Every day, millions of employees are injured while working on the job. It’s a common occurrence in workplaces that deal with sharp, hot or otherwise hazardous materials. As an employer, your goal should be to reduce the number of workplace accidents to a bare minimum. You also have to be prepared for those fringe scenarios where employees actually get exposed to these hazards. Maximize their protection and keep them safe throughout any dangerous situation that arises. Here are some pieces of equipment to help you out with this goal.
Sharpening tools
Handling sharp objects is dangerous work, whichever way you look at it. While it may seem counterintuitive, the chances of an injury occurring aren’t proportional to the sharpness of the tools. On the contrary, the sharper they are, the safer the worker remains. It’s the edges that have gone blunt that are an issue.
Sharpening your tools is a key part of their maintenance. With better and sharper edges, there’s less of a chance that the blade will slip and injure an employee. Use adequate sharpening equipment to keep tools precise and sharp.
While this will reduce the chance of injury, it won’t lessen the impact of injuries. This should be left to safety equipment that prevents cuts. Personal protection should always be used by employees when handling sharp objects. Cut-resistant gloves are a good start. Should an injury occur anyway, first aid kits and bandages should be applied immediately, so keep them close to the work floor.
Non-slip surfaces
Many workplaces will deal with substances that aren’t exactly hazardous on their own. Slippery things are a great example. Whether it’s oil or grease involved, you can count on the occasional accident to occur if no measures are taken to prevent slippage. While they may seem like innocuous situations, slipping can cause serious injury, especially if an employee falls on the wrong surface.
Cleaning up spills should be the first order of business. Since you can’t always anticipate or notice a spill on time, the next best thing would be to use non-slip surfaces on the work floor. This would reduce the chances of slippage and protect employees. If the employees are always on the move while working, using non-slip boots would be a more practical solution.
Chemical spill cleaning
When handling hazardous chemicals, it’s important to know your safety protocol. It’s inevitable that an accident will occur, but how an accident is handled will determine whether or not the situation deteriorates to a disaster.
It’s not uncommon for workers to have their faces exposed to harmful fumes or liquid spills. This is a particularly dangerous situation as it could lead to their eyes or breathing ways being harmed. Taking care of any kind of spill is crucial, but these situations require immediate attention.
It’s important that you have spill kits and eye care stations to help employees manage any potentially hazardous spills. Equipping your laboratory shouldn’t be difficult. Consult Industroquip Safety Solutions for different kinds of laboratory equipment to manage safety requirements. With the help of proper training and necessary equipment, you can minimize the damage caused by a chemical spill.
Burn prevention
Handling very hot surfaces and materials must be done with caution and good preparation. Burn injuries are a very common accident in the type of work environments that deal with high temperatures. Whether it’s steam, molten metal, hot water, or any other source of heat, you can be sure that the potential for injury is high.
Businesses must provide adequate safety equipment for their employees so that they aren’t burned by machinery or hot substances. This includes flame-resistant clothing and headgear which minimize the chance of high temperatures coming into contact with personnel. Heat is only palpable up close, so employees often get complacent with safety procedures because they aren’t always near the blazing temperatures. Keep reminders around parts that change temperature rapidly or are unexpectedly hot. This will help employees avoid touching them by accident.
Any grills or furnaces that are used must be cleaned regularly. A lack of maintenance can cause a pile-up of debris which can often spill over and suddenly damage employees. When working with machines that produce heat, make sure you clean them thoroughly. Keep the ducts and ventilation systems clear as well, as these dictate the flow of heat through the machine.
Conclusion
When working in an environment that can be considered “hazardous”, accidents are an undesirable situation. Instead of attempting to eradicate all accidents, your top priority should be making sure that employees are protected in the event of an accident. As long as the protection is adequate, they won’t be at risk of being badly injured or worse. Keep the above safety equipment in mind for your work environment, and try to keep it as safe as possible.
