< Previous10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netYORKSHIRE PACKAGING SYSTEMSWhether supplying shrink film,manufacturing bespokeshrink wrappers or designingand installing fully integrated packagingsystems, Yorkshire Packaging Systems(YPS) always puts the customer at theheart of everything it does. “It’s about the start of a relationship,not the end of a transaction,” saidManaging Director Glyn Johnson. “Theethos of the company is to providebackup and support – we are a filmcompany selling machines rather thanthe other way around. That means thatwhen we supply a machine, it’s in ourinterest to do an even better job.”The majority of machine customersgo on to purchase from YPS and thetwo divisions – machines and film –work hand in glove. Indeed, the salesteam are organised around the product,not geography, to make the most oftheir product expertise. The company’sservice engineers are highly qualified,boasting a wealth of experiencebetween them.Established in 1977 – and proudlybased in West Yorkshire – YPS is ableto build much of its own equipmentfollowing the acquisition ofmanufacturing company CamlinePalletising Systems. This, along with itsincreasing sales and marketing activity,has helped the business to double insize over the past five years, withouthaving to engage in any price wars.“Our competitors tend to compete onprice, but we took a decision to offer avalue added proposition,” said MrJohnson. Instead, he stressed, YPScompetes on quality and service. “IfYorkshire Packagingcelebrate forty years A total solution supplier of shrink wrapping machinery,materials and service, Yorkshire Packaging Systems iscelebrating four decades in business.10-11_Layout 1 27/03/2017 08:49 Page 1Food & Drink International 11www.fdiforum.netYORKSHIRE PACKAGING SYSTEMSwe’re not the lowest cost option, wehave to try and be the best valueoption.”Service contracts are included asstandard, and customers are basedacross the UK and Ireland. Many ofthese customers are blue chip, with onerecent major order being for themanufacture of four large machines at aYorkshire-based snack manufacturer.YPS has recently tapped into theindustry zeitgeist, championing thepositive impacts of apprentices onyoung people and businesses alike. Aspart of the UK’s tenth annual NationalApprenticeship Week in March, thecompany took on a trio of new recruits,made up of Jake Martin, George Reed-Hill, and Kieron Karluty who joined theService Engineer Apprenticeshipprogramme. Working alongside a team ofexperienced engineers at YPSworkshop, the programme involveslearning the ins-and-outs of the award-winning firm’s shrink wrappingmachines. Their work includes a varietyof customer on-site visits at severalwell-known clients, many operating inthe drinks industry.YPS is confident that by investing inapprentices it can future-proof itsbusiness while supporting youngprofessionals seeking a diverse job in afast-paced industry. As well as servicingand maintaining YPS’ state-of-the-artequipment, all three apprentices havebeen involved with a large number andvariety of installations, including somemulti-million pound contracts. After YPS won the prestigiousCustomer Service Award at the 2014PPMA Awards, Chairman DavidJohnson was handed the OutstandingAchievement Award in 2015. Havingjoined Yorkshire Packaging Supplies –as it was previously known – as a start-up, he re-mortgaged his house to buythe business and survived toughchallenges including the customer’sthen biggest customer going bust atthe recession of the late-1980s.Needless to say, Mr Johnson managedto keep hold of the reins and steer thecompany to success. At the most recent PPMA, thecompany were recognised with two‘Highly Commended’ awards in the‘Manufacturer of the Year’ and‘Exceptional Sales or Company Growth’categories, providing a suitable aparteiffor YPS’ four decade milestone. Despite its Spartan carbon footprint,the company’s in-house designed andmanufactured palletising solutionclearly left a profound impression oneveryone at PPMA, continuing thecompany’s tradition. The compact,easy- to-use Yorkshire PackagingPalletising Systems are highly-durableand cost-effective, providing a fullreturn on costs within 12 to 24 months;no wonder it went down such a treatwith the exhibition visitors.Continuing the company’s successfulpartnerships with Ulma, Hugo Beck andMimi at the PPMA show, YPS exhibitedtheir automatic L sealer, Side feedsleeve wrapper and Flexo X – coupledwith their complete range of Bollorepolyolefin shrink films to show theircapability to shrink wrap a wide, diversevariety of products.This year also saw YPS attract arecord number of enquiries from newcustomers too, with equipment sellingdirectly off the stand at the actualPPMA show. To celebrate the 40th anniversaryyear, staff will be fundraising for theForget Me Not Children’s Hospicethrough various activities, includingtaking part in a triathlon. Moreover, anew website is forecast to launch laterin the year.