Targeting food at work fanciful

Media statement Thursday October 26th, 2006

Targeting food at work fanciful

The idea that employers could be held responsible for what their employees eat is wonderfully fanciful, says Paul Jarvie, Health and Safety Manager for the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern).

Mr Jarvie said the proposed new regulations targeting food vending machines would give cartoonists a field day.

"Our well paid health officials are on a pipe dream," Mr Jarvie said.

"Regulations of this sort would require all employers to take on a food monitor to watch who had consumed what, and if you were over the daily limit, then issue warnings of misconduct you may be about to commit.

"The smoke free work place laws have forced employees to smoke outside and new food laws like these might mean employees have to eat out on the footpath too if they want to eat un-PC food.

"Food eaten at work is usually one meal a day, less than 25 per cent of all food consumed in a week.

"Employees can eat what they like, and the amount they like is totally outside the employers' control, unless food spies are allowed to search lunch boxes and bags when employees arrive at work.

"The use of the Health and Safety in Employment Act for poorly thought out issues such as this is totally unacceptable because it undermines other recent efforts to make the work place safer and healthier."

ENDS

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