Important aspects of manufacturing safety

The world of manufacturing is no stranger to injury and even work related fatalities.It is simply the nature of the job in some situations to be around heavy machinery and a wealth of potentially dangerous situations that mandate a need for manufacturing safety rules to be of the utmost importance.There are several very basic safety precautions that any manufacturing plant would do well to remember.Managers have the responsibility to oversee and reinforce the application of these safety rules.Sadly, it not the absence of such safety precautions that lead to injury, rather it is carelessness and passive thinking that end up sending hundreds of thousands of workers to the doctor or hospital.Below are a few important aspects of manufacturing safety for you to review:

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• Safety equipment - Safety equipment is there for a reason and ought to be used at all times when danger or threat of injury is present.A common complaint with safety equipment is that it slows down the manufacturing process when time must be taken to re-adjust masks, gloves and foot wear.However, if you stop to consider the thousands of lost work hours, costs of medical insurance and trauma of the employee, you will find that small inconveniences and delays in order to ensure that safety equipment is being worn and used properly are well worth the effort.Safety equipment is often specific to the job that is being performed at the plant.Respirators, steel toe boots, safety goggles, etc. are just a few examples of some of the safety equipment that is needed for more dangerous jobs.Wearing gloves and safety glasses are safety requirements for many manufacturing jobs.

• OSHA regulations - OSHA is a federal organization that oversees the safety of the work environment.There are many laws that must be abided for not only to protect the safety of individual workers, but also to protect the safety of the consumer.If you as a manufacturing manager ever have any questions about safety, you can visit OSHA's internet site or request that the information you are looking for be sent to you.There are very few (if any) areas of safety that OSHA has not addressed making it an excellent and required resource for any manufacturer.
• - MSDS sheets - Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) give specific information regarding the components of the chemicals and ingredients that are being used in individual manufacturing organizations.In the case of exposure to these chemicals, it will be very important that medical professionals have immediate access to the information about the chemicals that you are using so as to properly diagnose and treat the injured worker.Delay in accessing these pieces of information could lead to permanent physical impairment.Train your employees on where this information is kept and have several copies available for quick and easy reference.
• - Protocol for emergencies - Another important aspect of manufacturing safety is to have a set procedure for what must be done in the case of an emergency.Such a plan should include things such as an evacuation route, emergency shut off information, alarms and a system of contacting the proper authorities etc.Remember that as a manufacturing plant you have a responsibility to your employees and to the residents that are in your vicinity, you must consider the safety of all these individuals when you are devising your emergency procedures.
• - Regular training - Even with all the right rules and protocol, these safety aspects do no good if the people entrusted to abide by them are not trained properly.Employees should receive regular reminders and training regarding the importance of abiding by these safety rules.Very few people can head a series of instructions once and remember them forever.Actually hold walk-throughs and drills so that the employees can become familiar with the actions that they will need to take instead of having them only have their theories to fall back on.