“We’re doing a lot more marketingthan we use to, but we want to keepimproving,” says Mr Johnson. “In thenext five years, we’d like to double thesize of the business again, employ moregraduates and move into purpose-builtpremises. Our strategy is growth.”Bearing the company’s longevity andcontinued success in mind, the road tothe next big anniversary will be smoothsailing. Here’s to the next forty!For more information, visit www.yps.co.uk, email enquiries@yps.co.uk, or call +44(0) 1924 441 355To donate to the Forget Me NotChildren’s Hospice visitwww.justgiving.com/fundraising/Yorkshire-Packaging-Systems10-11_Layout 1 27/03/2017 08:49 Page 212 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netFREE FROM FUNCTIONAL FOOD EXPOWWW.FREEFROMFOODEXPO.COM REGISTER NOW!Gluten Free • Lactose Free • Dairy Free • Yeast FreeWheat Free • Vegan • Fat Free • Nut Free • Soy FreeSalt Free • GM Free • Egg Free • Free From Organic • Calorie FreeLow Sugar • Low Fat • Alcohol Free • Free From Vegan No sugar • Vitamins • Sportbars • Sport Nutritions •Food Nutritions Omega 3 • Food Supplements • Superfoods • Proteins Probiotics • Sport Protein • No preservatives...and many moreVisit Europe’s successful trade eventEssential for Food Professionals from Retail, Food Service, Catering and Organic Retail.Driven by a fast growing category, initiated by the industry, 100% trade only.Order your free entry badge at www.freefromfoodexpo.comSee you in Barcelona!Free From Functional FoodYour INVITATIONOver 270 exhibitors from more than 25 countriesVisit > 45 free from/ functionalconference sessionsCo-located with5TH EDITION!> 20% GROWTHFunctional Foods is must-visit forretail, food service, hospitality andwholesale buyers looking to source thelatest products and discover the keytrends shaping the ever growing freefrom, health and functional foodcategories. More than 270 producers andmanufacturers from around the globewill showcase their exciting andinnovative range of food and drinkproducts. Discover products which are glutenfree, dairy free, lactose free, alcoholfree, sugar free, superfoods, proteinsand much, much more.There will be a new Korean Pavilion -alongside Ireland, Portugal, FinlandPavilions - reflecting the continuinggrowth of the free from market aroundthe world. A guided ‘Innovation Tour’will highlight the most innovativeproducts at the show; and a freeMatchmaking Programme will connectbuyers with international businesscontacts. Two conference theatres will alsohost an impressive line-up of expertspeakers including David Jago fromMintel; David Hedin from EuromonitorInternational, and Hamish Renton, fromHamish Renton Associates; who willdeliver their insightful verdicts on thefree from markets, and future trends inthis dynamic category. Ronald Holman, Exhibition Director,said: “As the free from market continuesto enjoy phenomenal growth, we aredelighted to be able to offer buyers anexpanded programme of attractions;and a fantastic line-up of producersfrom more than 20 countries. “The show is at the forefront of thisexciting sector and is a must-visit forbuyers looking to source the mostinnovative food and drink products, andingredients - and discover the latesttrends in the free from and functionalcategories.”For more information, and topre-register, visitwww.freefromfoodexpo.com, oremail info@freefromfoodexpo.com.FUNCTIONALFOOD EXPO Free From/Functional Food Expo returns in 2017 for its biggestedition yet. Now in its fifth year, this two day trade-only eventwill be held in Barcelona, Spain on June 8 and 9. 12_Layout 1 24/03/2017 14:28 Page 1Food & Drink International 13www.fdiforum.netLoma X-ray inspection systems ensurespeace of mind for McKaskleFamily FarmIllinois-based Loma Systems has recently completed theinstallation of a Bulk Flow X-ray inspection machine atMcKaskle Family Farm located in Braggadocio, Missouri. This follows the supply of a rental X5 SpaceSaver X-raymodel within a short time frame earlier in 2016. The quickturnaround was prompted when a major end customerasked the large organic rice and popcorn processing farm tourgently switch from metal detection to X-ray inspectiontechnology to meet vital HACCP requirements.Part of the wider X5 range of X-Ray systems availablefrom Loma, the Spacesaver model was designed to offer a20% footprint reduction over similar models available on themarket, whilst offering a 25% improvement in detectionperformance compared to previous generation systems. The X-ray system detects and rejects foreign bodycontaminants such as bone, glass, stones, dense plastics and ceramics, as well as being able toidentify conventional metal fragments. on lineIshida deliver efficiency for leading Germansnack specialist A 14 head