How to Promote Safety in an Industrial Workplace

Posted on: 1 May 2018

Workplace accidents are always undesirable, as they reduce productivity, cost money, and reduce the confidence of employees. However, there are many things that employers can do to reduce the chances of accidents occurring. This short article explains three methods of promoting workplace safety, from changing your workplace culture to upgrading your machinery.

Make Sure Your Employees Are Informed and Engaged

The first step towards industrial safety is to ensure that all your employees are properly trained, and know how to carry out their duties safely. Small Business BC emphasises the importance of training, saying that you should have training information available at all times. You should also look for any relevant safety courses your employees can do, to keep their minds refreshed and busy. Entrepreneur suggests that you should have a written plan of action for emergencies, which should be available to all employees in your policies and procedures manual. It should cover all potential emergencies, from natural disasters to machine failure to workplace crime. They also explain that you should have a drill every six months, to make sure that all your employees know what to do in case of an emergency.

Keep Your Machines Upgraded and Up to Date

An important aspect of preventing accidents is to keep your machinery in excellent condition. Yellow Gate agrees with this recommendation, explaining that regular preventative maintenance keeps employees safe and extends the lifespan of machinery. You should also look into machinery upgrades and modifications, as sometimes more modern, up-to-date equipment provides a higher level of safety, as well as increasing productivity. As well as keeping your machinery up to date and in good condition, you should also conduct regular inspections of your safety gear to make sure it's up to scratch. 

Change Your Workplace Culture 

In order to promote workplace safety, it is often necessary to change the workplace culture that leads to accidents. You should work towards creating an atmosphere where safety is more important than speed, and employees feel secure in asking questions. Manufacturing Automation explains in detail how creating a positive culture, in which employees are highlighted and rewarded for positive behaviours, is an effective step towards keeping industrial employees safe. You may also want to choose key employees to supervise safety, giving them a sense of pride and an interest in preserving safety.

Promoting workplace safety in an industrial setting can be difficult, but by keeping employees informed, creating a positive, safety-focused culture, and keeping an eye on your machinery, it is possible to prevent many accidents. Continue your promotion of safety by constantly looking for training your employees can do, and for any machinery upgrades and modifications that could help.

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