Case Studies » Lightbody of Hamilton
The challenge
Lightbody Celebration Cakes are part of the Finsbury Foods Group and manufacture an extensive range of products at their site in Hamilton, Scotland. An independent survey of operations associated with this site was undertaken at the request of senior management.
Facilities at the Hamilton plant include two separate buildings and allow manufacture of confectionery products to suit an extensive client base. Bulk material inputs include hundreds of tonnes of flour, sugar and baking powder which are routinely dispensed on site each year. Other raw materials or additives may be included to allow specific variations in base formulation of products though the majority of ingredients are hand-dispensed.
The solution provided
Many organic powders used in site operations such as at Lightbody are combustible and require some degree of control to maintain a safe environment . On site we also reviewed the potential risks posed by portable gas cylinders and bulk fuel tank presents -as routine handling of flammables incurs some degree of fire & explosion risk unless ventilation and ignition controls are adequate.
Fire or explosion hazards arise when vapour or dust clouds are present where there may be an ignition source - for example dispensing materials close to unprotected electrical equipment. Most powders were contained within packaging or process equipment and airborne dust cloud hazards were unlikely.
Based upon survey evidence and feedback, there was good organisation and management of operations involving combustible materials with purpose-designed mixing, conveying and cooking equipment. DSEAR hazards from standard cake production were as expected in a manufacturing plant, but increased slightly where product formulation involves additional dusting or sieving operations involving combustible material such as icing sugar. Many of the flavourings such as brandy or citric acid also present some degree of risk in regard to fire or DSEAR
A full DSEAR review was undertaken of all processes, transfers and storage; from this the site was provided with a detailed report, identification of zoning requirements and an action plan with improvements and timescales for completion.
–Excellent report this clearly spells out what we need to do - D Carroll–
What Lightbody of Hamilton said:
Thanks for the excellent report; i will be recommending you to other sites in our group.
