Dear All,
Detailed below is the Weekly News for 26th February.
Please note details of an important Webinar on Respiratory Sensitisers In Bakeries at the top of the Newsletter.
Have a good week and keep warm!
Gordon Polson – Director
Federation of Bakers
SAVE THE DATE: FOB AGM and Annual Conference – Wednesday, 23rd May 2018 at One Great George Street, London SW1P 3AA. Further details will be published soon.
Industry News
Respiratory sensitisers in bakeries – IOSH Food and Drink Industries Group webinar, in collaboration with the Federation of Bakers
Thu 12 Apr 2018 12:30 PM –
Thu 12 Apr 2018 1:30 PM
This event is free to attend
Overview
The IOSH Food and Drink Industries Group is pleased to be collaborating with the Federation of Bakers to bring you this webinar on respiratory sensitisers in bakeries.
Exposure to flour dust is the UK’s second most common cited cause of occupational asthma and the HSE have highlighted occupational asthma from exposure to flour dust in bakeries, cake and biscuit manufacturers as a key focus area for their programme of unannounced inspections. This aligns with their recently released manufacturing sector plan which prioritises the reduction of cases of occupational lung disease.
What’s in it for you?
In this one hour session, you will hear from a number of speakers, all of whom are delivering this session to provide you with information around the following areas, for which you will:
finding out about the multitude of potential sensitisers in bakeries – not just flour
understand how to overcome challenges of dust exposure in plant and craft bakeries
hear about the latest research
hear about the HSE’s position and in particular findings of recent visits
get a better understanding of how to achieve effective control of exposure to enzymes.
Helping us to deliver on the above, we welcome Pamela Brown, Head of Health and Safety at Allied Bakeries who is chairing this session and will be representing large plant bakeries and Federation of Bakers. We also have Melissa Thompson, Managing Director at Safer Food Scores, who will be representing small craft bakeries; Sara Autton, Technical Manager at Lesaffre UK & Ireland who will be representing FEDIMA (European Ingredients Suppliers Association); and finally, Warren Pennington, HM Inspector of Health & Safety General Manufacturing Sector at HSE.
Who should attend
This webinar is very much intended for occupational health and safety professionals, bakery managers, and anyone with an interest in learning about recognition and prevention of work-related asthma as a result of exposure to flour and ingredient dust in bakeries.
What you need to know
This webinar is free to attend and you will need to register online in order to book onto the event.
If you have any questions about the webinar, please contact Ben Pollard who will be able to assist.
PLEASE NOTE: Webinars take place using an online software programme called Zoom. It is important that you check that your computer/laptop is compatible with the software and that the relevant plugins and security firewalls permit access. Please check with your IT department to make sure you will be able to access the webinar properly.
Economic News
CBI Economic Update: Services sector sees strong growth at start to year. Business volumes in the services sector grew strongly in the three months to February, with both sub-sectors seeing a rise in profits for the first time since November 2015, according to the latest quarterly CBI Services Sector Survey. Business and professional services firms – which include accountancy, legal and marketing firms – saw business volumes grow at the fastest pace since August 2015, and growth is set to accelerate further in the three months to May. Meanwhile, after a sharp decline in the previous quarter, volumes grew at the fastest pace in a year in the consumer services sector – which includes hotels, bars, restaurants, travel and leisure firms. Consumer services growth is expected to ease next quarter, but nonetheless remain firm. Other indicators also painted a healthier picture of the sector as a whole. Profitability grew for the first time since November 2015 in both sub-sectors, with expectations of similar growth in the coming quarter. Employment continued to grow in business and professional services, while growth in headcount picked up in the consumer services sector. Prices continued to rise in consumer services but were flat in business and professional services. Next quarter, price growth is expected to accelerate in both sub-sectors. Sentiment in the services sector remains mixed, with business and professional services firms’ optimism remaining unchanged from three months earlier, but optimism about the general business situation improved for consumer services companies. These firms are also more optimistic about their plans for business expansion in the year ahead (the strongest since November 2014), whilst business and professional services firms are more negative in their views.
Looking at growth in the economy more broadly, momentum was tepid for most of last year. We expected similarly subdued growth to persist further ahead. Meanwhile, investment intentions for the year ahead remain positive for IT, improving a little in this area for business and professional services firms. However, spending in other areas is set to be cut back slightly or left unchanged.
Key findings
Business and professional services:
Optimism regarding the general business situation was unchanged in February (-1%, from +5% in November 2017). However, firms have become more negative about the outlook for business expansion in the year ahead (-9%, down from +16% in November)
Growth in business volumes (+14%) accelerated, with volumes rising at the fastest pace since August 2015 (+33%), up from +1% in November. Growth is expected to strengthen further in the three months to May (+23%)
Profits grew slightly (+8%) for the first time since November 2015 (+15%), and growth is expected to edge higher next quarter (+11%)
Growth in total costs per person edged higher (+33% from +29% in November), and costs are expected to grow at a faster pace next quarter (+43%)
Average selling prices were relatively unchanged (+3%), the weakest balance since May 2016 (-6%). However, price growth is expected to pick up in the three months to May (+17%)
Numbers employed (+14%) grew at a steady pace, and are expected to grow at a slightly faster rate next quarter (+22%)
Investment intentions are mixed – firms expect to cut back slightly on land and buildings (-4%) and keep spending on vehicles, plant and machinery unchanged (+2%). Meanwhile, investment on IT is expected to increase solidly (+20%).
Consumer services:
Optimism about the general business situation rebounded (+8%) – rising for the first time in three quarters – with 25% of firms saying they were more optimistic than three months ago, and 17% saying they were less optimistic
Growth in business volumes (+32%) bounced back from the previous quarter’s decline (-20%), but is expected to ease in the three months to May (+22%)
Profitability increased (+14%) at the fastest pace since November 2015 (+16%), and is expected to grow at a similar pace next quarter (+13%)
Growth in total costs per person rose (+43%) at a similar pace to November (+44%), and at a pace slightly above the long-run average (+37%). Growth is expected to remain steady in the three months to May (+42%)
Average selling price growth eased (+17%) from the previous quarter (+35%). But, growth is expected to pick up next quarter (+28%)
Employment grew strongly (+34%), after a fall in the previous quarter (-7%), with another firm rise expected next quarter (+31%)
Investment intentions in IT remain positive (+18%). However, firms expect to cut back on spending on vehicles, plant and machinery (-9%) and to leave investment in land and buildings unchanged (-2%).
GDP Update: Second estimate of q4’17 GDP was revised lower to 0.4% (q⁄q) from 0.5% (q⁄q). The expenditure breakdown shows resilient consumption at 0.3% (q⁄q), a rebound in overall investment, while business investment continued to slow from 0.5% (q⁄q) to flat in q4’17, suggesting that construction investment helped make up the deficit.
Modern Working Practices: Following the publication of ‘Good Work, the Taylor review of modern working practices’ in July 2017, the Government has now published its response.
The response focuses on building on the ideas which the Industrial Strategy, published in November, set out, and focuses on helping businesses and individuals to be more productive.
The Government’s response focusses on the following areas:
– Quality of work
– Clarity in the workplace
– National Living Wage/ National Minimum Wage
– Flexibility at work
– Apprenticeships
– Internships
– Health and wellbeing
Following the response there will be a number of consultations launched in the coming months, as well as the Low Pay Commission’s yearly consultation.
Folic Acid: On Thursday Labour’s Lord Rooker will lead a debate in the Lords on what assessment the Government have made of an article on neural tube defects and abandoning the tolerable upper intake level of folate published in an academic journal.
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