The leading cause of occupational injuries and fatalities is falls. In fact, within the past decade, it is the #1 OSHA-violated standard, resulting in workplace tragedies, costing businesses a substantial amount of money and damaging their reputations.
Perhaps it is fair to say that one of the most dangerous work environments is industrial spaces, including factories, warehouses, and manufacturing plants. Such settings create numerous opportunities for tripping, slipping, and falling from greasy floors and damaged steps to clutter and uneven walking surfaces.
Here are 5 tips to help establish effective fall safety in the manufacturing industry.
1. Good Housekeeping Practices
Establishing good housekeeping habits is crucial to the safety of your employees. Poor housekeeping practices generate a higher chance of injuries and increase insurance costs and regulatory citations, which ultimately will lead to bad brand image and publicity.
At a glance, you can easily decide whether your workers are properly following housekeeping guidelines or not – for instance, you might notice the poor condition of their work tools; spot electrical cords lying in the aisles, blocking foot traffic; or see staff wearing shoes with wet, muddy, or greasy soles.
Keep in mind that proper housekeeping should be a daily ongoing process. It is important to plan ahead so everyone understands the guidelines as well as their responsibilities.
Here are a few housekeeping recommendations for fall prevention:
- Keep aisles and exits clear of items.
- Replace worn, uneven, or damaged flooring.
- Report and clean up spills and leaks.
- Install warning signs and mirrors to help with blind spots.
2. Clutter-Free Aisles and Walkways
Safe work practices should become a mindset – a ritual that is ingrained in the company’s culture. Make “cleanliness is next to godliness” your mantra. It might sound like an easy job, but keeping all areas of your workplace clean is often the most neglected aspect of safety.
It is important to stay clean and organized. Obstacles in aisles, walkways, corridors, stairwells, and traffic areas can cause serious accidents. Avoid leaving boxes, files, cables, and cords in any designated aisle. Always sweep up loose items on the floor. In areas that are frequently wet, maintain proper drainage and provide dry platforms or mats for employees to stand on. Conduct regular inspections to identify potential areas for slip and fall hazards.
3. Proper Lighting
Poor lighting is one of the direct causes of fall accidents. Keep work areas well lit. Good quality lighting without glares or shadows not only facilitates the workflow but it also prevents eye fatigue, headaches, and unfortunate injuries.
When designing and installing the lighting system in your factory or plant, it is essential to consider different sources of light. Likewise, the lighting in certain areas must match the tasks being performed. For example, in work situations such as where fabrics are manufactured or a sewing environment where color judgement is important, the true shade of an object can only be decided either under natural sunlight or under full spectrum lighting.
The optimal lighting solution should be a balance of daylight and artificial light as well as flexible and energy-saving. This can make a huge difference in your workers’ health, productivity, and operational costs. Use proper lighting in walkways, staircases, hallways, and basements, with a combination of different types of lamps and energy-efficient LED bulbs. Make sure to turn the light on first before entering a darkened room. In poorly lit areas, avoid creating clutter and obstacles. Immediately repair or replace any malfunctioning switches or cords.
4. Appropriate Fall Protection Systems
Businesses operating in the manufacturing industry face unique fall protection challenges as the industry itself encompasses such a vast range of different sectors.
The most common practice is to provide employees ample fall protection gear and personal protective equipment. Different jobs in different work areas require different sets of tools. It is critical to determine what fall safety initiatives will be required and if a certain work area needs guardrails, scaffolding, ladders, or fall arrest systems.
Personal equipment should always be inspected by a competent, trained person before and during each use. Ensure that your workers receive adequate training in using fall protection systems, controlling any hazards that are present, and carrying out rescue plans. Regular evaluation and maintenance of safety and personal fall protective equipment is a must-do task. This will help you determine whether it is time to repair or replace a piece of equipment.
5. Adequate Training
All the practices above become a waste if an employee is insufficiently trained. When your team members fail to understand the dangers of working in factories and plants surrounded by various hazardous chemicals and complex machinery, you create opportunities for incidents and fatalities.
Maintain an open line of communication with your employees to make sure that everyone within the organization is aware of safety practices and knows how to best maintain them. Workers responsible for certain tasks and working with certain equipment must be trained properly.
When a new piece of machinery, work process, or OSHA regulation is introduced, provide adequate training so that everyone stays updated. At the same time, periodic re-training sessions are critical in refreshing workers’ safety knowledge and identifying individuals who need additional help. This is also a great way for your employees to voice any challenges and potential dangers so that you find proper solutions to safely overcome them.
It is easy to take shortcuts and let your guard down for a second or two. However, as an employer, it is important to understand fall safety practices to ensure that not only your facility is compliant with OSHA standards, but also to create a safe, fall-free working environment for your employees.
Regrettable events can happen to anyone and any business at any time. Taking chances in safety practices is simply not an option, especially when you are responsible for dozens of lives. The sooner you start establishing and implementing fall safety guidelines within your organization, the better prepared you are in protecting your workers and your business from tragic accidents.
If you are looking for advice from fall safety experts, contact us today to find out how we can help you make a difference in your workplace.
The post Fall Safety in the Manufacturing Industry appeared first on Dakota Safety.