Prioritizing Light Industrial Safety

Light industrial workplaces have a variety of safety concerns that employers must address. However, not all safety concerns are equal, and it’s important to make the more pressing issues top priority. Here are some key areas that urgently demand your attention.

Equipment Maintenance

The condition of your equipment directly impacts the safety of your workers. Malfunctioning equipment can be the catalyst for serious injuries and even fatalities. Therefore, it’s imperative equipment receives continual maintenance to ensure it’s always in proper working order. This includes routine cleaning and inspection as well as educating your employees on specific problem areas. Being diligent about equipment maintenance is arguably the number one way to maintain a safe workplace.

Preventing Slips and Falls

According to the National Floor Safety Institute, “Falls account for over eight million hospital emergency room visits, representing the leading cause of visits (21.3 percent). Slips and falls account for over one million visits, or 12 percent of total falls.” These statistics show that slips and falls are a pressing issue.

Fortunately, it’s one that can often be prevented by ensuring staff members routinely clean working areas. Spilled liquids are a major problem, especially slick liquids like oil dripping off machinery. Be sure to implement policies where workers are required to clean floors, staircases or any other area with high foot traffic each day on a daily basis. Provide clear instructions on which footwear employees should wear. For instance, shoes with plenty of grip will provide workers with more stability and reduce the likelihood of them falling.

Hazard Communication

A large number of workplace accidents can be avoided by simply instructing your staff on how to properly communicate issues they encounter. Any time an employee comes across anything that could be deemed as unsafe, they should immediately report it to a manager or supervisor. The longer it goes unchecked, the higher the likelihood that someone gets injured. Be sure employees know what to look for and whom they should report hazards to so there are no question marks on their end.

Light industrial workers face more dangers than workers in many other industries. On any given day, they could encounter a variety of dangerous situations. As an employer, it’s your responsibility to take safety seriously and create a safety-first culture. This starts by prioritizing light industrial safety and ensuring everyone within your company is on the same page.

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