Tues 18th Nov, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

LPG FORKLIFT FIRES UPDATE

Posted on by Georgia Oxspring
Further to the previous Safety Alert Issued by the UKMHA and HSE, The UKMHA has updated the Safety Alert which states; ‘The fuel standard BS 4250 does not provide adequate controls for this contamination.
Use of contaminated fuel can cause deposits in the fuel system leading to, for example, blocked vaporisers and sticking valves. Repeated starting attempts on affected equipment can release unburned LPG and present a risk of fire’
For full details see the link to this attachment.

ECOVADIS GOLD – A MAJOR STEP FORWARD

Posted on by Songley

We use EcoVadis to quantify our progress in the areas of corporate responsibility and sustainability. Our commitment to a holistic corporate strategy has now been rewarded: The EcoVadis gold medal and our position in the top 3% of all the award-winning companies makes it clear that we are facing up to ecological, social and ethical challenges.

Our EcoVadis rating: Gold

With a total score of 73 points, our production sites are among the top 3 percent of all companies evaluated by EcoVadis worldwide.

From silver to gold: Consistent progress

Our Liebherr plant in Austria has already been awarded the EcoVadis silver certificate twice. This year, we were able to significantly improve on this, with the EcoVadis gold medal being awarded to all of our production sites.

This success won’t make us complacent, instead we want to continue further down this path in the future.

OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL SPONSORS SCHOOL’S CHRISTMAS CAROUSEL FUN

Posted on by hayley.smith@oakland-international.com

Children at Beoley First School in Redditch enjoyed their Christmas Fayre thanks to total supply chain solutions provider and family business Oakland International who once again kindly sponsored the school’s Christmas Carousel.

Headteacher of Beoley First School, Ben Irving, said: “Our Christmas Fayre is such an important event for us as it brings our community together in such a meaningful way. In recent years the carousel has become a firm favourite, adding to the festive atmosphere. We are enormously grateful to Oakland International for their generous sponsorship and continued support.”

Oakland International is celebrating its 25th anniversary based in Beoley and has formed many strong community links, and through its children’s charity, Oakland Foundation, supports a range of educational and community initiatives around the local area and further afield.

Oakland International Executive Assistant Jane Thompson commented: “It was wonderful to be invited to share in all the Christmas fun with the children, staff, and parents.

“We were delighted to offer our support as Christmas is such a wonderful time for giving, and as a local family business maintaining our commitment to our local community is important to us.

 “Thank you, Beoley First School, for inviting us to join you in your celebrations.”

FIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE IMPLEMENTING YOUR FIRST WMS

Posted on by Rob Sherwin

The benefits of warehouse management software (WMS) are generally well understood. These applications can provide a real-time view of inventory and help a business streamline its warehouse operations, improve accuracy, and increase efficiency. By organising and optimising inventory flows they enable employees to find products and fulfil orders more quickly, accurately, and easily. Applications typically incorporate features such as receiving, putaway, picking, packing, shipping, inventory management, and reporting. So far, so good and the vast majority of businesses running a warehouse will likely be using a WMS to support their operations. But not all, especially businesses that are new or which started small but have now grown to a size where they need help running their warehouse operations. These may be considering WMS for the first time. What do they need to think about before taking the plunge?

Identify Pain Points: make a list of recent challenges your business has faced – areas that require improvement. This first step is crucial because it helps you identify the specific areas where a WMS might help you improve your business. By identifying your pain points, you can determine which WMS features will be most beneficial to your business. For many businesses the sheer volume of stock and number of movements required are justification enough because a WMS will introduce the discipline and consistency that lead to performance improvement but which are often beyond manual or semi-automated process. Others will want to introduce new levels of stock accuracy or increase order picking productivity, both of which are among the many additional benefits of a WMS.

Propose a Solution: prepare a document explaining how a new WMS will improve your performance, productivity, and efficiency. This will help you communicate the benefits to your colleagues and employees and help them understand why the change is necessary. Include specific examples of how a WMS can help your business, such as reducing the time it takes to fulfil orders or improving inventory accuracy.

Analyse Costs and Benefits: work out the costs and benefits of implementing the new software. This will help you decide whether a WMS is a good investment. Be sure to consider the direct costs of the software (such as licensing fees and implementation costs) as well as any indirect costs (including the time it will take to train employees on the new system). You should also assess the benefits of implementing a WMS, such as increased efficiency, improved accuracy, and the potential return on investment delivered to your business.

Create a Timeline: build a schedule to help plan your implementation and the transition to the new system. Include specific dates for each step of the process, such as training, data migration, and system testing. Many businesses plan changes at the most convenient time of the year, for example when volumes are at their lowest or to avoid critical dates such as seasonal peaks or specific events. It is also useful to create a timeline for when you expect to see the benefits of the new system, such as improved efficiency or increased accuracy. This will help as part of your justification for the project. Remember to factor in the potential overhead on staff and operational performance that deploying a WMS may present.

