As we bid farewell to 2024 and get ready to set our new years resolutions for 2025, it feels like an apt time to reflect back on what we have learnt.
Workplace safety and business accountability took centre stage this year, with nearly all our most read stories encompassing some sort of major incident.
Four of our most popular stories revolved about workplace accidents, offering up a stark reminder of the importance of regular training, risk assessments and adherence to protocols.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) manufacturing statistics in Great Britain 2024, the manufacturing industry saw 51,000 workers sustain non-fatal injuries at work averaged over the three-year period 2021/22-2023/24.
There were an estimated 94,000 workers suffering from work-related ill health (new or long-standing). A total of 36% were due to musculoskeletal disorders, and 43% were stress, depression or anxiety related.
There were 16 fatal injuries to workers in 2023/24p. This is in comparison with the annual average number of 17 fatalities for 2019/20-2023/24p.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the rate of fatal injury to workers in manufacturing indicated a downward trend, with signs of flattening in more recent years.
The rate of fatal injury is prone to year-on-year fluctuations, but the average rate to workers in manufacturing in the latest two years is not statistically significantly different to the pre-pandemic period.
Whilst manufacturing is a high risk sector, todays factories are generally very safe. But as Food Manufacture heard earlier in the year from Clare Bottle, chief executive at the UK Warehousing Association, its important not to get complacent.
A combination of peer pressure and enforcement are most likely to deliver success when it comes to building a culture of safety, Bottle advised.
Whilst doom and gloom have dominated our top stories in 2024, our number one feature has been our 2024 food and drink trends analysis.
Looking ahead at trends set to dominate 2025, sources tell Food Manufacture that the emphasis will be on real food. Whilst an ambiguous term, generally speaking we can expect further scrutiny of labels to come, with consumers keeping a close eye on what they eat and where it comes from.
I anticipate consumers both leaning towards plant-based ingredients such as tofu and tempeh and backwards towards animal protein (for the younger generations).
Expense will continue to influence UK economic growth and sway baskets in supermarkets as food producers expect to see their costs and prices rise by 2.9% and 1.5%, respectively, for the year to September 2025.
Well be sure to keep you abreast of whats to come next, with more insights to follow in our 2025 food and drink trends feature, published 8 Jan.
In the meantime, I wish you, on behalf of everyone here at Food Manufacture, a very happy and prosperous 2025.
Warmest regards,
Bethan Grylls |
|
|
|
