A Bureau of Labor Statistics Summary Report for 2018 cites over 300,000 Days Away From Work (DAFW) cases that required either emergency room attention or in-patient hospital care.
For the first time since 2012, this number did not decrease from the previous year, 2017. With workplace-caused emergencies holding steady, that means the rate of such cases is not improving.
If your company’s manufacturing process is experiencing frequent emergency cases, perhaps some of the reminders below can help you curtail this unfavorable trend.
Follow GMP and OSHA Protocols
One of the first steps toward establishing a safe manufacturing process is to adopt industry-wide, acceptable standards for how the company conducts its manufacturing efforts.
GMP, Good Manufacturing Process, is one such set of standards which ensure product consistency and quality. These standards are set by the agencies that license and regulate any business enterprise that utilizes manufacturing as part of their business model.
In 1970, Congress passed the government’s version of work safety in the form of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
This act was used to create what has become known as OSHA, and it has been a part of establishing workplace safety for many years now. An OSHA Compliance Consultant can help you create an effective workplace safety plan.
Operating the manufacturing phase of your company in compliance with these standards demonstrates good faith effort toward providing workplace safety in accord with industry expectations.
Organize and Segment
Another measure for promoting increased worker safety awareness is better organization of the process. Organize according to phases of product completion.
Break up the manufacturing process into similar and related phases of operation. This segmentation streamlines the production process and reduces potential injury that tends to occur within disorganized, haphazard production efforts.
Clean (Inside and Out)
A clean manufacturing facility is generally a much safer one. Clean floors, equipment and machinery all but eliminates the slip-and-fall types of workplace injury all too common in less than clean work environments.
If your manufacturing process uses stored, bulk materials contained in silos and other large industrial-sized containers, use equipment like air cannons.
These devices use compressed air to help keep the insides of these storage bins clear. They also prevent material buildup on the interior walls.
Training employees in the correct, industry-acceptable, manufacturing process for your particular industry, while continuously reminding them it is for their safety, can go a long way toward reducing workplace injury.
Establishing frequent, unannounced inspections and holding workers accountable reinforces your company’s obligation toward producing a quality product while protecting the workers who produce it.
Emma is a freelance writer based out of Boston, MA. She writes most often on health and education. When not writing, she enjoys reading and watching film noir. Say hi on Twitter @EmmaSturgis2
