Food & Beverage Manufacturing EHS & Safety Management Software

Connect safety across production, sanitation, refrigeration, and restart.

Manage chemical exposures, machinery hazards, refrigeration findings, and corrective work across food plants, beverage facilities, and cold storage. Dexur EHS connects each report to the line, equipment, operating phase, responsible team, and evidence of correction.

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From report to resolution

Follow the Hazard Across the Production Cycle

A conveyor that is guarded during production may expose moving parts during washdown. A clean-in-place circuit may retain heat, pressure, or chemicals after the product run ends. Record what the worker was doing when the hazard arose—not just the department.

Connect overnight sanitation findings to maintenance repairs and the next shift’s restart review. Keep worker-safety verification and food-safety release decisions separately accountable.

Production → Changeover → Sanitation → Maintenance → Restart
  1. 01

    Identify

    Record the line, task, and operating phase.

  2. 02

    Investigate

    Review isolation, chemical, or equipment conditions.

  3. 03

    Prioritize

    Assess potential harm and current controls.

  4. 04

    Assign

    Name the repair owner and verification reviewer.

  5. 05

    Correct

    Document the change and interim protection.

  6. 06

    Verify

    Check effectiveness during the relevant operating phase.

One unified platform

Six Connected Workflows for Food Plant EHS

01

Incidents & Near Misses

Capture sanitation splashes, slicer injuries, freezer-door collisions, and unexpected equipment movement. Link reports to the chemical, machine, shift, and employer involved.

02

Inspections & Hazards

Use task-specific checks for guarding, washdown access, dosing connections, floor drainage, refrigeration areas, and forklift routes. Track repeat defects on the same asset.

03

Compliance Records

Connect applicable OSHA records to equipment procedures, training evidence, exposure assessments, and investigations. Keep plant-specific applicability and responsible reviewers visible.

04

Corrective Actions

Assign repairs to guards, dosing systems, drains, and workstation layouts. Record temporary controls, completion evidence, and verification during cleaning or production.

05

Contractor Coordination

Link sanitation providers and refrigeration technicians to site orientation, host–contractor procedure coordination, findings, and handover responsibilities.

06

Environmental Follow-Up

Associate wastewater excursions, refrigerant releases, and spills with the originating process. Track sampling obligations, permit conditions, and corrective work.

01 / SANITATION

Chemical Safety During CIP and Open-Plant Cleaning

Caustic wash solutions, acid descalers, hypochlorite products, and peracetic-acid sanitizers create different exposure scenarios. Distinguish closed-circuit cleaning from foaming, manual dilution, hose disconnection, and chemical changeover.

  • Capture the product, concentration where known, dosing skid or connection, application method, and cleaning phase involved in an exposure.
  • Link splash and inhalation reports to safety data sheets, labeling, PPE assessments, emergency washing facilities, and ventilation findings.
  • Investigate incompatible chemical connections, leaking hoses, residual pressure, and incomplete draining before assigning the equipment correction.

Example: Repeated splashes at a dairy CIP return connection prompt a review of hose compatibility, depressurization, and connection design. Verify the repair during the next cleaning cycle.

Compliance focus: Hazard Communication, 29 CFR 1910.1200; PPE, 1910.132 and 1910.133; emergency flushing facilities, 1910.151(c), where applicable. Regulatory reference ↗

02 / CLEANING & RESTART

Protect Workers During Machine Cleaning and Jam Clearing

Slicers, grinders, mixers, fillers, and palletizers may retain electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, mechanical, or thermal energy. Cleaning access and product-changeover tasks need their own hazard review.

  • Associate findings with the equipment-specific isolation procedure, energy sources, stored-energy controls, and the task requiring access.
  • Document host–contractor coordination and transfer of energy-control protection between sanitation and maintenance shifts.
  • Link damaged guards and bypassed interlocks to repair evidence and a designated verification reviewer before the affected task resumes.

Example: A mixer-cleaning near miss is investigated against the actual isolation points and stored energy, with follow-up covering both the sanitation crew and the supervisor responsible for restart.

Compliance focus: Lockout/tagout, 29 CFR 1910.147, for covered servicing and maintenance; machine guarding, 1910.212. A stop button is not an energy-isolating device. Regulatory reference ↗

03 / REFRIGERATION & BEVERAGE GASES

Track Ammonia and CO₂ Events by System and Task

Ammonia refrigeration findings at freezers and cold stores differ from carbon dioxide concerns around fermentation, carbonation, and gas storage. Keep substance, location, operating condition, and response responsibilities distinct.

  • Connect release reports to the affected valve, evaporator, compressor, transfer point, or gas supply system.
  • Track documented detector checks, ventilation findings, service-provider actions, and emergency-plan follow-up.
  • For covered ammonia processes, connect mechanical-integrity findings, process hazard analysis recommendations, and management-of-change actions to accountable owners.

