It's important to make sure you cover industrial safety topics during employee training sessions and orientations. Beyond talking liabilities and legal regulations, discussing this subject also encourages workers to express their own questions and concerns. It strengthens trust and confidence in the workplace, and it makes everyone more aware of their part in maintaining a hazard-free environment.
Start With OSHA Safety Topics
If you're new to safety management or unsure of what to cover in meetings, OSHA has an extremely comprehensive list of industrial workplace safety topics to use as talking points. Focus on what's most relevant to the type of machines and tools your business handles, as well as what's involved during a typical shift.
Although general precautions and first aid guidelines are beneficial to all businesses, there also needs to be special attention put forth if your warehouse contains chemical substances or uses heat and flames. A good way to make sure you're covering every topic is to review job descriptions and responsibilities, and then craft a safety outline from that information.
Review Important Steps for Workplace Safety
Accidents happen on the job, and it's almost impossible to prevent them from ever happening. However, with construction and manufacturing occupations experiencing increased rates of injuries and fatalities, you can decrease those chances by setting procedures in place. Follow these tips:
- Clearly label all materials that have special instructions for use
- Post safety signs and warnings near every work station
- Regularly conduct equipment and tool inspections
- Maintain detailed records of all damaged or faulty equipment, and of any incidents that occur
- Keep the workplace clean and exits always accessible
- Properly dispose of waste and pollutants, in accordance with all regulations
- Give every employee a copy of all safety policies, manuals, and plans.
Communicate About Your Safety Equipment Suppliers
Let your employees know that you have established relationships with safety equipment suppliers that know your business, rather than an all-purpose vendor. Your agents need to fully understand your needs so that you get the top-quality industrial safety products that you're looking for. By sharing this information with your workers during safety meetings, it further emphasizes your open communication policy on all safety topics.
Discuss Job Hazard Analysis With Safety Meeting Topics
Institute job hazard analysis, which involves closely monitoring all tasks and all of the steps necessary to complete them. You then consider any and all potential hazards, determine how to alter steps so mishaps, injuries, or errors do not occur, and review this data the next time you address safety policies.
Determine Which Industrial Safety Products Your Warehouse Needs
Make certain that every employee has protective goggles, gloves, hard hats, and other necessary industrial safety products that fit properly, and are allergen-free, if necessary. See that all shelving, handrails, guardrails, gates, cages, and conveyor belts are secure, and that forklift detection devices work. Safety details also apply to tools, so carefully inspect blades, drill bits, and saw teeth and ensure they work properly.
Periodically Conduct Safety Equipment Training
Whether you have long-term, seasoned staff or are regularly bringing in new hires, develop a training program that puts all policies in review. Let everyone know that these sessions are prime opportunities for critiquing safety plans, as much as for praising them. Some staff may believe that a one-time safety talk is sufficient, and therefore not show enthusiasm for repetitive training or meetings covering industrial safety meeting topics. But there is a psychology to effectively discussing workplace safety and making it interesting and engaging. Encourage all opinions and observations, and let employees who have experience with certain topics also bring those to everyone's attention.
Maintain Updated Information for Industrial Safety Topics
Machinery, warehouse layouts, supplies, and operational methods tend to change with the times, so update meetings with manufacturing safety topics accordingly. Remind forklift drivers that they should never rush a job or persist with the vehicle if there are obstacles or colleagues attending to something right in or near their path. Constantly check loading docks and pallets for the slightest bit of damage or weakness that could diminish strength and safety. Another key consideration for meetings is thinking beyond the immediately obvious, and addressing other worthwhile safety awareness topics. Remind employees about vital vision and hearing checkups, exercises that may ease back, leg, and neck discomfort, getting enough sleep and alleviating fatigue, and programs that can help with issues that could impact work performance.
Use Industrial Safety Topics to Improve Your Work Environment
Let safety meetings become springboards for making your team more collaborative and cohesive. There's sure to be various perspectives on procedures, the warehouse's design, tools and machinery, and every other facet of your business, depending on each employee's role. Invite active participation, and let others familiarize themselves with tools . When you keep communication open about industrial safety topics all year round, you build a work group ready for anything.
The animations in this “Warehouse Health and Safety Hazards” video perfectly convey dangers, and are easy to understand by employees who don't speak English very well. Note that the illustrator provides contact information at the end, so you can have this customized for your industrial safety topics meetings.
