Safety tips for manufacturing companies

A manufacturing facility is full of potential safety hazards, which is why it’s so important to implement a variety of control measures. Moreover, you have to ensure that employees are practicing safe behaviors in all areas of the facility, including break rooms, workstations, parking lots, and more.

These manufacturing safety tips will help you create a safe facility for workers, contractors, and anyone who visits.

Facility organization and layout

Ensure that all workstations where workers are on their feet for extended periods have ergonomic mats in place.

Set up your facility’s 5S to keep extra equipment and materials nearby but out of the way of general operations.

Organize and label all storage areas so workers can find what they need quickly and to avoid falling objects or trip hazards that result from cluttered spaces.

If your facility deals with chemical or hazardous materials, provide a separate storage and disposal area for them.

Post emergency routes and instructions in each work area.

Keep emergency exits free of clutter and storage materials.

Organize workstations so employees don’t have to frequently bend down or stoop to access their materials.

Provide water stations throughout the facility so workers can stay hydrated during their shifts.

Ensure that PIT lanes are blocked off from pedestrian traffic use bollards and guardrails.

Keep finished products away from chemicals and other contaminants.

Employee behaviors

Ensure employees keep hair and loose clothing tucked away around moving parts.

Make workers inspect machine guarding before starting up heavy machinery and equipment.

Prevent unqualified individuals from entering hot work activity areas.

Conduct routine assessments of behavioral safety habits to find opportunities to improve your safety training program.

Establish a safety committee made up of workers from across the manufacturing plant.

Keep extra PPE supplies stored near work areas so employees always have access to the gear they need to safely perform their tasks.

If workers are not wearing PPE, conduct an assessment to figure out if there are alternatives that might make them more comfortable and more likely to wear protective gear.

Routinely audit and coach workers on safe lifting techniques.

Encourage foot safety by offering workers a stipend for protective footwear.

Provide pallet jacks for employees to safely transport batches of finished goods and work materials around the manufacturing facility.

Ensure that workers are wearing protective eyeglasses around sparks or flying object hazards.

Safety tips for manufacturing equipment

Regularly inspect fire extinguishers, flammable cabinets, and other safety equipment.

Flush out eyewash stations each week to ensure they’re sanitary for workers to use.

Implement a red tag system to ensure workers don’t use broken or damaged equipment.

Regularly inspect and replace workstation ergonomic mats.

Ensure that manufacturing equipment is regularly oiled to eliminate corrosion hazards.

Keep a detailed log of all maintenance activities within the facility.

Set up a lockout tagout system that prevents workers from activating equipment unless they’ve gone through the process first.

Inspect your line emergency stops before each shift to ensure workers can use them whenever they’re needed.

Replace Andon lights as soon as you notice they’re out, so workers can easily notify management when they have a concern that needs addressing.