Anticipate Change Management: planning for change will help to ensure that colleagues and employees are prepared for the new software. It is important to communicate the benefits of the new system and provide them with the training they need to use the new system effectively. You should also be prepared to address any concerns or questions they have.

Some of this may be rather daunting. Use the expertise and experience of potential suppliers to prepare your business case and implementation plans. They should be able to help you because they have done it all before and probably faced similar issues and questions during implementations for other customers in similar business sectors. Some will have data and process modelling tools that will use your own data to project how, and by how much, you should expect to improve your operations. Suppliers should also be able to show you how comparable businesses to yours have improved their own performance.

These initial steps will help you decide whether a WMS will improve your business and help you plan for any proposed implementation and the changes that result. Assuming you decide to proceed, there are some additional considerations that may be useful.

Assess Your IT Infrastructure: check that your existing hardware is compatible with the new system. Unless you choose a SaaS-based WMS that requires no dedicated in-house server equipment – like ProSKU – you may need to install new equipment such as data servers and networks (including Wi-Fi). But not always. Also ensure that any new WMS you may be considering fully integrates with your existing systems, such as ERP. Your WMS supplier will be able to advise but as a general rule, most modern applications are designed to run on common technologies, platforms, and operating systems. Nevertheless, there may be sound reasons for running any business-critical applications on separate or dedicated equipment. If you are implementing a cloud-based solution, be sure your internet connection is secure and reliable because you will rely on it to provide ongoing and real time access to your application and data.

Define User Roles and Security Levels: this will ensure that employees have access to the appropriate information. It helps you maintain control over your data and ensures that employees only have access to the information they need to do their jobs. All common WMS applications incorporate the functions and features to enable robust data access and security.

Clean Up and Prepare Your Data: this ensures that your data is accurate and up to date. It helps you avoid data errors so that your new system will work efficiently with accurate information.

Decide What Reports You Need: accurate and up-to-date reporting helps you monitor the performance of your new system and identify areas for improvement.

Encourage User Adoption: a proactive and engaging strategy to promote user engagement and acceptance will help ensure that everyone is using the new system effectively from day one. Provide ongoing training and support to your employees and encourage them to provide feedback.

Implementing a WMS for the first time, or upgrading an existing system, might appear a little daunting. But taking time to prepare for this major change will help ensure your implementation process runs smoothly and efficiently. Your current or proposed WMS supplier will be able to assist because they will have the experience to help you identify the best solution to your requirement, answer your questions, and offer support and technical expertise at every step.

FSA CLARIFICATION REGARDING SALMONELLA RISK IN POULTRY PRODUCTS FROM POLAND

Posted on by Georgia Oxspring

Further to our previous report regarding the salmonella risk in poultry products from Poland, it has been noted that there have been some comments from industry, which the FSA believe indicates a misunderstanding of the options being considered by FSA and FSS. The FSA have therefore offered some further explanation to add clarity:

1. There is a suggestion that border controls will be in place by the end of January 2024, indicating a belief that through the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) we will be able to apply controls from the end of January. This, however, is not the case. The phased introduction of checks for EU goods under BTOM means that, imported high risk food and feed will be subject to the requirement to pre notification on the Import of Products, Animals, Food & Feed System and consignments being accompanied by an Export Health Certificate, (EHC), from 31 January 2024, with physical checks of goods at ports only coming in from 1st May onwards.

2. There have been concerns expressed by industry that FSA and FSS are on the verge of bringing in safeguarding measures for these goods. In response to these concerns, we would ask industry to note that there are various options currently being considered for dealing with these issues, of which the main focus is:

i. engaging with the EU and the Polish Authorities on measures being put in place from their side,

ii. making UK consumers (consumer advice published December 2023), Local Authorities, (letter sent 6 December 2023), and industry aware of the issue and requesting they take immediate protective steps to reduce risks, and

iii. FSA seeking understanding from industry on what assurance mechanisms are already in place by UK industry to ensure the food they import is safe when placed on UK market.

We will offer industry further updates as the situation develops and we appreciate industry efforts to take steps to seek assurance from suppliers on this matter, to observe the strict requirements of food safety managements systems and to contact their LA or Primary Authority if they have concerns.

If you need any more information on the background of this issue or have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact via preventionteam@food.gov.uk

BIDFOOD AND CARBONCLOUD JOIN FORCES TO INITIATE TRANSFORMATION IN THE SUPPY CHAIN CARBON MANAGEMENT

Posted on by Billy Moone

Bidfood, one of the UK’s leading foodservice providers, has announced a strategic collaboration with CarbonCloud, a pioneer in climate intelligence technology. This partnership marks Bidfood’s commitment in supply chain carbon management as it aims to calculate its climate footprint across the value chain.

With a strong commitment to sustainability, Bidfood has set robust climate targets to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045 across all scopes. To achieve these goals, Bidfood recognises the importance of data accuracy in measuring and reducing its full carbon footprint, including the Scope 3 category Purchased Goods & Services, which is traditionally the least visible and hardest to measure element of a food businesses carbon footprint.

