Most breweries, wineries or distilleries offer tours and a tasting room where guests can enjoy a sample of the product or purchase drinks made on-site. These operations present a different set of exposures than a typical beverage manufacturing facility. If you own a beverage business, closely evaluate your operation to ensure guest safety.
With ever-evolving beer styles, breweries, taprooms and beer gardens, it’s been fun to join in the craft brewery revolution. When you witness the camaraderie, it becomes clear that many breweries are like a family. Employees are eager to spend many hours together developing new recipes, working late to fulfill the next day’s orders and developing efficiencies to keep up with increasing demand. Along with the growth and excitement comes the need for safety and risk management. No one wants to see a family member suffer a serious injury, so it makes sense to look at some hazards employees face at the brewery on a daily basis.
There are more breweries operating in the United States now than at any other time in history. Data from the Brewers Association (BA), the trade association representing small and independent American brewers, shows that in 2015, 4,269 breweries provided nearly 122,000 jobs nationwide. Covering these employees for workers’ compensation can be expensive for brewery owners, and providing for worker safety is a topic that shouldn’t be ignored.
