2016

Macadamia Processing Co.

Limited

Training Manual

TOPIC 1 - EMPLOYMENT

Employment

What is this Training ModuleAbout?

This training provides participants with information to cover a basic understanding of the company’s history, products, policies and procedures.The aim is for new employees to be integrated into the MPC work environment as soon aspossible.

Company Overview

MPC is wholly owned by over 180 macadamia growers in Northern New South Wales and Eastern Queensland. The company processes and markets over 30% of the annual Australian crop and is the largest producer in Australia. MPC exports its product throughout the world and its product is recognised as being of the highest quality.

MPC employs approximately 180 persons. While the majority are seasonal factory workers (eg packers, sorters, machinery operators, laboratory assistants, plant operators, cleaners),MPC also employs approx 40 permanent staff (eg Managers, Foreman, Administration, Liaison Officers)

Legislative Compliance

MPC, being a food manufacturer and exporter of food products, is required to comply with numerous forms of legislation. Legislation covers such topics as:

Organisational statuseg Corporations Act 2001

Employmenteg Work Health and Safety Act 2011

Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011

Workers Compensation Act 1987

Food Safetyeg Food Standards Australia & New Zealand
(FSANZ)

Exporteg Export Control Act of 1982

Bodies that legislate are:

  1. FSANZ (Food Standards AustraliaNew Zealand)
  2. WHO (World Health Organisation)
  3. FAO (Food Agriculture Organisation)
  4. ISO (International Standards Organisation)
  5. Dept of Agriculture including the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service.
  6. Fairwork Australia
  7. Workcover NSW

Industry Standards

Australian Macadamia Society (AMS):-
Industry Quality Handbook Macadamia Minimum Standards & Guidelines
Lab Accreditation programme

Vision Statement

MPC will continue to be the world’s largest Macadamia Company and be seen as a leader of the industry. MPC will be the processor of choice for Australian growers and shares in the company will command a premium. It will achieve this by providing its growers the industries best overall support and returns. MPC will set the benchmark for world’s best practice in the macadamia industry.

Mission Statement

The mission of MPC is to ensure the long term viability and profitability of its shareholder’s farms. It will do this by leading the industry and ensuring that there is always sufficient demand for the product to match forecast production. The strategy will be implemented on a domestic and world industry level.

MPC Structure

MPC is now a major shareholder in Consolidated Nuts (CNA) at Bundaberg.

MPC and CNA have established a marketing company – Macadamia Marketing International (MMI).

MMI now markets all product produced at MPC & CNA plus product from other processors.

Benefits – quality and reliability of supply and price, drive efficiencies and provide a customer one stop shop.

Site Plan

Revision Date: 8/01/2015Date Printed: 3/02/2016 1:12:00 PM

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MPC Organisational Charts:

ORGANISATIONAL CHART 2:

MPC Contact Persons

If you need to contact someone at the factory please contact the relevant person from the list below:

Name / Position / Contact Number:
Phil Close / Production Manager / 66243900
Brett Simpson / Production Shift Foreman / 66256313 / 66256347
Trish Gray / Production Shift Foreman / 66256313 / 66256347
Troy Beddoes / Production Shift Foreman / 66256313 / 66256347
Darren MacQueen / Production Shift Foreman / 66256313 / 66256347
Ron Pirlo / Receivals Supervisor / 66256312
Warren Simpson / Reprocessing & Warehouse Manager / 66256328
Betty Hicks / Reprocessing Foreman / 66256349
Melissa Plim / Warehouse Foreman / 66256314
Darren Pagotto / Warehouse Leading Hand / 66256352
Craig Brice / Quality Manager / 66256321
Joel Michael / Quality Supervisor / 66256325
Allen Holmes / WHS & Training Manager / 66256338

What do we do?

  • Receive Nuts

Growers (mostly shareholders) supply nuts from as far south as Macksville and north to Bundaburg in Queensland. Nuts have usually been through a dehusking process, MPC has the capacity to dehusk a small percentage of deliveries.