Ishida CCW-R multihead weigher is enablingleading German fruit and nut snack specialist Farmer’sSnack to meet increasing demand for pocket-sizedpacks.The multihead weigher forms the core element of a newpacking line, installed by Farmer’s Snack after winning amajor contract from a discount retailer. The line primarilyhandles the weighing and filling of pocket-sized bags witha fill weight of 40g, but is also able to pack 150g flat bags.The weigher meets specifications with regard to speedand can process up to 140 bags per minute. “Before investing, we tested the weigher with ourproducts and achieved an output that no other providercould offer for an equivalent 14-head model,” said BoieKarstens, a member of the management team atFarmer’s Snack. “The fact that the machine was availablefor quick delivery was another advantage.”For Farmer’s Snack, the investment in packing technology has been a great success. Cooling large spacescost effectively – thealternative to traditionalair conditioningRisi, producer of the famous Palomitas®, wasexperiencing significant issues due to the heatemitted by the industrial plant itself which,added to the summer temperatures, werereaching even 45°C. After an in-depth study,eight Breezair evaporative coolers have beeninstalled.Sam Peli, General Manager Sales Europe,Africa and Middle East of Seeley International –the manufacturers of Breezair – said: “Mostindustries with high heat loads, such asbakeries, packaging facilities or premises whereovens are involved, have no cooling systeminstalled, and this impacts on the workers’morale and productivity, as well as on theirhealth.” He added: “In cases where businesses havetraditional cooling systems installed, they relyon recirculating the air in the indoor space, andthat stale air can be full of fumes and germs.Crucially, premises such as warehouses or bigstorage rooms, especially when dealing withfood or drinks, have specific temperaturerequirements.” British Biscotti widens appealwith first move to automationAfter just 12 months in business, The Great British Biscotti Co atChristchurch, Dorset, is meeting rising demand – and now nationaldistribution – for its new range of biscuits with the installation earlier this yearof a PFM Pearl entry level flow-wrapper, capable of 150 packs a minute.Founded in March 2016, the company aims to broaden the market for biscottiwith a range of flavours in addition to the traditional almond biscuits made largelyin Italy. The PFM Pearl was bought to cater for growing volume by automatingmanual wrapping for double and single slice retail packs.“Biscotti biscuits have changed little in years so we are looking to open up themarket with a range of products for tea drinkers, such as honey and lemon andginger flavour, as well as new flavours including Belgian chocolate, and coffee andwalnut,” said Director Paul Rostand.Most recently, he added, the company has launched the world’s first range of savoury Biscotti,aimed at consumers seeking new sweet and savoury snacks.The PFM Pearl was selected, said Mr Rostand, for the range of technology available on what is a starter level, but nevertheless servo drivenmachine: “In particular we liked the no product/no bag system while the operator system is simple and attractive to us,” he said.As a start-up company reliability and service were particularly important as well.“Service has been absolutely amazing,” said Mr Rostand. “For example we had one small issue with a set-up - part of the learning process - andthe PFM engineer was here 9.00 the next morning. Overall we feel that PFM have shown great interest in our business.”13_Layout 1 24/03/2017 14:29 Page 114 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netThe Primal Pantry celebrates thirdbirthday with major listings The Primal Pantry – the UK’s first Paleo bar brand – iscelebrating its third birthday, the brand has confirmedfurther listings across 600 WHSmith travel distributionpoints and full store listing of six SKUs across Booths. It hasalso increased its export market from 26 to 31 countries overthe last 3 months, following the rising demand for real,unprocessed food. As well as new UK listings, The Primal Pantry has recentlyincreased its export footprint. In Europe, bars have beenstocked in 40 La Place stores in the Netherlands and talksare also currently in place with major French chainIntermarché. South Africa has seen listings in Spars and Pickand Pay, with a launch in Checkers being imminent. Thebrand has also confirmed 500 7/11 stores in Norway.The Primal Pantry has had huge success since its launch in2014. The raw food brand is now stocked in nearly 4,000stores nationwide across Sainsbury’s, Tesco & Wholefood stores. on the shelfNew coffee trend making caffeine wavespackaged in SIG carton packs STEEP 18 Cold Brew Coffee is on trend as itintroduced its