MRO Magazine: How intelligent and regular machine safety audits can protect a workforce in the manufacturing industry
by Tim Knowles
Safety comes at a cost, but a cost which will never be greater than the danger presented to an unprotected workforce.
Photo: winnievinzence / Adobe Stock.
No matter where you are in the world or what kind of facility you run, workplace safety should be at the top of your list of concerns. It represents a serious issue that needs to be addressed at every level, to keep your equipment and workers safe. In, 2020, Canadian workers compensation boards reported that 924 workers died due to work- related causes. In Nova Scotia alone, manufacturing represents nearly 11 per cent of all serious injuries in the province. The Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia states there were 516 serious injuries in the manufacturing sector in Nova Scotia in 2020.
The risk is real, and with that said, employers must be diligent to ensure their employees have the required information, training, and supervision to perform their jobs safely. They also need to ensure that machinery and equipment is kept functional and safe. All employees in the plant setting have a right to be informed of any known or foreseeable hazards in the facility and to be provided with the information, instructions, training, and supervision necessary to operate machinery and tools, all to protect their health and safety.
The easiest choice for any plant manager is to invest in the safety and wellbeing of their staff and operating equipment.
This article originally featured in MRO Magazine. Read the full version here.
