fresh produce.

As one related sign calls out, “Prepare & Prevent — Instead of Repair and Repent."

 — Armand Lobato is foodservice promotion director of the Idaho Potato Commission and was formerly a produce category manager, merchandiser and buyer.