B.C. food processors, manufacturers hold conference on health and safety

Vancouver will be the venue for the gathering of chief executives in B.C.'s food processing and manufacturing industries in October, with an end-goal of establishing a path towards improving workplace health and safety within the sector.
Chilliwack, BC. — CEOs and senior executives in the food processing and manufacturing industries in B.C. will gather in Vancouver in October to discuss issues around health and safety, in an effort to develop a plan towards a safer, healthier and more socially responsible industry.

“Health and safety are issues these industries take very seriously and with changes in the marketplace, industry leaders feel it is time to establish a set of higher standards and meet them,” says Lisa McGuire, executive director of FIOSA-MIOSA, Safety Alliance of BC, a coalition between the province’s food processing and manufacturing industries.

FIOSA-MIOSA, which is sponsoring the conference, is a not-for-profit industry organization that seeks to set industry standards for health and safety as well as address challenges and opportunities specific to food & beverage processing and manufacturing. 

The Alliance was established by industry leaders in December 2007 (originally called the BC Food Processors Health and Safety Council), to help reduce injuries and claims costs industry-wide, and to exchange information about how this can be achieved.

The Alliance works in partnership with WorkSafeBC — through their ‘Partners in Injury and Disability Prevention Program’ — by offering Certificate of Recognition (COR) accreditation. COR is a program that recognizes and financially rewards employers who have high standards of occupational health and safety and return-to-work programs.

One of the objectives of the conference is to present a public charter, signed by industry CEOs and senior executives, committing their organizations to achieving higher standards of health and safety.

The Leading Performance 2011 Conference will be held Oct 27 at the Terminal City Club in Vancouver.

For more information visit http://www.fmiosa.com/lpc, email [email protected] or call 604.702.0261.