How to make your manufacturing business safer

Manufacturing businesses carry an inherent risk. Manufacturing can be a dangerous operation with heavy machinery, lots of moving parts, and other factors that make it easy to get injured while on the job. This is bad not only for the employee who is injured, but can result in lawsuits and hefty fines for the company. Management of manufacturing firms must be vigilant and make safety their top priority. Ensuring safety in the workplace is a manager's responsibility, and when it is done correctly everyone benefits. Here is what you need to know about how to make your manufacturing business safer-

• Make safety easily visible-You will need to make sure that you have clearly posted signs about dangers and precautions that should be taken. All manufacturing plants should have safety precautions posted. These posters should include such things as:what clothing and gear should be worn, (gloves, helmets, or goggles), are what is required in specific areas. Signs should also be posted indicating who is allowed in certain sites, and who is not.
• Offer incentives for safe behavior-Another way to keep manufacturing plants safer is to offer incentives and praise,for those employees who follow safety guidelines, and make an attempt to stay safe. Those workplaces who have adopted incentives and rewards, report lower rates of accidents and injuries. One way to do this is to set a manageable goal for a period of time, such as a month or a quarter. Then, if the goal is met, you can offer an incentive or a reward, such as gift certificates, a BBQ, or other types of incentives that your employees will enjoy.
• Deal with the noise-Manufacturing plants can be noisy places. You may want to consider installing acoustic insulation and other sound barriers. This works to create a safer environment in a number of ways. First, the insulation helps to absorb the noise that is created within the plant, while keeping the outside noise out. This quieter environment will help to reduce the amount of distractions in the workplace, allowing the workers in your manufacturing plant to better concentrate on their duties. In addition, most importantly you employees will be protected from the dangers of constantly being exposed to loud noises, which will help to prevent injuries.
• Create a culture of safety-You will need to make safety a priority, through every level of your organization.From the workers and foremen who run the floor all the way up to management, everyone in your manufacturing plant should value safety, and make it a priority in the workplace. Just as you should be offering rewards and incentives, for those who follow safety guidelines, you should warn and then discipline, those employees who do not take safety precautions and guidelines seriously, or who purposely ignore them. Managers, who are dedicated to safety, will also be providing a good example to those who work in the manufacturing plant. When safety equipment and safe practices are not an option and are practiced by all, especially the managers, you will have a much safer environment that is less prone to injuries.
• Train for safety-It is a must to have safety and training seminars. You should have safety training seminars periodically, in order to remind and educate employees about safe practices while in a manufacturing plant. I am important to realize that you can't expect your workers to practice safety, if they don't know what it entails. Periodic safety training is essential for a safe workplace. Safety training should take place for all new employees, and should also be given, if you notice an increased number of incidences or injuries.