line of cold brew varieties.Sourced only from the highest quality Arabicabeans, and then steeped for 18 hours to ensurethe most potency and taste, the productscome in Breakfast Blend, Colombian, DonutBlend, Guatemalan, Signature, and Sumatranflavours. They are all co-packed at Protenergyin SIG combiblocSlimline carton packs. Unlike conventional iced coffee that is madefrom hot-brewed drip, which is then cooled and poured over ice, cold brew coffee is madefrom pouring room temperature (or colder) water over coffee grounds. The grounds arethen steeped for at least 12 hours, resulting in a drink that is rich, smooth, and even sweeter. Shannon Clayton, Senior Category Manager at TreeHouse Foods, the parent company forProtenergy, said: “Consumer response to our Cold Brew Coffee in carton packs has beenextremely positive. They love the quality of the product and its shelf life without preservatives.” New wines forIntrepid Fox single-serve rangeIntrepid Fox – the pre-filled red, white androsé single-serve goblets from Lyme Bay Winery– are now filled with new and exciting SpanishSyrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Rosado wines. With over 15 years’ experience of producingaward-winning wines, Lyme Bay’s winemakingteam, under the watchful eye of HeadWinemaker Liam Idzikowski, has worked closelywith their Spanish counterparts to ensureIntrepid Fox single-serve goblets are filled withwines sourced from the historical winemakingregion of La Mancha. Combining high-quality wine with single-servepackaging, Intrepid Fox pre-filled goblets offercustomers a convenient way to enjoy wine on thego. The easy-serve, easy-carry design significantlyreduces service time and on-site wastage. James Lambert, Managing Director of LymeBay Winery, said: “We expect that theintroduction of these new wines will reinforceIntrepid Fox’s reputation as a superior productthat can not only meet the demands of theevents, catering and retail convenienceindustries, but also provide an exceptionaldrinking experience for customers.”Award-winning Bacchus Blockjoins Lyme Bay’s range ofEnglish still wines Award-winning English wine producer, Lyme BayWinery, has added Bacchus Block, a new, single vineyarddesignated white wine, to its highly acclaimed range ofstill wines. Bacchus Block was developed using perfectly ripegrapes to create an aromatic white bursting with clean,intense and powerful grapefruit freshness. Madefrom 100% Bacchus grapes, the Bacchus Blockleaves a lasting impression thanks to its long,citrus-dominated finish with a good mouthfeel andgreat length.Bacchus Block comes critically acclaimed byjudges at some of the world’s most prestigiouscompetitions and awards, receiving a silver medal atthe International Wine and Spirits competition andranking as the highest rated Bacchus at the DecanterWorld Wine Event with 92 points out of 100.These and other recent award successes haveelevated Lyme Bay to become one of the mostcritically acclaimed wineries in England in only itsthird vintage. CO2-reduced carton packcombibloc EcoPlus now atCarrefour Carrefour, one of thebiggest distributionchains in Europe, isoffering UHT milk in thecombibloc EcoPlus1,000 ml carton pack inSpain. It consists of theEcoPlus structure fromSIG Combibloc, andgenerates less CO2compared to a conventional 1-litre carton pack of the same format.The CO2 saving of up to 28% (depending on the opening solution) isdue to the material composition: the main component, at more than80%, is unprocessed cardboard, which is made from the renewable andbio-based wood. A thin polyamide layer serves as a barrier to protectthe product from flavour loss and external odours. Added to this arepolyethylene layers, inside and out. The inner layer forms a liquid barrierfor the product; the outer layer keeps moisture out.Xavier Appy, Product Optimization Director at Carrefour: “Thinkingand acting sustainably is part of our corporate principles. In thiscontext, the design of more than 350 products has been optimised lastyear.”14_Layout 1 24/03/2017 14:30 Page 1Food & Drink International 15www.fdiforum.netAHDB add Farm BenchmarkingManagerThe Agriculture andHorticulture DevelopmentBoard (AHDB) has addedDoreen Anderson as FarmBenchmarking Manager toenable more farmers tobenchmark performance andimprove cost managementacross whole farm businesses. Ms Anderson will head up ateam responsible for rollingout a new businessmanagement programme focusing on benchmarking and peer-to-peer learning across crop and livestock enterprises.She has a wealth of experience helping farmers benchmark theircosts of production, having worked at AHDB since 2012 on variousprojects including dairy and beef benchmarking, as well as morerecently Monitor Farms and Arable Business Groups.Her appointment is part of AHDB’s renewed drive to upskill farmersand growers by providing