5 Health And Safety Tips When Using Industrial Equipment

December 12 2022 - Health and safety are crucial in any industrial setting, whether in construction or manufacturing. It helps protect workers from life-altering injuries and the company from lawsuits and penalties that accompany injuries.

One of the things that raise safety concerns is industrial equipment, which range from large ones, like excavators, to small ones, like drills. Now, it begs the question: how do you ensure health and safety when using industrial equipment?

Here are tips to follow:

1. Use The Right Tools For The Job

In most industrial settings, you’ll find workers using the wrong tools for a given job. They often have figured out how to manipulate these things to meet their needs, which shouldn’t be the case. When you force a piece of equipment to do a job it’s not supposed to do, it’s likely to buckle to pressure and snap. The worker using this tool is likely to suffer injuries as a result.

In addition, safety isn’t only a concern when using the wrong tool for a job. It also extends to the use of necessary equipment. For instance, if workers should be at an elevation, they should use scaffolds with a height adjustable work platform to suit their needs. Imagine a worker setting a ladder on a platform scaffold to reach a greater height. The platform itself isn’t stable and can cause the ladder to topple over, leading to fatal injuries.

All in all, ensure you use tools correctly and appropriately. Also, adopt equipment with hand rails and other safety features.

2. Hire Qualified Workers

Industrial equipment often differs from everyday tools, like hammers and trowels. Many of these apparatuses require specialized skills to use them, so their operators should have the necessary training or should’ve previously worked with them. It shows they have the skills to handle the pieces appropriately, helping prevent accidents.

Besides basic driving skills, they should also have defensive skills. These help them know what to do in emergencies, like equipment failure. Should they jump off the excavator, is there a part they should press to bring the equipment to a halt? This information will protect not only your workers, but also your expensive equipment.

Even as you hire qualified operators, you want to keep them on their toes to avoid complacency. Being complacent will increase the chances of accidents despite their know-how. You can avoid such instances by bringing in industry experts to train them on the best practices.

3. Invest In PPEs

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a great addition to health and safety practices. It works as a preventive measure against accidents.

Your industry and daily operations depict the types of PPE you ought to acquire. Workers must wear visibility jackets, helmets, and safety boots if they’re on construction sites. On the other hand, a plant operator must be in safety shoes and gloves as the bare minimum. As the operator drives the equipment to ferry materials or items from one place to another, they’ll see a worker with a reflector jacket and avoid heading in their direction.

Suppose the equipment malfunctions and drops ferried goods. Those nearby are less likely to incur head and foot injuries should the goods fall on them, thanks to the helmet and safety shoes.

4. Create Policies And Procedures

Policies and procedures are rules that govern a given aspect of a company. These are important since they inform workers of what’s expected of them at all times.

To promote health and safety, formulate policies that touch on what your workers should do in cases of emergency, whom to contact in what situations, and the dos and don’ts. For instance, you can require all workers to wear their full PPE when they step into the manufacturing plant or construction site.

Such guidelines will ensure order during emergencies. They’ll be no situation where there’s mayhem or miscommunication that worsens situations.

And, even as you give guidelines on what your workers should do, it’s important to pinpoint the consequences of their failure to adhere to the policies. This way, they’re more likely to be cautious, promoting health and safety in your workplace.

5. Practice Regular Maintenance

As a company, you might have put all measures in place to ensure workplace safety at all times. Still, they’re useless if your equipment isn’t in good condition. Parts could come out flying and injure your workers.

That said, be sure to maintain your equipment. Consider having your workers inspect them before use, even if they’re operated daily. Daily inspections can focus on the moving parts of your industrial equipment and those that make them run. like their engines. Doing so will help your workers identify issues before they cause any untoward incidents later on.

Besides daily inspection, hiring professional maintenance services is also ideal. Keep a record of the tasks they carry out. This will help you to know when to repair and replace parts of your industrial equipment.

Conclusion

You might worry about effectively promoting health and safety in the workplace, but this article has made it simpler. Consider adopting the above tips in your own industrial setting, and you’ll have more control over the wellbeing of your workers.

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