How Safe Are Employees in Your Facility?
I have traveled to several countries over the last few years and have seen a big difference in the safety practices in processing facilities. Safety is a job for every employee, no matter if they are office staff or work on the production floor. Today I will be addressing the main safety concerns in an operating facility and offering a bit of advice on how to identify and prevent hazards.
Proper Clothing
Because clothes can get caught in moving equipment, pants and shirts should fit properly and not be loose. Long pants are recommended, but I understand that certain places are hot and I will, on occasion, wear shorts. If you choose to allow your employees and contractors to wear shorts, he/she should use extra caution as they are working in an environment where safety hazards (hot material and equipment) are present.
Not all shoes will protect your feet from injury. Employees who work around equipment should wear boots (preferably with a safety toe) and not tennis shoes, loafers or sandals. Any employee or visitor should wear close toed shoes when on the production floor and identify additional hazard areas that they should avoid.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Dust and debris exist in any plant, that is why its important to insure you are protecting your face from injury by using safety glasses. Safety glasses are a great way to protect your eyes from injuries when you are operating or working near equipment or close to someone using a hammer, grinder, torch, etc. Every employee and visitor should be required to wear safety glasses when on the production floor.
Most of the equipment in a plant is loud. That is why I recommend ear protection (ear plugs) is used at all times.
Every surface can be or is hot in a plant. This is why it is important to provide operators/ employees with gloves that protect their hands from extreme heat to avoid burn injuries.
The Insta-Pro Intl Service Department Initial Start-Up and Training exercises along with annual visits from the Service Plus Program are a good way to insure that you and your team operate in a safe environment. To learn more about how these programs can help your employees stay safe and keep your plant running at optimum capacity, contact me at +1.515.254.1260 or rgoodwin@insta-pro.com.
