Analysis of the Effectiveness of the OSHA Food Standard in the United States Tortilla Industry

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a division of the U.S. Department of Labor. Its mission is to minimize health and safety hazards to workers in manufacturing industries. The focus was on its application in the food industry. Specifically in the manufacture of corn and wheat flour tortillas. These products have a high consumption in the North American country. The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanisms of the tortilla industry to adapt each activity to safety standards. In addition, to evaluate a measurable impact on the accidents that occurred and how they were corrected. The results show that OSHA standards enabled the design and management of industrial safety for the tortilla industry. This study identified three safety measures: personal protective equipment (PPE), chemical handling (SDS), and lockout/tagout (LOTO). Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine the impacts of the revised standard on tortilla worker safety. The findings indicate that nearly 24% of all injuries occur in this type of industry. It can be concluded that increasing workplace safety and compliance with legislation is currently a high priority in the food industry, although food safety is also of great importance. Both aspects can now go hand in hand thanks to the wide variety of safety solutions identified with low risk of contamination.