  • Store and dry nuts (before processing)

Nut in shell delivered by growers is initially stored in the large bins in a building where temperature is controlled to dry nut in shell to the optimal moisture content.

When nut in shell has reached optimal moisture content for storage it is either sent to drying silos to further drying prior to processing or stored in silos to await processing.

  • Crack and Sort Nuts

Nuts are cracked (shell removed from kernel) and the shell/foreign objects are sorted (mechanically) from the kernel. The kernel is then sorted using colour sorter machines and employees to remove inferior nuts.

  • Grading of Kernel

The sorted kernel is then mechanically graded into a variety of styles depending on size and if the kernel is whole, halves or pieces.

  • Product requirements

Kernel may be blended (combining styles), roasted, salted or sold as sorted depending on customer requirements.

  • Packaging and Dispatching of Nuts

The kernel is sealed in foil pouches and packed into 10 or11.34 kg boxes and stored in the refrigerated warehouse. Some stock may also be stored in “Tote bins” for short periods during the production process.

  • Quality

Throughout the process from receipt to dispatch there are many quality procedures and checks to ensure a quality product is produced for customers.

Award Pay and Conditions

All MPC factoryemployees, workunder the conditions of the Food Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturers Award and the National Employment Standards which is designed as a safety net of conditions that apply to all employees in Australia.

Wages

Wages are paid weekly into a nominated bank account. The pay week runs from Wednesday to Tuesday. Wages are processed on Wednesday and funds are usually available on Friday morning.

Overtime for employees will be paid at a rate of time and a half for the first three hours and double time after that.

Casual employees are entitled to a casual loading of 25%.

Shift Loadings apply for afternoon shift (2-10pm) 15% and Night Shift (10pm-6am) 30%.

On each occasion a casual employee is required to attend work the employee will be paid for a minimum of 4 hours work.

Personal/Carer’s Leave

Permanent employees are entitled to 10 days paid leave a year.Personal/ Carer’s leave will be accruedprogressively. Employees who have not accrued or have exhausted their Personal/ Carers Leave are entitled to 2 days unpaid Carer’s leave on each permissible occasion. Employees must provide evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person.

Employees unable to attend work (for any reason) must contact the appropriate person to inform them of this fact. The factory requires all staff to be present in order to run effectively.It is not acceptable to give inadequate or no notice.

Between the hours of 7:30 am4:00 pm the appropriate person to contact for Production staff is Phil Close, Laboratory staff should contact Craig Briceor Joel Michaeland Warehouse/Reprocessing staff should contact Warren Simpsonor Betty Hicks(Repro only) or Mel Plim (Warehouse only).

After hours the appropriate person to contact is the Shift Foreman/Leading Hand. (Contact numbers are providedin this handout). Please ensure that you speak to the Foreman/Leading Hand and do not leave messages with other persons.

A doctor’s certificate should be provided by employees applying for personal leave due to sickness. Employees must be able to perform pre-injury/illness duties or provide a medical certificate (similar to a Workcover Certificate) which clearly states a management plan and fitness for work before returning to work. Suitable duties may be provided at the discretion of MPC.

Note:-Wages are processed on Wednesday, doctor’s certificates must be presented before 9:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Annual Leave

No annual leave may be taken by permanent staff during the macadamia process season unless prior approval has been obtained.Only in exceptional circumstances will leave be granted during the season.

Annual leave will accrue during the season for permanent workers and will be paid out/available at the conclusion of the season.

Public Holidays

Permanent employees are entitled to payment for public holidays.

In past years employees have elected to work on locally declared Public Holidays (eg Lismore Race Day) and the time is added to their annual leave.

If permanent employees are absent either before or after a public holiday they will require a doctor’scertificate or prior consent by MPC, to be entitled to payment for the day/s you were absent.

Termination

Casual employees may be terminated at any time. Permanent employees must be given between 1 week and 5 weeks notice dependent on their age and length of employment.

Permanent (less than 12 months continuous employment) staff must be given 1 weeks notice.

