Safety at the Workplace
5 Tips for Employee Safety
Employees in the manufacturing industry are prone to various risks, including injuries, illnesses, and death. However, this is preventable by adhering to manufacturing safety policies and practices. Here are five tips to ensure your employees’ safety at work.
1. Conduct Manufacturing Safety Training
Are your employers aware of the risks they face at the workplace? More importantly, do they know how to protect themselves from these risks? Manufacturing safety training can help.
Manufacturing safety training helps equip employees with the skills and knowledge necessary to stay safe at work. At the very least, your employees will learn how to use their workplace safety gear and what to do in case of emergencies (emergency drills). However, your training classes should cover all the potential safety issues to minimise all underlying safety risks.
Make the training lessons easy to understand, keeping in mind your employees’ varying literacy levels. Training should also be regular and inclusive of any changes in the workplace.
2. Get Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
PPEs are the employees’ first line of defense against hazardous conditions in the workplace. For example, helmets protect workers’ heads from falling equipment while gas masks protect them from hazardous gases. The point is that there is protective workwear for virtually any type of hazard at the workplace, and all your employees should be properly fitted from head to toe.
3. Minimise the Risk of Slipping & Falling
Falling from slipping or tripping is the second most common cause of injuries sustained at the workplace. Fortunately, it is easy to prevent.
Start by clearing the aisles to eliminate anything that can cause workers to trip and fall. Additionally, clean up spills immediately and use guards and drip pans if you are dealing with liquids. It is also advisable to get treated workplace footwear if you mostly work with liquids. Finally, ensure that you cover all holes, loose boards, and any other hazards that increase the risk of falling.
4. Clear the Work Areas & Emergency Exits
A cluttered working floor impedes employee movement. It also increases the risk of tripping and falling. More alarmingly, it creates obstacles to quick movement when employees have to clear the floor fast in case of emergencies.
As such, it is necessary to clear the working areas and emergency exits. Additionally, the exits should be easily accessible for all your employees – think about how many exits there are and where they are positioned.
5. Ensure Proper Machinery & Equipment Maintenance
Accidents can occur when machines break down, and the employees operating these machines can get hurt in the process. What’s more, faulty machines and equipment will compromise the manufacturing process, diminishing your output, the quality of your products, financial returns, and more. As such, it is prudent to ensure the proper maintenance of all your equipment and machinery.
Good for Everyone
Your employees deserve to work in a safe environment. Their productivity will be diminished if they sustain injuries or infections at work. More alarmingly, workplace injuries will leave you vulnerable to legal charges that will disrupt operations at the workplace and incur hefty fines. As such, take all the necessary measures to make the workplace safe.
