Did you know that, among 770 workers with face injuries, only 1% wore protective face masks or gear? Debris, falling objects, electrocutions, and burns threaten industrial operations and maintenance workers on a day-to-day basis. Business owners can create a safe work environment, protect workers, and protect productivity, production, and company assets using simple safety tips.
- Enforce the Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hats, gloves, hearing protection, respirators, steel-toed boots, and safety goggles, dramatically reduces the likelihood of worker injury – and can even save lives. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), falling objects are responsible for over 33% of head injuries. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) sets stipulations for hardhats. Hardhats in manufacturing operations and maintenance, for example, must absorb the shock of a sudden blow and sometimes even protect workers from electrocution risks.
- Carefully Monitor and Control Lifting
Manual lifting can be incredibly dangerous. Workers who regularly lift heavy equipment and awkward objects by hand are much more likely to sustain sudden impact and repetitive strain injuries. Employers can limit sudden blows and overuse injuries using simple tools and products, such as leveling feet. Leveling feet allow workers to easily raise heavy machinery for maintenance; the same products can be used to stabilize large equipment on uneven flooring. Swivel casters and platforms or industrial handles may also be used to reduce strain on workers and prevent short-term and long-term lifting or moving injuries.
- Maximize the Efficiency of Routine Maintenance and Inspections
Finally, employers can rely on fast and accurate maintenance and inspections while protecting workers. How? Nylon fasteners, including nylon nuts, bolts, and screws, can be easily screwed and unscrewed, enabling workers to perform maintenance quickly and with relative ease. Moreover, most plastic fasteners do not require the use of an additional tool, such as a hole punch or power drill, for installation or adjustment.
Workers can also rely on screw cover caps to protect fasteners’ external threads. Screw cover caps safeguard threads from weathering, abrasion, corrosion, and overall wear. Nylon screw cover caps also shield equipment and parts from potentially harmful vibrations and torque.
Protecting workers and promoting a safe work environment depends on a number of different factors. Employers can keep workers healthy and productive by encouraging the use of personal protective equipment and using leveling feet to raise heavy or awkward equipment.
