If you have any experience working in a factory or warehouse setting, you know that safety is a top priority. What’s more, maintaining a safe working environment is the responsibility of all staff members, from the top down. If one person neglects his or her duties, or cuts corners in the interest of speed, they would be putting themselves and everyone they work with in danger. This is why workplace safety should always be stressed, taught, and pursued. There are many ways to ensure safety in a workplace environment, including training, accountability, and equipment. This article will delve into all three of these issues, so that you can best provide and maintain a safe working environment for you and your employees.
Training
Proper training is one of the most important aspects of maintaining workplace safety. When employees do not have proper knowledge of safety procedures, it becomes very difficult to consistently maintain a safe working environment. For this reason, it is important to schedule a day or more of company-wide safety training. You may even want to administer a quiz as well, to make sure that employees retained the information. Aside from a company-wide training session, it is important to train departments and individuals on safety as it relates to their particular position. Make sure that all new employees are promptly trained on safety procedures, and that training is repeated on at least a yearly basis, so that it stays fresh in everyone’s minds. It is hard to go overboard with safety training!
Accountability
If employees fail to keep each other – and themselves – accountable for implementing the safety procedures that they learned, then all of that training will have been in vain. Supervisors need to enforce safety regulations, and take disciplinary action when they are not followed. This might rankle some employees, but it is certainly better than having workplace injuries and fatalities! Employees should also keep each other accountable, reporting any instances of neglect or abuse of safety procedures.
Equipment
Safety equipment is another key factor in maintaining a safe working environment. There is a myriad of safety equipment available, and what you end up purchasing will depend on the type of environment you work in and the materials that you work with. That being said, there are some common safety items that are recommended for all factories and warehouses, across industries. A first-aid kit with items such as bandages and ointment is essential. This should be placed in a conspicuous, easily accessible area within your facility. Anti slip mats and glow in the dark anti slip tape are great for reducing instances of slip and fall injuries. In any facility where employees are working with dangerous chemicals or harmful particles, an eye wash station is necessary. Finally, traffic signals and alarms can be placed at intersections that forklifts frequently travel through. This will help prevent collisions between forklifts (and other vehicles) and pedestrians. This is just a sampling of the important pieces of safety equipment that you will need for your industrial facility, but these items will be a good start to ensuring safety.
