As a light industrial company, ensuring the safety of your employees is essential. Fortunately, by adopting specific best practices, creating an environment where workers are safe isn’t as challenging as it seems. If you want to ensure the well-being of your workforce, here are some guidelines for workplace safety in the light industrial sector.
Offer Ample Training
Employee training is often the key to improving safety in a light industrial workplace. When workers know how to operate equipment and machinery properly, they’re less likely to do something risky that could lead to harm. Similarly, teaching them to recognize signs of potential breakdowns or other issues decreases the odds that they’ll operate potentially faulty machinery, making the environment safer.
Having emergency-oriented safety training is also wise. By teaching employees the procedures to follow when specific incidents occur, they can navigate the unexpected more safely than if they weren’t familiar.
Maintain Open Lines of Communication
Many light industrial employers encourage employees to speak up if they see a potential safety hazard while on the job. However, there also needs to be open lines of communication that make reporting identified issues easy for workers. Otherwise, they may not know where to turn when they notice a safety problem, causing it not to be managed promptly.
Ensure that employees know who to speak to if they spot a hazard while working. Additionally, consider having several convenient reporting mechanisms or points of contact. That way, if the primary person isn’t immediately reachable, employees have alternatives that they can use right away.
Have Clear PPE Policies (and Provide PPE When Possible)
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical for ensuring the well-being of employees. However, PPE can only help when it’s used. Make sure to have a clear PPE policy that outlines what equipment is required and when. Additionally, let employees know why the PPE is required, as that may decrease the odds of resistance.
Ideally, employers should also provide employees with as much PPE as possible. Doing so allows PPE to remain on-site, and replacements can be offered if an employee’s issued PPE becomes damaged or ineffective. Plus, it ensures that PPE doesn’t become a cumbersome out-of-pocket expense for workers, something that can increase participation and positively impact retention.
Monitor for Hazards
Light industrial workplaces experience changing conditions throughout the day. Products or materials are moved frequently, production dust may build up quickly, and similar environmental alterations can occur. Since that’s the case, make monitoring for hazards part of the workday—train managers and employees to identify potential risks and hone their situational awareness. By doing so, a new danger won’t accidentally get overlooked, decreasing the odds that unexpected ones will lead to an injury or other emergency.
Ultimately, the light industrial workplace safety tips above can help any employer ensure the well-being of its workforce. Premier Staffing Inc. wants to hear from you if you’d like to learn more or partner with recruitment professionals to fill vacant positions quickly. Contact us today.