them with the tools and understanding tomonitor performance relative to their peers and improve their businessdecision-making.The team will cover the whole UK, with five regional officersworking across beef, lamb, potatoes, cereals, oilseeds and later dairy.Fortress Interlocks appointsJo Smith as Managing DirectorFortress Interlocks hasappointed Jo Smith asits new ManagingDirector. Thisappointment is a quickpromotion for Jo, whoonly joined Fortress asFinance Director back inNovember 2015.Prior to joining thecompany, Jo spent mostof her career in theaerospace industry,beginning at LucasAerospace on thecompany’s graduateprogramme in 1997. Over the last 10 years, she has held variousleadership roles with UTC, a large US corporation.Her last role was Division Finance Director for UTC’s AerospaceActuation division, with responsibility for SBUs in UK, France, Italy,USA, India and Poland. Her career has included key leadershippositions within Finance, Operations and General Management.Don’t forgetyou can now readFood & Drink International Digital Editionsnow available on iPad & iPhonewww.fdiforum.netIdeal for those who spendtime away fromthe officeonthego!appointmentsTo advertise your serviceson the news pages contactus on 01472 31030215_Layout 1 24/03/2017 14:31 Page 116 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTThe marketto watchThe United Arab Emirates is a key market for food and drinkmanufacturers across the world, and one that still holds greatopportunity. © shutterstock/Ashraf Jandali16-18_Layout 1 27/03/2017 08:51 Page 1Food & Drink International 17www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTOne of the first difficulties a company faces indeciding how to export their products, is the decisionof where to target their exports in the first place.Cultural tastes, demand and transport links often comesecond to one simple question: which markets are mostprofitable?Without a doubt one of the wealthiest countries atthis time is the United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai.Already the UAE has emerged as a key trading partnerfor the US, particularly for meat products such as lamb.The biggest reason for the increase in exports to theUAE is its incredible logistics infrastructure, whichallows many to establish the Emirates as their primaryregional hub to re-export consumer-ready productsfurther across the Middle East. Ambassador Asif Chaudhry, Vice President andGeneral Sales Manager of the USDA ForeignAgricultural Service, reiterated that the UAE is a priorityglobal growth market; “US agricultural exports to theUAE have been increasing steadily over the past severalyears and we look forward to seeing Gulfood grow overthe next 20 years.” It’s not just America that is doing their best to enterthe Middle East market, though. Singapore regularlysends food and drink manufacturers to the Gulfoodshow. Exports from Singapore to the region totalaround $183 million, despite it being a relatively youngmarket for the country. Most of this is organisedthrough the IE (International Enterprise) Singapore, theGovernment agency promoting the overseas growth ofSingapore-based trade goods. This has been bolstered by the Dubai Customs, whohave enacted a GCC-Singapore Free Trade Agreement,which provides full exemption of Singapore’s customsduties for GCC imports and qualifies approximately93.9 percent of all Singaporean goods exported to theGCC for tariff-free concessions. What makes Dubai such an attractive market is notonly the wealth and emergent power in the region, butalso the cultural makeup of the country. It is a widediverse range of ethnicities, religions and cultures thathave all developed a love for fine food and drink. The area is going through further internal investmentas well, with recent Government-led investmentpredicted to increase domestic tourism by 40%between 2015 and 2020. Following the announcementof Saudi Vision 2030 – the country’s attempt tobecome the world’s leading Arab nation – vastinitiatives have been launched aiming at encouragingSaudis to explore all the Kingdom has to offer. All ofthis will combine to draw even more potential customto the region, and thus ensure a steady demand for18 Á16-18_Layout 1 27/03/2017 08:51 Page 218 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTBritish gin smashes all export recordsBritish gin exports have smashed all records on the previous year with overseas sales worthalmost half a billion pounds.The latest figures from HMRC show £474 million worth of British gin was sold abroad in 2016– up 12%, worth £53 million more than the previous year.If current trends continue, exports of gin are forecast to hit the £500 million mark before theend of 2017.UK gin exports have seen a meteoric rise and since 2012, adding the equivalent value of £227million in just five years. Volume sales have also risen by 36%.Last year, without accounting for festive sales, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association dubbed2016 ‘The Year of Gin’.Miles Beale, WSTA Chief Executive, said: “The quality of the gin combined with the world’s love forbrand Britain has seen British gin breaking records both at home and abroad. It is fantastic to see thequintessentially British spirit supporting a wider industry with gin themed gifts now selling like hot cakes.”