We all know how many dangers there can be in the modern factory environment. While things are better than they were a few years ago, there is still a high likelihood that at least one of your workers will suffer a serious injury. Compared to office jobs, working in a factory can be like walking a tightrope. You know something is going to happen, you just don’t know when it will occur. With that in mind, it might be sensible for you to implement some ideas and processes that limit the chances of your workers leaving in an ambulance. In truth, you have a legal requirement to do everything within your power to look after you team. So, it’s wise to get started as soon as possible.
Warning Signs
Health and safety law states that all dangerous equipment and areas must have warning signs for your staff to read. That is especially the case if they are working near to hazardous chemicals. You can purchase a full set of standard signs or get some custom products printed online at little expense. So, there is no excuse for failing to meet your obligations.
Risk Assessments
The only way to understand the risk your employees face is to perform standard risk assessments on every task within your factory. That can be a rather time-consuming endeavor, but it’s for the best. You can find lots of information online about the best ways to perform risk assessments and the most suitable means of recording your findings.
Maintenance
Ensuring that all your equipment is properly maintained should be a top priority. In most instances, machinery has to be checked by qualified professionals at least once every twelve months. You might need to replace the conveyor chain or even get some new parts for an aerial lifting platform. Asking your team to use machinery that hasn’t been properly maintained is not only bad practice, but it’s also illegal.
Protective Equipment
There may be some tasks within your factory that require workers to wear protective equipment like safety glasses or fire-proof clothing. You must ensure that you have all those items in stock so that your team can get on with things. Expecting them to use dangerous machines without the right safety equipment is never going to work.
Training
Lastly, you need to guarantee that all your staff have the best training possible. You can’t expect them to perform their jobs in a sale manner if you haven’t taught them about the best techniques and methods. Whether you deal with the training yourself or pay for a specialist to come to your premises is completely down to you. In most instances, the decision will be based on the size of your budget. However, no expense should be spared.
You should now have enough information to make a start on ensuring the people who work in your factory are as safe as possible. While it is impossible to eliminate the chances of something going wrong, you can decrease them significantly by putting our advice into practice.