The art of brewing is a science, and like any science lab there are a variety of specialized machines that help control ingredients and exact temperature. Maintaining these machines is of the utmost importance not only for the success of your business but also for the safety of your workers. While you want to make sure you have the best Michigan Brewery Insurance available, here are some tips to help keep your brewery running smoothly and safely.
Cleaning Kettles
Having clean kettles is essential to the production of your craft beer. Preventative cleaning can help save time and costs by keeping the brewing process running smoothly. It is a good idea to have bi-weekly inspections of calandrias, pumps and steam jackets to help identify any issues.
Spare Parts
It is important to have the spare parts needed to quickly and easily fix any breakdowns. Make a chart of the parts that will be in high demand for your brewery, average demand and low demand. Make sure to have high demand parts on hand at all times and inspect the average and low demand parts weekly to place orders for later delivery when you feel you may need it soon.
MSDS Sheets
OSHA requires that all businesses have Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) available and readily accessible for employees in their work area. MSDS sheets have a variety of information about all chemicals including: Ingredients, concentrations, safe handling procedures as well as what to do if it is spilled or comes in contact with skin. Suppliers do change their chemical products, requiring yearly audits to make sure all information is up to date.
Transport Safety
In your brewery, your workers are around forklifts all the time. This can create a false sense of safety as they feel they know how the ‘flow of traffic’ goes. Make sure there are clear signs that mark where forklift and pedestrian traffic are to be. Use physical barriers if needed. Inspect all forklifts to make sure lights and alarms are all in good working condition. Encourage Verbal communication between forklift operators and pedestrians.
Training
Training is critical once you have selected a new employee. Breweries are a far cry from a desk job. They are busy, constantly on the move, and filled with a variety of potential hazards if an employee is not trained properly. Create a checklist of everything that a new employee needs to know and take the time to make sure that they know and understand every item on that checklist. It is a good idea to periodically to training refresher courses with existing employees in order to ensure safety procedures are up to date and being followed.
At Capital Insurance Group, we understand how important it is to safely maintain your brewery. Call us today at 888.296.0418 for more information on our Michigan Brewery Insurance Policies.