Despite the rise of automation in the manufacturing industry, humans remain the driving factor behind success. Along with the progress of technology in this field often comes the mistaken assumption that employees in this line of work are surrounded by safer environments. While working areas as a whole have become less hazardous over recent years, manufacturing in Kentucky can nevertheless come with many inherent risks.
One concern regarding this work revolves around the harmful ways employers can prioritize productivity over safety. Do workers get the safe surroundings they deserve? According to some sources, clearer safety procedures and better safety training are the answers to a high number of injuries and deaths in the industry.
Clearer Guidelines
Occupational Health and Safety stress that following clear safety measures can make a drastic difference when it comes to manufacturing accidents. Each year alone, four out of every 100 workers requires leave as a result of injury or illness. In addition, manufacturing remains the most dangerous industry, with 10,000 serious injuries taking place in this field every year. The OHS argues that, first and foremost, safety should remain a priority — hiring and keeping supervisors who make this the core focus can reduce chances of an accident. Making safety steps easy to follow is another way employers can make the working environment safer.
Better Training
As Safety and Health shares, there is one common reason why many accidents occur in the first place: undertrained new employees. When supervisors push safety training to the back-burner, new workers can place themselves and everyone else in danger. In some cases, workers consider safety steps too lightheartedly; in others, employees are unsure of their safety rights altogether. By adequately training new employees from the start, employers can set them up for success. Following these steps, along with other important safety precautions, can make the entire workplace safer overall.