The foundation of successful workplace safety is one that encourages employees to identify unsafe behaviors and opportunities for improvement while also making well-informed safety decisions during daily routine tasks. Consider these 4 quick factory Safety Tips to help you inform your own workers and create a workplace safety environment based on shared responsibility:
1. Dress appropriately
All industrial workers should be concerned about falling or being hit by falling objects, moving machinery, or industrial trucks. Depending on the nature of job, equipment like earplugs, earmuffs, hard hats, safety goggles, gloves or a full-face mask greatly reduce the risk of workplace injury for example; factory workers may be required to wear safety glasses and safety high-top shoes. In construction, workers may be required to wear a hard hat. Welders are also exposed to particular hazards like electric shock, arc radiation, air contamination, fire and explosion, compressed gases, and cleaning processes.
2. Keep emergency exits easily accessible
It’s highly unlikely that you can run a factory operation for years without ever experiencing emergency situations. Obviously if you set up the right measures & management, these occurrences become few & far in between but they are inevitable. In case of an emergency, you’ll need quick, easy access to the exits. It’s also recommended to keep clear access to equipment shutoffs in case you need to quickly stop them from functioning especially in situations where they are the cause of the accident.
3. Use mechanical tools whenever possible
In the spirit of frugality, some employees with minimum or no supervision may attempt to physically carry or lift something heavy in an attempt to save a few coins on machinery expenses. A large percentage of accidents & injuries in factories happen as a result of trying to replace machines with humans on key task. As an employer (or supervisor) you must encourage use of machines e.g. a wheelbarrow, conveyor belt, crank or forklift when trying to lift something that weighs too much.
4. Encourage injury reporting
Most employees hold back from reporting work-related injuries and illness, fearing retaliation by their employer. But keep in mind that when employees don’t report incidents, the problem goes untouched & can potentially place other employees’ at risk for the same injury or illness. For example they could be operating with machinery or chemicals that are causing allergic reactions, burns or more serious illness. Employers; especially immediate supervisors should encourage workers to report all work-related injuries and illnesses to promote a safe working environment.
All factory works is as safe or as dangerous as any industrial or construction job. It’s up to facility managers and business owners to get their employees on-board with workplace safety efforts, encouraging them to become active members in the process. One good approach is by sharing workplace injury statistics and the inherent risks their job presents to them on a daily basis. In the end, though, it is up to the individual worker to protect him or her by following the safety suggestions of the experts and using common sense. You will however be held responsible if this safety culture isn’t well enforced.
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