Lauren Heather, World Executives Digest | Running a manufacturing facility is a responsible task, especially if you know that you’re in charge of keeping your employees safe and sound every single day. Working in a warehouse, a factory or any other kind of facility that has dangerous and potentially harmful machines can be life-threatening, which is why all of us need to be extra careful and pay attention to every small detail of our day. If your facility already has some experience in providing safety and security, here’s how you can bring this to a whole new level and make your employees feel even safer.
Raising awareness
Just because they work around dangerous machines doesn’t mean your employees are actually aware of the hazards they’re facing. That’s precisely the reason why you should be the one to raise the awareness of the dangers lurking them, from the moment they step into the production area to the time they’re ready to head towards home. Of course, you mustn’t scare your staff into thinking they’re working in unsafe conditions, but simply promote safety and make sure they know what the might be dealing with.
Investigating injuries
If your employees are known for suffering lots of work-related injuries, don’t assume it’s always their fault, but investigate your production line as well. Human error is quite often the cause of an injury, yet it’s not always the case. Last year, there were “approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers” in the USA alone, but this rate has been constantly dropping since 2003, which means more people are paying more attention to their safety. However, this is still not enough to assume we’re all safe and sound while working, so do your part of the job and check your machinery, just in case.
Restricting access
Once you’ve examined and reevaluated the safety of your production line, it’s time to forbid your employees from entering certain areas that can’t be considered completely safe. You’ll be doing this for their own safety, but for the good of the company as well, because only businesses that promote protection are perceived positively in the community and business world alike. One of the best ways to restrict access to potentially dangerous areas is by using highly visible and reliable line marking paint that will highlight the forbidden zones of your facility and let the employees know these shouldn’t be occupied at any time.
Setting a good example
The best way to encourage safety and show people how to act is by acting a certain way yourself. If you’re running around the production area without wearing any safety clothes and protective equipment, don’t expect anyone to take you seriously and start taking care of their own safety. In other words, you need to set a good example by raising your own security to another level and show everyone else that it can actually be done. This way, you’ll inspire others not just to be safe for their own sake, but also protect each other, thus creating a collective safety protocol everyone can benefit from.
Minimizing slips, trips and falls
Although they don’t seem like a lot at first, slips, trips and falls are still the leading causes of injuries in certain industries, and that’s something we need to change right away. Luckily, these things can be minimized quite efficiently in a matter of weeks. All you need to do is introduce a new cleaning regime into your workplace and ensure the schedule is being followed every day of the week. Your facility needs to be clean and decluttered because unnecessary items being scattered all over the place just increase the risk of injuries.
Protecting your employees against injuries is a continuous process, but if you get organized and stay dedicated to this task, you’ll surely find a way to elevate the level of your safety and keep it high all the time.
