Setting up your own manufacturing business can be a hard sell. After all, it’s a wide industry to move into; materials can be hard to source reliably and you’ll be up against a lot of other competition. And getting to a point where you’re at the top of your game with various contracts under your belt can be a real uphill battle!
But the main method to manage your company’s needs is to ensure your factory floor is safe. Your employees need to feel respected and cared for, and you don’t want to be dealing with any excess financial pressures! So with that in mind, here are some tips for keeping safety to a maximum.
Keep it Clean
Keeping the factory floor clean helps to prevent a lot of things. Number one, it helps to prevent fires! Number two, it helps to prevent people from slipping and falling on hazards. And finally, it’s just not acceptable to work in an unhygienic environment. It’s why factory deep cleans are so intensive – all machinery has to stop, all workers must be off the floor, and the resulting downtime can be expensive.
However, while these cleans are totally necessary, you can make them less time-consuming in the future. Be sure to sweep the floor multiple times a day, and have a ‘chore rota’ in place. Then make a plan: what makes the most mess on the factory floor? And how many workers should be assigned to it day by day?
Regularly Test Your Equipment
You’re going to be using a lot of different equipment on the factory floor, and every bit of it needs to undergo rigorous testing every few months. You want to be able to catch a fault in good time before it turns into a real problem. Even the Hanging Weight Scale you’ve got attached in the back needs fine-tuning every now and then!
You’re going to want to conduct an SAT (site acceptance test) any time you get a new bit of equipment in. You’re also going to need to provide plenty of protective equipment to anyone who will be working with these machines. Make sure floor rules are posted clearly for everyone to see, and always read the manual before you try anything out!
Stay Up to Date on Training
Finally, it’s key to keep your employees well trained and aware of how to safely work all machinery. Of course, it can be pricey to send someone for training every couple of months, but this expertise will pay you back tenfold. After all, you have a moving line of employees led by someone who truly knows what they’re doing, and will be able to pass on this knowledge during the working day. That’s an invaluable asset sitting right under your nose!
Your factory can be a safe place to be with just a bit of regular maintenance. Keep tips like these in mind to make it easy to keep up with.