The most common health and safety issues in manufacturing
The manufacturing sector is regarded as one of the most dangerous to work in. With an estimated 2.5 million employees across a diverse range of industries, thousands of employees get injured every year whilst at work. In fact, over the past five years there have been around 4,100 reports of injuries, which have caused employees to be away from work for seven days or more. From operating heavy machinery to driving industrial vehicles, there are a wide range of potential health and safety issues in manufacturing environments, which can lead to life changing injuries.
In a bid to reduce the number of people suffering from these workplace injuries, we have put together a comprehensive health and safety guide for manufacturing employers.
How to improve the health and safety in manufacturing
As an employer in the manufacturing sector, it is your responsibility to protect your employees from any potential hazards. Following our health and safety guide will not only help to prevent any injuries, but prepare your company in the event that an employee makes an injury claim.
1. Prepare a company policy
The law states that every company must have a health and safety policy, and for good reason. With hazards that are specific to the manufacturing industry, it’s important you don’t take a general approach when preparing your policy. By assessing the hazards that are present in your manufacturing environment, you will be able to prepare a comprehensive policy, detailing the health and safety measures that you have in place. Preparing a health and safety policy can also provide you with an opportunity to review your current procedures and identify areas for improvement.
2. Deliver employee training
Once you have a health and safety policy in place, you can use it to deliver employee training. Every new employee that you hire will need to receive training before they can start working. The training should cover all existing hazards, such as operating machinery and using vehicles. Depending on their role within the company, you may need to provide more specific health and safety training. Whilst it is vital for new employees to receive this training, don’t forget to hold regular training sessions for the rest of your team as well.
3. Schedule machine maintenance
Scheduling machine maintenance is a crucial step to preventing accidents in the workplace. If a machine malfunctions when an employee is using it, it can cause a serious injury. Not only will a maintenance schedule help to improve the health and safety in your workplace, it will also increase the efficiency of your manufacturing company. Instead of operations coming to a halt when a machine breaks, you will simply be able to schedule maintenance for off hours.
4. Invest in liability insurance
Even after completing all of the above steps, accidents can still occur. That’s why it’s a legal requirement that all businesses have employer’s liability insurance. This statutory cover is designed to cover the cost of compensation, should an employee injure themselves at work. This will help to minimise the damage to your company’s finances, whilst ensuring the injured employee gets the compensation they deserve.
