Risk Management Skills Of Craft Brewery

Whether you like to drink classic lager or pilsner, bold stout, or IPA of hops, the selection of craft beers you can enjoy today seems endless. You can buy craft beers from local bars or buy craft beers from city-level craft breweries. In the United States, the craft beer industry is an economic pillar industry at the national, state, and local levels. According to the American Beer Association data from 2018 to 2019, nearly 800 beer bars have been opened, and the craft brewing industry has provided more than 580,000 jobs. The craft brewing industry contributed $82.9 billion to the U.S. economy in 2019, but the number will decline to a certain extent in 2020. This may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift in the way craft beer is sold.

Common health hazards in craft breweries

Every industry requires special consideration of inherent risks to ensure the safety of employees and customers, and craft breweries are no exception. Craft breweries must consider the responsibility of liquor sales and the safety hazards that may have a significant financial impact on the brewery.
According to data, insurance policies formulated for craft breweries have become more and more popular in the past few years. The types of claims for craft breweries are like those of the catering industry, the most common being muscle strains caused by heavy lifting or slipping. But, the risks of craft breweries are not the same as those of restaurants. For example, cleaning the container/fermentation tank may expose the confined space to the air; workers may be exposed to high concentrations of carbon dioxide during the fermentation process, causing dizziness, headaches, confusion, or even loss of consciousness.
Some of the most common risks faced by craft breweries include:

Equipment failure

The brewery uses a variety of beer production equipment to produce and store beer, from brewhouse equipment to beer packaging equipment. If the thermometer on the cooler fails, it can easily cause a batch of craft beer and raw materials to deteriorate, and money will be wasted. It is recommended that there is a professional brewery equipment maintenance engineer in the brewery. He can check the equipment regularly to ensure the normal operation of the equipment as much as possible.

Mechanical hazard

When employees approach the moving parts of grain hoppers, malt mills, filling machines, and other equipment, serious injuries may result. When cleaning, setting up, or maintaining brewery equipment, exposure to energy from the equipment can also lead to accidents, especially when troubleshooting equipment. Also, many craft breweries still have forklifts to move raw materials and beer. These raw materials or beer may tip over or roll forward, and even cause harm to workers. If the brewery uses compressed gas cylinders for work, it may explode if not handled properly.

Packaging issues

Generally, glass bottles or barrels for dispensing beer also encounter certain problems, such as broken, chipped, or even defective beer bottles, which can cause the beer to be contaminated or moldy. If consumers drink this spoiled beer, it may have an impact on the body and the brewery will face compensation.

Unsafe working conditions

Workers working on wet floors may slip or fall. Also, if there are objects in the operation path, workers may trip over. During the brewing or distillation process, workers may also be burned by hot equipment surfaces or steam. Many chemicals are used when cleaning brewery equipment, and the dangers of chemicals are also a common cause of injury to workers.

Hot surfaces, steam, and boiling liquids

Thermal burns are one of the most common injuries in craft breweries. Workers may come into contact with very hot metal equipment surfaces (such as brewhouse equipment or steam pipes) or get burned by contact with boiling water.

Hazardous or flammable chemicals

The cleaning solvents and disinfecting chemicals used in craft breweries may cause minor skin irritation, and some chemicals may cause serious injury to employees. Also, fires and explosions are the main hazards for craft breweries. For example, ethanol (alcohol) vapor can leak into cans or barrels and cause a fire. Also, if the vapor is released into a closed space with an ignition source (such as a gas boiler), it may cause an explosion.

Ergonomic hazards

Employees of craft breweries, like other occupations, may have occupational diseases. This does not seem to be an obvious risk, but employees of craft breweries often perform repetitive movements, lift heavy objects, or stand in awkward positions for long periods of time, all of which can lead to muscle strains and injuries.

Risk Management of Craft Brewery

With the rapid growth of the craft beer industry, the risks involved in small businesses operating craft breweries are also increasing. In the craft brewing industry, the safety of employees needs to be given top priority. Craft breweries can adopt some regulations to help manage the risks faced by employees. Appropriate management regulations will help reduce equipment downtime, improve products, provide employee safety, and various other economic benefits.
Risk management techniques that craft breweries should keep in mind include:

Have proper small business insurance

Since operating a craft brewery involves unique risks, it is necessary to have appropriate small business insurance. It is convenient to provide protection and compensation in the event of any type of accident or claim. Craft brewery insurance usually covers property, general liability, workers’ compensation, and liquor liability.

Discuss risks with suppliers

Quality control can make or break small businesses like craft breweries. Craft breweries that use other suppliers to provide raw materials, brewery equipment, or piping systems should clearly understand the responsibilities of all parties in the event of a problem. Craft breweries should discuss risk sharing with suppliers, negotiate and sign contracts, rather than simply shaking hands to do business. Craft breweries must establish complete quality control documents and conduct scientific training for their employees.

Create a safety-related task list

All employees in the craft brewery should receive comprehensive safety training and understand all the operating procedures of the brewery equipment and the risks involved. Usually, the work of a craft brewery involves heavy schedules and a lot of multitasking. Creating a designated work task list helps every employee to follow safe operations to ensure their safety.

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Micet Craft's turnkey solution for breweries

Micet Craft is a Chinese brewery equipment manufacturer. Our engineers will provide you with all the equipment you need in the craft brewery and will help you train employees to operate the brewery equipment. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Micet Craft’s engineers may not be able to go to your country to help you complete the installation of the equipment, but Micet Craft has agents in many countries around the world. Agents can also install equipment for you.
If possible, we recommend that you come to China. The engineer will explain our production process for you to ensure that you can buy our equipment with confidence. If you plan to open the most dangerous brewery, please contact us for brewery design and turnkey solutions. Of course, if your brewery needs an expansion plan, we can also help you complete the equipment upgrade. Micet Craft is looking forward to cooperating with you!