Manufacturing Safety in the Workplace
Posted September 12th, 2013
Many small to medium enterprises do not properly comply with workplace health and safety regulations, and many don’t understand the scale of the risks they are taking. Workplace accidents killed over 4600 workers in 2011 (Source: Department of Labor), and the enforcement penalties for lax standards are severe. In 2012, the top 5 most frequently cited OSHA standard violations were:
- Fall protection (in construction industry)
- Hazard communication standard (industries across the board)
- Scaffolding (in construction industry)
- Respiratory protection (industries across the board)
- Control of hazardous energy (industries across the board)
These health and safety tips will provide general information on ways to manage the most common hazards and risks in your industry. However, every workplace is different, so this information is not representative of all you need to know. Contact OSHA for more information.
- Lifting. Most back pain arises from using your back improperly. To keep your back in good shape, and improve your ability to walk, sit, stand and run, lift up with your knees. Do not bend at the waist. As you rise with the object, do not lift and twist; try to rotate your body using your feet. Set your load down by reversing your lifting procedure.
- Falls from Elevation. All employees should be trained on the proper use of equipment, including harnesses, ropes, and scaffolding. The equipment should be inspected for tears or holes before every use. In addition, needed repairs to any climbing equipment should be done immediately.
- Slips and trips. Workers’ compensation cases show that falls from the same level are more than double falls from an elevation. Therefore, remove loose rugs, carpets, flooring and electrical wires that cross passageways and aisles. In addition, rearrange any furniture that creates obstacles for employees to get around.
- Respiratory protection. All respirators require training in order to be properly used. They must always be fit-tested to make sure they seal correctly to your face and that there are no leaks. Each time a respirator is used, check to make sure all connections are tight, that it is has not been damaged, that it seals correctly on your face and that the filters have not exceeded their useful life.
- Hazard communication standards. Labeling is one of the main focuses of the communications standard, but by itself, it is inadequate to protect workers from hazardous chemicals. Training workers to understand and read material safety data sheets and labels is necessary for safe chemical awareness.
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