Example: Repeated findings on a freezer evaporator remain visible to refrigeration personnel and plant management until repair and verification evidence are recorded.

Compliance focus: OSHA identifies ammonia refrigeration systems with 10,000 pounds or more as covered by PSM, 29 CFR 1910.119. Evaluate the covered process and inventory; lower inventories still require hazard controls. Regulatory reference ↗

04 / DRY INGREDIENT HANDLING

Control Dust Findings at Bag Dumps, Mixers, and Collectors

Flour, sugar, starch, and other combustible powders can create fire or explosion hazards when conditions allow. Bakeries and dry-blending plants need visibility into the equipment and transfer points generating dust.

  • Locate observations at bag-dump stations, sifters, pneumatic conveying systems, mixers, collectors, and elevated surfaces.
  • Link dust accumulation and collection-system defects to maintenance work, cleaning methods, and documented hazard evaluations.
  • Track ignition-source findings and hot-work coordination near ingredient handling; verify that the source of recurring deposits has been addressed.

Example: Flour repeatedly collecting above a mixer leads to a review of the leaking transfer connection and dust capture, rather than repeated cleanup alone.

Compliance focus: Apply relevant OSHA provisions and the General Duty Clause to recognized combustible-dust hazards. Applicable controls depend on material properties, equipment, and the facility hazard assessment. Regulatory reference ↗

05 / CUTTING, PACKING & COLD STORAGE

Find Repetitive-Strain Patterns at the Workstation

Deboning, trimming, hand packing, case handling, and palletizing involve different combinations of repetition, force, reach, and posture. Grouping all reports under “production” obscures the task that needs redesign.

  • Record workstation, tool, reach distance, product format, shift, and the task associated with reported discomfort or injury.
  • Connect ergonomic assessments to knife-maintenance findings, adjustable work heights, lift-assist changes, and workstation repairs.
  • Review cold-room conditions, wet-floor observations, and freezer-door traffic separately so handling changes do not introduce another hazard.

Example: Repeated shoulder complaints at a case-packing station lead to a revised conveyor height and reduced reach. Follow-up checks evaluate the changed task during a normal production run.

Compliance focus: OSHA’s poultry-processing guidance identifies repetition, awkward posture, and force as ergonomic risk factors. Apply relevant task-specific requirements; there is no general federal OSHA ergonomics standard. Regulatory reference ↗

06 / PROCESS LOSSES & WASTEWATER

Trace Effluent Excursions Back to the Production Event

Milk or syrup losses, fats and solids, and spent cleaning solutions can affect wastewater loading and pH. An environmental record is more useful when it identifies the product loss or cleaning cycle behind the result.

  • Link sampling results and excursions to discharge point, production batch or line, CIP cycle, and documented plant limits.
  • Assign follow-up for dosing failures, product dumps, drain routing, containment, and wastewater-treatment equipment defects.
  • Track required monitoring and reporting dates against the facility’s actual permit or sewer-use obligations.

Example: A pH excursion following acid cleaning is connected to the discharge route and neutralization-system review. Record corrective work and subsequent monitoring evidence.

Compliance focus: Municipal sewer discharges may be subject to 40 CFR Part 403 and local limits; direct discharges may require NPDES authorization. Limits depend on the facility and discharge route. Regulatory reference ↗

Keep Food Plant Safety Records Ready for Review

For each event, capture the production line, equipment, operating phase, chemical or energy source, people involved, immediate controls, and investigation evidence. Connect actions to their owner, deadline, and verification record.

Report → Investigate → Assign → Correct → Verify → Review Recurrence
Requirement Food & Beverage application Records and follow-up to connect
Lockout/Tagout — 29 CFR 1910.147 Covered cleaning, servicing, and maintenance of mixers, conveyors, slicers, fillers, and packaging equipment. Equipment-specific procedures, periodic inspections, training records, and isolation-related findings.
Machine Guarding — 29 CFR 1910.212 Exposure to blades, rotating parts, nip points, and other machinery hazards. Guarding inspections, access-point assessments, repair actions, and verification evidence.
Hazard Communication — 29 CFR 1910.1200 Hazardous sanitation chemicals, refrigerants, and maintenance chemicals. Chemical inventories, safety data sheets, labels, and employee training.
Permit-Required Confined Spaces — 29 CFR 1910.146 Tanks, vessels, pits, and other spaces meeting the applicable criteria. Space evaluations, entry permits, atmospheric-testing records, and coordination documentation.
Process Safety Management — 29 CFR 1910.119 Covered processes, including ammonia refrigeration systems meeting applicability criteria. Process hazard analysis recommendations, mechanical-integrity findings, management-of-change tasks, and related actions.
Respiratory Protection — 29 CFR 1910.134 Tasks or response activities requiring respirators. Program documentation, medical evaluation status, fit testing, training, and equipment records.
Occupational Noise Exposure — 29 CFR 1910.95 Noise from bottling, canning, compressors, processing machinery, and packaging lines. Exposure assessments and hearing-conservation records where required.
Powered Industrial Trucks — 29 CFR 1910.178 Forklifts and other covered trucks used in receiving, storage, and dispatch. Operator training and evaluation records, equipment findings, and traffic-related actions.
Walking-Working Surfaces — 29 CFR 1910 Subpart D Wet processing floors, platforms, stairs, and elevated access areas. Inspection findings, drainage repairs, access improvements, and fall-control actions.
Injury and Illness Recordkeeping — 29 CFR Part 1904 Recording and reporting covered work-related injuries and illnesses. Recordability reviews, OSHA Forms 300, 300A, and 301 where required, and supporting case information.