Calculating Purchased Goods and Services is a significant challenge for companies in the food system as the category usually accounts for the majority of Scope 3 emissions. Carbon management in this category calls for sustained collaborative action throughout the supply chain, and the data required for the calculations is often difficult to pinpoint.

With state-of-the-art automation, CarbonCloud’s innovative platform streamlines this process, providing Bidfood and its suppliers the opportunity to connect securely and seamlessly for better climate insights. As a first stage, Bidfood will have the initial climate footprint of its product range calculated swiftly in 2024.

“We’re thrilled to embark on this exciting collaboration with CarbonCloud and start collaborating with our suppliers on a single platform. Data integrity and scalability for our value chain is an important step towards achieving our sustainability objectives,” says Jim Gouldie, Supply Chain and Technical Services Director at Bidfood.

A key strength of CarbonCloud’s platform is its ability to connect the entire supply chain network. By mapping out the value chain of each product, from farm to retail gate, CarbonCloud enables real-time updates and ensures that the data quality and accuracy are instantly reflected across the network. This network effect fosters collaboration across the value chain, allowing food industry

stakeholders to measure, share, and compare their climate footprints on equal ground. Bidfood and its stakeholders will be able to exchange emissions data securely and evaluate the climate impact of various products, even when dealing with diverse categories.

“Bidfood’s forward-thinking approach to climate impact makes them an ideal partner and we are thrilled to join forces. The partnership marks a new era of sustainability in the foodservice industry. By collaborating on advanced climate calculations, we are taking a significant step toward a net-zero value chain and collaborative future,” says David Bryngelsson, CEO & Founder of CarbonCloud.

APPLICATION AND USE OF IDENTIFICATION MARKS FOR POAO AFTER 31ST DEC 2023

Posted on by Georgia Oxspring

The FSA are reminding businesses that the 36-month adjustment period allowing food businesses to continue to apply labels containing the ‘UK/EC’ identification mark to products of animal origin (POAO) in Great Britain will come to an end on the 31 December 2023.

During the 36-month adjustment period which has been running, it has been possible for approved food businesses to use existing stocks of labels, wrapping and packaging bearing the ‘UK/EC’ identification mark (ID Mark) for products being placed on the GB market, but by 31st December 2023, approved food businesses should be compliant. Applying labels, wrapping, and packaging materials that carry the ‘UK/EC’ identification mark after this date will be unlawful.

Any products that have the ‘UK/EC’ identification mark applied before the 1st January 2024 will be allowed to remain on the market. There is no requirement for products bearing the ‘UK/EC’ identification mark, that are already on the market or in storage to be re-labelled from 1 January 2024.

The FSA will be amending its ‘Guidance on health and identification marks that apply from 1 January 2021’ webpage in due course.

CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY FROM CARELESS DRIVING, FLEET OPERATORS BEWARE!

Posted on by Georgia Oxspring

In June 2022, a new offence came into force for causing serious injury from careless driving in the UK under the police crime and sentencing act 2022 and inserted into the road traffic act. The offence closes the gap where careless driving has caused life changing injury (not death).

The offence would mean the driver would have caused serious injury without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other road users. In addition, offence amendments to the highway code giving a hierarchy of road users placing a duty of those that create to greatest harm.

Drivers who have even momentary lapses in concentration that lead to a serious injury may expect to be investigated and charged with this new offence.

Where a ‘vulnerable road user’ such as a pedestrian or cyclist has sustained a serious injury, this may give rise to a more severe sentence. It’s important to note the definition of serious injury under the legislation can be as little as a broken bone. The new offence is an ‘either-way offence’, meaning it can either be heard in the Magistrates’ Court or Crown Court. If convicted of causing serious injury by careless driving a driver could face the maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment if the case is heard by the Crown Court, or up to maximum of 12 months’ imprisonment if dealt with by the Magistrates’ Court.

The police investigation will involve the driver being invited to an interview under caution where not only will they be at risk of incrimination, but also potentially you as their employer. A large part of the police questioning the driver will revolve around training, policies and procedures and, crucially, the culture within the company in relation to the risks associated with driving. In essence this interview is used to explore the possibility of offence by both the driver as well as their employer.

Fleet operators must educate their drivers on this new offence, the seriousness of it, and the approach to legal representation for police interviews under caution. HR teams will also need to review organisations’ approaches around disciplinary and internal investigations where the driver is subject to a lengthy police investigation relating to an offence carrying a custodial sentence.

BFFF are currently in the process of speaking with insurance and legal contacts to find out more on how this could impact its members.

If you have any thoughts on this topic please contact simonbrentnall@bfff.co.uk

For more guidance on this topic, see below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-factsheets/police-crime-sentencing-and-courts-bill-2021-road-traffic-offences-factsheet

Causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving