Among the products that are overlooked when buying supplies for your facility, entrance mats are probably one of the most neglected. Far too many people consider entrance mats as decoration. Some think as long as it bears the customary welcome message, any generic variant is considered an adequate solution. This means that many people are failing to use these mats to their full advantage.
Can traffic accidents happen only in parking lots or on busy streets?
Unfortunately, no. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 20,000 workers are seriously injured each year in the United States due to forklift-related incidents. 100 employee fatalities are also reported due to the same reason. Many workers and employers are unaware of forklift hazards and are not following the procedures set forth in federal regulations or equipment manufacturer guidelines.
Pedestrian safety can be improved with appropriate preventative measures in environments with frequent forklift traffic. Detailed awareness training, effective traffic management, and the use of proper safety equipment make this possible. Both drivers and pedestrians can make a difference in reducing forklift-related accidents.
Employees who work around forklifts (whether directly or not) are responsible for safe forklift operations. The following pointers can help ensure that forklift operations remain safe for pedestrians and operators alike:
Warehouses, industrial plants, and other large facilities should implement protocols regarding the right of way. Vehicle and pedestrian routes should remain separate as much as possible, identified by the proper signage and pavement lines. Operators and pedestrians should be familiar with both routes, not just the ones they are most likely to use. When applicable, facilities should also have traffic barriers set up.
Forklifts must have horns and warning lights. Alarms are also extra safety precautions to add to any machinery in your warehouse. Curved mirrors can improve pedestrian visibility, especially at intersections. Pedestrians should always wear high-visibility vests when walking or working near high-traffic areas.
Pedestrian forklift safety is an important part of your warehouse safety program. Promote forklift safety awareness to constantly remind your employees to pay attention and be aware of their surroundings. Emedco offers innovative warehouse safety products to help reduce accidents involving industrial equipment and improve your facility’s safety tactics.
By now, social distancing guidelines should be part of the daily operations in your warehouse. This “new normal” helps ensure your employees stay safe and healthy; however, some onsite workers may be feeling the impact of being separated from their colleagues and unable to work from home during this difficult time.
Luckily, warehouse managers and those in leadership positions can take a few small steps to make a big difference with their employees.
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of everyone’s physical and mental health. Therefore, letting your employees know that you’re available to openly discuss the impact of the pandemic, how the workplace can be improved, or other feedback they have creates a healthier environment for everyone.
While in-person conversations should be kept to a minimum, thanking employees for their continuous hard work is as easy as writing sincere emails or hosting virtual meetings. Showing gratitude can go a long way in terms of motivating and comforting employees now and in the future.
Onsite workers shouldn’t have to worry about having the personal protective equipment they need to do their job safely. Make a habit of providing new face masks, face shields, disposable gloves, and hand sanitizer to your employees. Not only does this show that you care about their safety, but it also helps stop the spread of germs in your facility.
A positive work environment can lead to improved productivity and job satisfaction. Posting encouraging posters, signs, and floor markers throughout your warehouse will remind employees of the difference they make every day. Emedco offers a variety of motivating signs to display in your facility, including:
EM431 — Your Effort is Recognized Floor Marker
EM432 — Our Business is Essential Floor Marker
ML0045 — Thank You Essential Employees Floor Sign
For more information on how to utilize our products, please view our Solutions for Essential Businesses Digital Catalog or browse our entire COVID-19 product offering.
Want to improve worker warehouse safety at your own business? Follow these five steps from Emedco to establish effective warehouse safety:
From floor markers and warehouse signs to safety mirrors and forklift alert systems, Emedco has all the products you need to keep workers safe in your warehouses. Just give our team of professionals a call at (866) 748-5963 or visit Emedco.com to find safety solutions for every challenge.
The manufacturing industry has many hazards both obvious and unique to each facility. Managing an operation with a broad range of responsibilities is daunting if you aren’t well versed in what you should be paying close attention to. While each environment is different there are areas of the job that have safety managers worried across the board.
Restricted Access:
With so many people circling in and out of a large facility on a daily basis it is hard to keep track of who is in the building, what they are doing there, and if they are following the correct protocol required throughout different areas of the building. Restricting access to those who do not need to be in all areas of your facility will go a long way instantaneously in curbing workplace injury. Those who are not aware of the hazards they are walking into are more often than not ill prepare in protecting themselves or unaware in how to properly do so. If employees require training before they start their job, restrict access to all of those who do not have proper training as much as possible.
Mechanical Hazards:
Machines that have many moving parts such as gears, pulleys, sprockets, rotating shafts etc. pose an immediate threat to employees. Any machines that have sharp edges put workers in harm’s way when it comes to cuts, punctures or severe decapitation. The potential for trip and fall accidents is also present around cables and hoses. To reduce the risks always have proper machine guarding in place in addition to proper signage to alert workers of the hazard and proper procedures to be adhered to.
Chemical Exposures:
Depending on the chemical and the amount of exposure, breathing in toxic fumes can lead to many long lasting illnesses and diseases including respiratory problems, reproductive problems, physical disabilities, seizures, cancer, coma or even death. While chemical exposure limits are getting a lot of attention from OSHA and changes are being debated to the current regulations, make it a priority to make sure that you are properly protecting your employees from both known and potentially toxic fumes. In some cases just because it is compliant doesn’t mean it is enough.
PPE
61 percent of eye injuries occur in the manufacturing, trade and construction industries. Machines can throw dust, metal, concrete and other particles that injure the eyes. Machines can also produce loud noise well over the allowable threshold of 80 decibels per 8 hours of work. Having the correct PPE program in place is only half of the battle. Making sure that your workers have protective gear that properly fits them, that is in useable condition and is being worn when it should be are all common areas where lapses can occur. Make sure that top managers are setting a proper example throughout the facility so that application becomes second nature.
Ergonomics:
Ergonomics is becoming a more talked about issue as of late. While effects might not be instant, over a prolonged period of time your workers will start to feel the lasting effects. If they are performing repetitive movements or those unusual to the regular body motion, the slightest workplace improvement or engineering fix could make the world of difference. These small changes can have significant impacts on the reduction of workplace injuries, increased workplace morale and even higher workplace productivity.
Training/Closing the Skills Gap
Manufacturing is highly technical and requires understanding and proficiency in a wide variety of competencies. The current demand for highly skilled workers comes at a time when the industry is facing the retirement of a large percentage of its workforce and an incoming generation of workers who lack the skills and technical knowledge needed for U.S. manufacturing. Make sure that your workers both new and old are all properly trained in the intricacies necessary to perform their tasks..
Some of these areas may be a quicker fix while others may require more time and outside resources. While a perfect safety culture doesn’t happen overnight you can start taking the necessary step for improvement today. One little change could make all the difference in your workplace.
Understanding the dynamic of your work environment is essential when applying best practice navigation and forklift safety throughout your facility.
Physical Conditions:
Consider the physical conditions of your facility
Pedestrian Traffic:
Pedestrian traffic should be a primary concern and should always have the right of way when using forklifts around your facility.
Enclosed and Hazardous Areas:
Know what type of truck you have and its designated areas for usage. OSHA has categorized forklifts into 11 specific types.
In many cases forklifts are an irreplaceable necessity to get products moved, loaded, and unloaded to its destination. Make sure you are taking the time to correctly navigate and reduce the risk of injury to yourself and others who are enroute.
Failure to establish program(1910.147(c)(1)), Failure to develop procedures for energy control(1910.147(c)(4)(i)), Failure to conduct employee training(1910.147(c)(7)(i)), Failure to conduct periodic inspections(1910.147(c)(6)(i)), and Failure to have adequate procedures(1910.147(c)(4)(ii)). Year over year lock out tag out has remained one of the most cited violations by OSHA, so why do you continue to make the same mistakes expecting a different outcome? Perhaps the root cause of the continued noncompliance is as simple as not knowing what exactly it takes to become compliant. Let’s break it down a litte further.
When creating a compliant lock out tag out program for your facility you should pay close attention to:
With such an intricate system it is easy to over look a step within the process. As a means of double checking your work, make sure that after you have created an effective plan for your facility that you seek out additional opinions from employees, an OSHA consultation, or other managers. Be sure to train your employees thoroughly on the protocol you have put into place and keep a regular routine of reviewing and updating your procedures to make sure you never fall behind with new updates to compliance regulations.
For more information on lock out tag out standards visit: https://1.usa.gov/1F3Inny
Tasks that involve lifting and bending present serious job hazards. Stocking shelves, managing storerooms and unloading trucks are all common actions that can easily cause injury.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) comprised 34 percent of illness and injury cases in 2012, with a total of 388,060 reported cases resulting in a median of 12 days away from work. Employees working in freight, stock, and material moving incurred the highest number of cases, with a rate of 164 incidences for every 10,000 full-time workers.
Businesses need to make sure that their brand name stands out from among their competitors. There are several means to accomplish this, but a crucial way to do this is utilize the best advertising available. One of the more simple yet reliable means is by utilizing custom signs.
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Poor housekeeping creates hazards and invites unwanted accidents. The General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards. Housekeeping hazards fall into the category of recognized hazards. Maintaining a clean and healthy workplace in high traffic areas such as aisles, stairways, storage, and offices goes a long way in preventing problems before they happen.
Some of the most common workplace hazards that arise from an unorganized workplace are:
Eliminating these problems before they become disruptions in the workplace is quite easy, and provides many benefits to a facilities productivity and workplace moral including:
Stop safety accidents before they start.