Notice of termination required by employees is the same as for employers giving notice, except there is no requirement for additional notice due to age.

Car Parking

Speed Limit of 10 km/h applies.

In order to ensure compliance with Lismore City Council noise regulations please comply with the following restrictions:

  • All personnel commencing work at 6:00 a.m. are to park in the carpark closest to the highway.
  • All personnel commencing work at 2:00 p.m. are to park in the designated areas of the carpark adjacent to the factory.
  • All personnel commencing work at 10:00 p.m. are to park in the parking area adjacent to the office building or any vacant spaces adjacent to the factory.
  • Office staffare to park in the carpark closest to the highway or in the parking area adjacent to the office building.No vehicles are to be moved in or out of the car park closest to the highway between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Monday to Sunday.

Telephone Usage

In cases of some urgency a telephone is located in the Foreman’s Office that may be used by employees to ring out on. You must ask your Foreman before using this phone.

Incoming calls during business hours should be made on the daytime phone number (6624 3900)and may be transferred to the factory floor. Outside of business hours one of the alternate numbers listed should be used. A message may be taken if a person cannot be immediately located.

Please ensure that only strictly necessary calls are made or received.

Uniforms

Workers will be issued with 3 shirts & a jumper or vest in their first year of employment. Two additional shirts will be issued at the commencement of the 2nd year of employment. Replacement will then be on a wear and tear basis or for other reasons at the discretion of MPC. Workers must wear MPC issued shirts (if issued) as a condition of commencing a shift. Uniform items must be maintained in a clean condition and returnedwith any issued personal protective equipment prior to collecting final pay.

Bum bags are available for storing stationery items and equipment necessary to perform your everyday tasks. See your Supervisor or the ManagerWHSTraining for issue of a bum bag.

Please note that for safety reasons all factory staff are required to wear covered footwear withdual-density polyurethane soles and a steel or equivalent quality safety cap.

New employees must be prepared to source complying footwear when they first commence but MPC will a.s.a.p. issue 1 pair of boots for wearing while at work at MPC. Replacement will be at MPC’s discretion, but boots will only be replaced on presentation of the old boots and considering normal wear and tear. New boots will not be provided each processing season unless normal wear and tear conditions apply. Workers may opt not to be issued with the footwear provided by MPC but provide their own footwear which meets MPC specifications and must be approved by Manager WHS & Training prior to wearing at work.

Reputable brands include Blundstone, Mack, Rossi, Bata, T-Boots, Olivers,Redbacks and Steel Blue, but not all styles are suitable or will be approved. Please note if you have been issued with boots by MPC you will be required to wear those boots at work unless specifically authorised otherwise.

A copy of the Uniform Items Policy (HM.PO.03 )is available in the meals room in the “Blue Folder”.

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

Employees will be issued with and required to wear:

  • Earmuffs and or earplugs
  • Hairnets/ Beard snoods (if necessary).

Employees may be issued with or have available when required the following PPE:

  • Goggles/face shields
  • Gloves (sanitised blue gloves, packing gloves, leather gloves)
  • Aprons
  • Disposable coatsand protection sleeves
  • Safety Helmets (Hard Hats)
  • Gumboots
  • Waterproof gear

Jewellery & Accessories

  • No jewellery, watches or other accessories (including false fingernails) may be worn in production areas at any time.
  • Fingernails must be kept trimmed (neat and tidy) so that when holding hands up in front of face, fingernails can not be seen. Wearing of gloves does not exempt anyone from this requirement.
  • The only exempt jewellery/accessories are non-visible body piercings, a “medi-alert” necklace if worn because of a medical condition that requires it, or a solid band ring that cannot be removed; in which case it must be covered at all times by a glove.
  • Hair accessories are to be metal with no stones or decorative objects
  • Shirts must be tucked in to your trousers to prevent possible contamination from body piercings or body hair.
  • Spectacles must be attached to a MPC approved and issued retaining cord worn around the neck. Contact lenses are permitted but must be fitted outside of production areas and reported immediately a lense is misplaced.
  • Nail polish is discouraged, but if present a glove must be worn over the hand/s.
  • Perfume is discouraged as kernel may absorb the smell and taint the natural flavour of the kernel.