Apply requirements to the actual task and facility. Maintain OSHA Forms 300, 300A, and 301 where required; distinguish injury recording from severe-injury reporting obligations.

Coordinate With Food Safety Without Combining Approvals

A sanitizer-dosing failure may require both a worker-exposure investigation and a food-safety review. Connect the shared equipment repair while retaining separate assessments and release decisions under applicable FDA or USDA programs.

OSHA food-processing standards · FDA Part 117 · USDA HACCP

Prioritize Unresolved Risk by Line and Operating Phase

Review potential severity, exposure frequency, existing controls, and action age. An energized-mixer near miss or refrigeration release deserves attention even without an injury.

Compare similar processes across facilities. Bakery dust findings and dairy CIP exposures need different corrective work and verification.

  • Which sanitation tasks have repeat isolation failures?
  • Which dosing connections generate recurring splashes?
  • Which refrigeration defects remain open with temporary controls?
  • Which packing stations have repeat strain reports?
  • Did the repair remain effective through cleaning and restart?

Measure Food & Beverage Safety Performance and Follow-Through

Use injury outcomes alongside measures showing whether hazards are reported, inspections are completed, and corrective work is verified.

Compare facilities using consistent definitions and appropriate hours-worked or activity measures.

KPI What to measure Food & Beverage application
OSHA TRIR and DART Rate Recordable cases and cases involving days away, restricted work, or job transfer, normalized by hours worked. Review outcomes across processing, sanitation, packaging, and warehousing without overlooking differences in workforce and task exposure.
Near-Miss Reporting Frequency Reports by task, equipment, shift, and operating phase. Identify recurring concerns during cleaning, jam clearing, product changeovers, and restart. Increased reporting may reflect improved participation.
Safety Inspection Completion Rate Scheduled inspections completed on time. Monitor coverage of line guarding, isolation practices, chemical handling, refrigeration areas, and forklift routes.
Open High-Priority Hazards Number, age, and control status of unresolved serious findings. Track uncontrolled energy, refrigeration, confined-space, machinery, and combustible-dust concerns.
Chemical Exposure and Refrigeration Events Exposure incidents, releases, and related near misses, tracked separately by substance and task. Identify patterns involving caustic cleaners, acids, sanitizers, ammonia, and carbon dioxide.
Corrective Action Performance On-time verified closure, overdue actions, time to closure, and repeat findings after closure. Determine whether equipment, drainage, sanitation, and ergonomic corrections are completed and remain effective.
Contractor Safety Performance Incidents, inspection findings, and action closure by contractor, with appropriate exposure context. Compare sanitation providers, refrigeration vendors, maintenance contractors, and installation crews.

Put Follow-Up in the Hands of the Responsible Team

Corporate EHS

Compare significant events, repeat equipment findings, and overdue work across comparable processing operations. Share lessons from the same machine or cleaning method used at multiple plants.

Plant & EHS Managers

Review unresolved line hazards, refrigeration findings, contractor issues, and wastewater follow-up. Coordinate repairs with sanitation schedules and maintenance windows.

Production, Sanitation & Maintenance Supervisors

See assigned work for the line and shift. Document corrections, flag incomplete repairs, and hand over unresolved conditions before the next production run.

Enterprise → Region → Facility → Production Line → Safety Program → Finding → Corrective Action

One Record From the Sanitation Shift to Verified Correction

Keep the equipment, task, investigation, repair, and verification connected when work passes between sanitation, production, maintenance, and refrigeration teams.

Clear handovers

Show who owns the permanent repair and who verifies it.

Task-specific evidence

Connect records to the cleaning method, machine, or exposure involved.

Separate approvals

Coordinate shared repairs while preserving EHS and food-safety decisions.

Verified effectiveness

Review recurrence during the operating phase that produced the finding.

See Dexur EHS for Food & Beverage

Explore connected workflows for sanitation chemicals, machinery cleaning, refrigeration, ingredient handling, and wastewater follow-up.