September 11, 2013
Each year, there are number of accidents that result from using industrial equipment. Many of these accidents have serious or fatal outcomes and could have been avoided. When it comes to operating industrial equipment, safety is everything. Here are some tips to operating and maintaining industrial equipment properly:
Use the right tools
Many accidents happen because people do not use the right tools for the work at hand. Before you operate any machinery, you should always check that the proper guards and protective devices are intact. If you think any machinery is not safe to use, than do not use it! One way to reduce the number of industrial accidents is by planning ahead and ensuring that the suitable equipment or machinery is available for the task.
Maintain machinery
In order to make sure industrial equipment does not falter or cause injury, it’s important to keep machinery in good condition. As the employer, it’s your responsibility to ensure the safety of your employees. If a machine is not operating properly, the equipment should be shut down immediately. However, maintenance of industrial equipment should only be conducted by those who are competent to do the work.
Wear protective gear
The purpose of wearing protective gear is to keep your body safe from harm. There are different kinds of clothing designed to provide protection for different industrial needs. For example, chemical suits are designed to protect your body from exposure to harmful chemicals. Without these suits, it would be near impossible to contain dangerous chemical spills. Workers should always wear the proper protective gear, be that hardhats, safety glasses or hearing protectors.
Train employees properly
Employees should have the knowledge they need to use industrial equipment properly. Lack of knowledge and skills required to use equipment properly can lead to unnecessary accidents, even injuries. Training employees will help to decrease the number of accidents on the job. Think of it this way: the greater the danger, the better the training. For more complicated and high-risk tasks, such as driving fork-lift trucks and operating cranes, training should be provided by a specialist.
In the end, employers have control over the industrial equipment and hiring those to operate equipment. It’s the employers responsibility to provide the proper training as well as the right tools and protective gear to operate industrial equipment safely.
Chris Hill is the President and CEO of Framing Technology, Inc. Connect with him on Google+ and Twitter.
