When you’re in the factory business, safety is always a priority. Even a second of neglect can result in a lifetime of injury. The effectiveness of your employees’ safety protocols depends on your business practices. You teach every new person the rules, and you ensure that they get followed diligently.

Here are 4 of the best business practices every factory should implement to ensure that safety comes before anything else.

Safety First

A safe work environment is not only the human thing to do, but it’s also required by law. You owe your employees a duty of care to ensure that they can do their job without fear of injury, as long as they follow the rules.

When safety is a priority, it increases the overall morale in your workplace. It protects your workers, and it protects you from lawsuits.

These business practices ensure you are taking as many measures as possible to put safety first.

1. Safety is everyone’s job. While there is a chain of command that is involved in ensuring safe practices happen, the overall safety of the workplace is everyone’s job. Make sure employees know that you and their other supervisors are open to hear if something is potentially dangerous. 

From making sure that FDA medical device labeling requirements are on every piece of equipment to put their materials away after use, safety is a group effort.

2. Instructions are there for a reason. There are two main types of people in the world: Those who read and follow the instructions, and those who already know what they need to do and don’t need instructions.

Whoever you hire, it’s your job to turn them into the first type of person. There are instructions for every piece of equipment, and those instructions are necessary for proper and safe use.

3. Safety equipment is part of the uniform. Depending on what your factory produces, safety hazards can be everywhere, including in your employees’ attire. By making safety equipment a regular part of the uniform, you cut out a lot of dangers inherent in unmonitored clothing.

One of the biggest hazards in many factories is something tiny and innocent - the wedding ring. To prevent a ring from getting caught in a machine and causing severe injury, gloves are necessary. Construction hats and boots, tight-fitting clothing without excess material, and safety glasses are other common parts of factory uniforms.

4. Keep walkways clear. Slip and trip injuries are one of the most common workers’ compensation claims. If one person neglects to put their machinery away, someone else can end up injured.

Make it a regular business practice to ensure all of your employees regularly return their materials to their rightful place. Stairs and emergency exits should never be blocked. Post safety reminders visibly so that the importance of regular safety practices stays fresh in everyone’s mind.

Safety is Not a Choice - It’s a Right

Some businesses pride profit over ethnicity and safety. Your employees rely on you to have a solid business practice put in place to ensure that they return home to their loved ones as healthy as they left their homes that day.

With these four business practices in mind, you can build a strong, productive, and healthy workforce in your factory.

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