Safety Hazards Within the Manufacturing Industry
Manufacturing seems to be a term that covers several different companies within a wide range of industries. With such a wide variety of businesses, manufacturing facilities have a vast number of operational and safety practices they follow. There is a specific organization known as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that sets forth standards and compliance regulations for manufacturing facilities to help avoid common safety issues found within the sector.
Even though there are several different industries that make up the manufacturing sector they share a few safety concerns including:
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Falls
Falls are the most common accidents that occurs within the United States. The frequency of falls makes this the number one hazard found within the workplace, especially within manufacturing facilities. Falls represent a serious risk for workers. They can lead to death or injury; most falls will require at least a few days off work to recover from. It is of the utmost importance that manufacturing facilities take special precautions to avoid falls throughout their facilities.
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Machine Guarding
Heavy machinery is operated throughout many different types of manufacturing facilities which is why it is so important that proper guarding procedures are followed to keep workers safe. Improperly installed guards on machines presents a major hazard to the safety of employees. To keep manufacturing workers safe while operating large scaled equipment proper safety features are installed.
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Electrical
Even when individuals are not directly working with electricity, such as you do as an electrician or engineer, there are still plenty of electrical risks involved in manufacturing. Many manufacturing facilities use a system of bus ducts, plugs, and shut offs to avoid industries from electrocution. Electric panels are kept secured in manufacturing locations as well to increase safety. Large scaled equipment is also inspected and kept up to date with the use of reconditioned electrical components on a regular basis that helps keep equipment running smoothly before a chance of failing occurs. Standards are in place from OSHA regarding electricity to lessen the risks involved within manufacturing facilities.
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Undertrained Employees
Employees that are not properly trained for the position they are in is a problem found not only in manufacturing. Facilities are only as safe as the people that are working within them. It is crucial that proper training is done regularly on all pieces of equipment that workers may encounter in your facility. When machines are replaced or even upgraded for that matter, employee re-training should be mandatory. Exposure to proper safety training will help keep all employees throughout the facility safe. Practicing procedures that are in place are just as important as training. Take the time to run regular tests involving the safety procedures to ensure that they are properly executed before it becomes vital.
Learn more about J & P Electrical Company and their vast line of new, surplus, and refurbished industrial electrical components including: circuit breakers, bus ducts, bus plugs, disconnects, fuses, panel switches, tap boxes, and transformers at www.jpelectricalcompany.com. To contact one of our product reconditioning specialists, call 877.844.5514 today.