© shutterstock/Igor Normanninternational food and drink produce.The food and drink industry in the UAEis estimated to be worth $5 trillionglobally.Without a doubt, the most familiartrade show within the region is Gulfood,which takes place in February eachyear in the Dubai World Trade Centre. Aunique trade and sourcing platform forfinished food suppliers, bulk commoditywholesalers and exporters across thespectrum of fresh, frozen, dry andprocessed food and drink products,Gulfood also facilitates substantialglobal transactions for foodstuffcommodities such as meat, cereals,grains, rice, coffee and tea. Driven by afast-growing population, burgeoninghospitality and tourism markets and itsprominent position as a re-export hub,the UAE’s demand for food staples isincreasing at a rate of 30% every year,according to the Ministry of Economy.With imports accounting for between80-90% of GCC food consumption,Dubai is best placed to cater forincreasing demand in regional foodtrading.Thousands of food and beverageproducts and services are introducedevery year at Gulfood and the GulfoodAwards presents an opportunity forbest-in-class excellence to berecognised and rewarded. The highly-prestigious accolades celebrate bothpeople and companies behind theregion’s leadership and innovation in thefood and drink industry. Next year’sevent will take place from the 18-22ndFebruary, and is often seen as the firststep in tackling the large market of theUnited Arab Emirates. Chinese thirstfor British beerdrives exportsup 500%New figures from HMRC have revealedthat British beer exports rose 6% in 2016,with a 500% upsurge to China. The rise to China came as UK brewerscapitalised on interest in British beerfollowing pictures of Chinese President XiJinping enjoying a beer with former PrimeMinister David Cameron in 2015.Exports to India also rose by 417%, whileexports to the EU showed solid growth of5%.British Beer is the UK’s third mostvaluable food and drink export, with avalue of £584 million, an increase of £84million on 2015. Currently, 63% of Britain’sbeer exports go to the European Union.Although UK beer duty is not payableon exports, a high rate of beer duty acts asa real barrier to the investment needed tohelp foster further export growth.The British Beer and Pub Association isdeveloping a strategy to support theGovernment’s ‘Food and Drink ActionPlan’, helping to chart a path for continuedexport success as Britain leaves the EU.© shutterstock/ERainbow16-18_Layout 1 27/03/2017 08:51 Page 3Food & Drink International 19www.fdiforum.netCONTAINERS & PALLETSA balance of strength,reliability and hygiene isdemanded within the palletsand containers industry, butwith many now appearing onsupermarket floors –aesthetics and safety must betaken into account as well. The quality of containers and palletsis increasingly important to anorganisation. Indeed, with the rise andrise of no-frills retailers in the past fewyears, in many cases the pallets are nowno longer used for transportation alongthe supply chain but also to display theproducts at the end of it.Strength and security are absolutelykey with the need to keep products ingood condition and those who deal withthem safe top priorities. Howeverconvenience and efficiency is also amajor driver of innovation. Increasinglythe pallets themselves are often ondisplay in stores so have to allowconsumers the ability to access theproducts, while lightweight constructionalso ensures they are easier to transportand use less storage space.This brings with it increasedresponsibility. In fact, under theProvision and Use of Work EquipmentRegulations a pallet is classed as workequipment and therefore an employer isunder “strict liability” to keep it in goodworking order and repair. This meansthat if an accident involving a faultypallet occurs, the employer is liable forwhat could be thousands of poundspaid out in personal injury claimsbrought by employees or members ofthe public.For some it’s easy to take palletquality for granted when they’re aneveryday piece of equipment used inwarehouse or factory operations. Butpallets are designed and madespecifically for moving massive weights,which mean accidents can and dohappen if a company cuts corners byusing inferior pallets.In many ways, the containers and© shutterstock/Dmitry Kalinovsky20 ÁStrongandsturdy19-21_Layout 1 27/03/2017 08:53 Page 1Next >