Plant Safety: Key Advancements
Safety is the foundation of your facility, and a team that puts safety first will discover improved productivity, employee morale, and greater cost savings due to not paying for the results of safety accidents.
Fortunately, the last decade has seen a ton of improvement to worker safety thanks to improved digitized reporting systems that give you by the hour data on the safety hazards employees may be exposed to.
That being said, many companies only jumped on board this year due to COVID, forcing them to develop more efficient systems that can be used with reduced contact.
Another improvement to safety has been the implementing of hot work free technologies such as Quickflange or Forge Bonding that are eliminating safety risks associated with hot work. Refer to this article for an idea of how Forge Bonding could have saved 60 or more lives.
With that being said, there are some basic steps you can take to improve safety at your facility, and make sure that Mom or Dad makes it home tonight.
1. Layout
Not everyone knows your facility as well as you do. Make sure the lighting is adequate and that signs can be read and understood. (With a focus on understood).
Make sure pipes are labelled for their content, and that damaged pipes are replaced promptly. If you need a safe patchup quickly, consider using Composite Repair.
If you have dangerous chemicals, have a plan in place and known by all workers in the event of a leak.
Finally, bright, obvious floor markings can be very useful in making sure workers are alert to hazards in the area.
2. Organization
You get busy. Your employees get busy. Empty boxes can obstruct and cause a tripping hazard. Spills not immediately cleaned up can be forgotten about. And leftover wires and tape laying around can cause an accident.
While daily tasks can understandably take priority over stopping to clean here and there, a clean, tidy facility is ultimately a safe facility.
3. New Machines Get Old
New machines are great. Old machines are still great – with proper care. Having a predictive maintenance plan in place to make sure your equipment is always well looked after will save you from having to replace it. And your employees will appreciate using machines that are properly cared for.
4. Safety Checks
Monthly checks on all equipment and cleanliness of the facility is going to help ensure you are running a safe environment. Make sure all PPE is up to date and is being used. Make sure walkways, stairs, and emergency exits are free of obstructions.
Get those concrete chips dealt with quickly, and make sure liquids are dried and cleaned from all surfaces.
5. Safety Training
Do your employees know how to use all your machines effectively? Machines evolve and complacency can occur with employees who have been there for awhile. Put some time aside each year to make sure perform training and make sure each employee is comfortable using your ever-evolving equipment.
Throw a test in at the end to make sure they’re paying attention.
Conclusion
If safety is made your top priority, all other aspects of your facility will run smoothly. An employee who feels safe and looked after will perform better because he or she feels supported. A messy facility with equipment that isn’t kept up to date isn’t going to encourage anyone to perform at a top level.
Follow these 5 steps and you will have an environment that supports the workers running it. And if possible, use technology to avoid unsafe activities. Use hot-work-free repairs.
Whenever you’re ready, here are 4 ways we can help:
