Common Safety Hazards in Manufacturing Industries
October 13, 2021
Manufacturing appears in nearly every modern industry, from automotive to food and beverage processing to packaging and beyond. However, there are many risks unique to production operations. Manufacturing any component involves heavy machinery, moving vehicles, automated robotic systems, and many other potential safety hazards.
In any workplace, the number one priority is to keep workers and employees safe and uninjured while maintaining an efficient production output. We’re here to help you identify safety hazards in your workplace, assess solutions, and implement safety protocols to protect the health and well-being of workers within your manufacturing facility.
Machinery can also fail, causing interruptions in production and introducing additional safety hazards during the repair process. When manufacturing machinery is serviced, appropriate procedures must be followed to avoid accidental start-ups or energy discharges. These hazards can cause significant injury to technicians working within the machines during maintenance.
Machinery also poses significant electrical hazards to workers and individuals within a manufacturing facility. Wiring should be insulated, electrical panels locked, and all equipment installed as designed to ensure that shocks and electrical fires or burns do not occur.
Moving vehicles are never wholly without safety hazards. But, by training drivers and following OSHA procedures, you can minimize the risk of injury involving powered industrial trucks, forklifts, and other vehicles.
Safety sensors and other machine safety guarding solutions can include, but are not limited to:
If you have further questions about safety hazards in manufacturing, contact us today. If you’re ready to get started with a machine safeguarding solution, request a quote. We will help you identify the best custom machine safety solution for your production facility.
Manufacturing appears in nearly every modern industry, from automotive to food and beverage processing to packaging and beyond. However, there are many risks unique to production operations. Manufacturing any component involves heavy machinery, moving vehicles, automated robotic systems, and many other potential safety hazards.
In any workplace, the number one priority is to keep workers and employees safe and uninjured while maintaining an efficient production output. We’re here to help you identify safety hazards in your workplace, assess solutions, and implement safety protocols to protect the health and well-being of workers within your manufacturing facility.
Top Workplace Safety Hazards in Production Facilities
When workers are safe, they are happier, healthier, and work more efficiently. While accidents happen, you can minimize risk and reduce safety hazards in manufacturing industries. The first step is to identify potential risks within your workplace through a risk assessment. Safety hazards vary by facility, but there are some common production facility safety hazards. These include:- Falls, trips, and slips
- Machine hazards
- Moving vehicles
- Electrical hazards
- Lockout-tagout procedures
- And more.
What are Machine Safety Hazards in Production Facilities?
Heavy-duty industrial machinery involves pulleys, belts, chains, gears, couplings, flywheels, and other moving or rotating parts. These components represent safety hazards to workers operating the machine and can cause injury, amputation, or death if not adequately guarded.Machinery can also fail, causing interruptions in production and introducing additional safety hazards during the repair process. When manufacturing machinery is serviced, appropriate procedures must be followed to avoid accidental start-ups or energy discharges. These hazards can cause significant injury to technicians working within the machines during maintenance.
Machinery also poses significant electrical hazards to workers and individuals within a manufacturing facility. Wiring should be insulated, electrical panels locked, and all equipment installed as designed to ensure that shocks and electrical fires or burns do not occur.
What are Hazards Caused by Workers in Manufacturing Industries?
Certain safety hazards in manufacturing facilities are unavoidable as it is impossible to fully predict human action or error. For instance, it is unlikely you will eliminate the risk of workers slipping, tripping, or falling. However, you can minimize the safety hazard by providing necessary safety gear, creating a suitably organized manufacturing facility free of debris and tripping hazards, and keeping emergency exits clear of any obstacles.Moving vehicles are never wholly without safety hazards. But, by training drivers and following OSHA procedures, you can minimize the risk of injury involving powered industrial trucks, forklifts, and other vehicles.
How Can I Minimize Risk in my Manufacturing & Production Facility?
Once you have identified the safety hazards in your production facility, it is time to implement solutions. By understanding how machine safety and process safety work, you can create a multi-tiered safety protocol and system that eliminates risk, minimizes workplace injuries, and keeps production running as intended.Worker Preparedness & Safety Training
The best way to minimize safety hazards in manufacturing facilities is by providing workers with thorough and reoccurring safety training. Operators must understand the risks and actions of their machines and know how to respond if an error or accident occurs. Workers should incorporate cleaning into workflow to keep a tidy production facility. Beyond training, other steps to create worker preparedness in your production facility include:- Ensuring workers know how to operate any industrial trucks or vehicles
- Encouraging worker ownership of safety processes and systems
- Equipping workers with necessary and correctly sized personal protection equipment (PPE)
- Making sure proper lockout-tagout procedures are followed
- Clearly marked hazardous areas and machinery.
Machine Safety & Guarding Solutions
OSHA cites accidents and injuries related to heavy-duty machinery as the number one safety hazard within a manufacturing facility. Besides training employees to use machinery safely, the best way to minimize risk is to stop that risk from occurring in the first place through correctly installed, practical machine safeguarding components and sensors.Safety sensors and other machine safety guarding solutions can include, but are not limited to:
- RFID coded non-contact safety sensors
- ATEX safety sensors for explosive environments
- Programmable safety controllers
- E-stop push buttons
- And more.
Your Top Resource for Risk Assessment Expertise & Machine Safety Sensors
The knowledgeable team at elobau is here to assist you in identifying risks in your manufacturing and production facility and implementing effective, long-lasting machine safety sensor solutions. We answer common questions about machine safety standards and determine which international standards apply to your application.If you have further questions about safety hazards in manufacturing, contact us today. If you’re ready to get started with a machine safeguarding solution, request a quote. We will help you identify the best custom machine safety solution for your production facility.