Personal Effects

Items of value should be kept at home and may not be taken onto the factory floor.

A limited number of lockers are available for personal effects. The Manager WHS & Trainingwill allocate a locker to an employee after the payment of a key deposit that is refundable upon surrender of the key. No open food items/drink/fruit are to be stored in the lockers. Inspection of lockers may be conducted with the permission of the key holder.

MPC does not accept any responsibility for the loss of personal property.

Items not allowed in production areas include food or drink (anything edible), medicine, mobile phones, ipads/ipods or similar musical devices or excessive makeup (including false eyelashes).

Wallets/purse and keys (car & locker keys) may be carried in MPC Issued bum bags or pockets below waistline. No loose coins in pockets allowed.

Personal Details

Employees have advised personal details when they completed their MPC Employment Application. Employees must complete an Employee Information Update Form (available in lunchroom of from Manager WHS & Training at the commencement of each season and when details previously provided are no longer current.

Work Protocols

Before shift:

  1. Turn up for each scheduled shift;
  2. Turn up fit for work (ie rested, fed, clean, suitably dressed, cuts and sores covered and free of the effects of sickness, drugs and alcohol);
  3. Turn up on time, allowing enough time to get prepared for work (ie jewellery removed, been to the toilet if required, wash and sanitise hand/arms, apply hair/beard net and hearing protection fitted before start time;
  4. If entering the production area you will be required to scrub your boots on boots scrubbers provided, wash and sanitise your hands prior to fitting gloves (disposable or packing gloves). Foreman/Leading Hand
  5. Reort to Foreman/Leading Hand who will allocate duties .

During Shift:

  1. Stay in your designated work area;
  2. Advise Foreman/Leading Hand if a toilet break is required or if you are not feeling well (Disposable gloves must be disgarded before leaving production area, packing gloves may be stored in an approved container for reuse. see your leading hand)
  3. Work Safely (report hazards, incidents and non conformances);
  4. Do not allow talking to have a negative affect on performance or quality of work.

Meal Break (maximum of 30 Minutes):

  1. Wait for Foreman/Leading Hand’s approval to go to your meal break unless previously advised of other arrangements;
  2. Leave production area;
  3. Wash and sanitise hands/arms;
  4. Eat, drink water (keep hydrated);
  5. Visit toilet, wash and sanitise hands/arms, apply hair-net/hearing protection,scrub boots, wash and sanitise hands again, fitnew gloves etc;
  6. Enter Production area and re-commence work.

End of Shift:

  1. Complete tasks (where possible);
  2. Tidy work area as appropriate including returning tools, cleaning cloths etc. (don’t leave used or unused cleaning cloths at your work station);
  3. Update new shift worker with tasks, hazards, plans etc for your position;
  4. Wait for Foreman/Leading Hand’s approval to leave work area.

Exiting Premises

The facilities and foyer can be busy and congested during change of shifts. Please be patient, respect your workmates and be careful not to leave lockers open, create trip hazards or bump people when using the stairs.

Always walk don’t run.

The car park can also be busy with people anxious to leave work and others stressing because they may be late. Be especially careful when reversing from parking spaces and remember the car park speed limit is 10km per hour.

MPC WHS Policies and Procedures

Company policies and procedures on a range of issues including discrimination/equal employment opportunity, harassment, smoking, alcohol and drugs, injury management and return-to-work procedures, various WHS issues and grievances are available at all times in the blue MPC Policy Manual in the lunchroom. For information on any topic, you may consult this manual or “blue book” in lunch room. Additional information or clarification on any issue can be obtained by contacting the Manager - OH&S/Training.

Smoking

Macadamia Processing Co. Limited (MPC) is committed to protecting the health and safety of all its employees and others who may be affected by environmental tobacco smoke at work, by effectively controlling the risks associated with smoking.