Compliancebased audit
June 1st 2006

Anglo Beef Processors has gone through a massive investment programme designed to raise output. To make sure its health and safety standards keep up with growth, the company called in EFSIS, an independent inspection service for the food industry.

The EFSIS health and safety service proved invaluable in ABP's plant in Doncaster, which opened in November 2004. From a small start, the plant has grown rapidly, achieving output of 1000t/week, with more than 600 people working on site.

Richard Dilworth, group health and safety advisor, believes the insistence EFSIS places on compliance with all aspects of the standard is a major advantage. He explains that with a compliance audit everything is looked at, including items such as display screens which may not seem a big issue in a food plant.

Dr James Gibson, the EFSIS inspector who worked with ABP, agrees "One of the big selling points of the EFSIS health and safety standard has been that all the other standards are numerical, but this one is compliance based.

"If you get an 85% pass rate it could be the 15% that kills someone. Working on a compliance basis gives a much more objective test.

It's much more black and white."

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