June is National Safety Month. Because safety in every industry is important, an entire month is dedicated to the education, awareness, and implementation of methods to keep employees safe.
In the manufacturing industry, soldering, welding, metal cutting, raw material assembling, and heavy lifting and rigging can cause injuries. Magnetic fields, compressed gases, and harmful radiations also can impact workers’ health. These are reasons why potential workplace hazards need to be identified and the proper measures taken to minimize the risk of accidents.
Implement these tips to increase safety in your manufacturing work environment.
Provide Regular Safety Training
Train your employees on safety protocols on a regular basis. This is especially important because national safety guidelines continue to change. Your employees need to stay updated on the changes to increase their level of safety. This includes regular training to properly use the tools and operate the machinery. It also involves training to properly report equipment defects.
Keep Work Areas Organized and Clean
Make sure your employees maintain clear, dry work areas. This means that power cords, stinger leads, cylinder hoses, racks, and pallets are not cluttering aisles or walkways. Also, the equipment and accessories are arranged in an orderly fashion. Plus, the floor is free from anything wet or greasy that could cause slips, falls, or fires.
Encourage your employees to get rid of scrap, metal shavings, and flammable material by placing them in designated bins. If something spills in a work area, the employee should place a barricade with caution tape around the area.
Require the Wearing of Safety Gear
Remind your metal workers to wear gloves, safety hoods and shoes, earplugs, hard hats, respirators, full bodysuits, or other personal protective equipment (PPE) when required. For instance, your employees need to wear hard hats when moving heavy metal sheets overhead. Also, your electric arc welders must wear sturdy rubber-toed boots and gloves to protect themselves against electrocution. Plus, the welders need to wear goggles and welding hoods to protect against ultraviolet and infrared radiation burns and toxic welding fumes.
Ensure Proper Installation of Guarding Mechanisms
All guarding mechanisms need to be in place before starting a project. For instance, plate and sheet forming machines and plasma cutting equipment need properly fitted guards and safety features to protect employees’ fingers. Also, the area around the work station must have guardrails and barriers to allow only qualified employees to enter the area.
Need to Hire Safety-Minded Employees?
Staff Right Solutions can match you with manufacturing candidates focused on safety in the workplace. Find out more today.