How Does The Manufacturing Industry Improve Safety?

Safety is an important concern in every industry but particularly in the manufacturing sector. In manufacturing, there is the need to operate heavy machinery, which has the potential to cause injury if sufficient safety practices are not in place. It is estimated that 20% of all workplace accidents and injuries occur in the manufacturing sector.

These can be from injuries sustained whilst operating machinery to falls from height. In addition, the manufacturing industry is often involved in food or beverage production. As such, there is a significant need to ensure that the factory environment and plant machinery are hygienically clean so there is no safety risk to the consumers of the products. In this article, three distinct ways in which the manufacturing industry attempts to improve safety will be discussed in detail.

For the Workforce

In many factories, there is a need to load and unload raw materials and finished products in bulk. This often requires the use of specialist equipment, such as forklift trucks, as the loads are often more than can be carried by human operators. Areas that require the constant use of forklift trucks are recognized as being potentially dangerous for the human workforce. As such, a manufacturing company may designate certain areas of the factory as exclusion zones that are free of other human operatives. This simple change to the working environment can have significant safety benefits for the wider workforce as an exclusion zone can minimize the risk of collisions between vehicles and pedestrians on a factory site. Today, modern technologies, such as the use of drones, are also becoming commonplace in the factory environment. Drones can be used to assess the factory without the need for humans to work from height or be exposed to hazardous chemicals.

Safe Hygiene in Factories

Any factory or production line that produces food or beverage items for human consumption needs to ensure that the premises achieve a constant level of sanitization and general hygiene. Dirty equipment or debris on production lines can easily enter food products and can cause contamination. This can lead to consumers becoming ill because of eating the products and may lead to claims being filed against the company if they are found to operate in an unsafe and unsanitary environment. Machinery needs to be sanitized regularly to ensure food safety. In addition, the factory environment can be modified to reduce the risk of contamination. Many factories will install sealing pipes that go between walls and floors in a factory to connect equipment. By using a safe and sanitary seal between pipes, structures, and machinery, the hygiene of production lines can be assured and the risk of contamination minimized.

Staff Training

As a final point, it is of paramount importance to have a range of staff training packages that promote safe working for the employees. These should include modules on manual handling (to minimize the risk of injury whilst lifting and handling products and equipment) along with the need to operate with excellent hand hygiene when producing food and beverages. Any employees who are required to work from height should receive specialist safety training and have access to suitable safety equipment that serves to minimize the risk of accidents and injuries. All new starters should receive mandatory health and safety training as part of their induction and, ideally, there should be annual refresher courses for key subjects to ensure that the knowledge is kept up to date.

Bio: James Daniels is a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading and knowing about the latest gadgets and tech, whilst offering views and opinions on these topics.