Due to the breadth of products coming to us from manufacturing companies, the industry faces wide range of safety issues.
The primary worker safety issues facing most manufacturing companies include hearing protection, eye hazards, chemical exposure, mechanical hazards, and fire hazards. However, many accidents can be prevented by education, caution, and safety procedures.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration has set most of the worker safety requirements for manufacturing companies, such as required training and safety posters in work areas. The trainings inform employees of how to keep the workplace safe and posters remind employees about the safety procedures in place to keep themselves and coworkers safe during their shifts. When the safety procedures are followed everyone should remain safe, but accidents can always happen.
Safety procedures can look different depending on the manufacturing company but some of the OSHA requirements include:
- Hearing protection based on decibels of the noise.
- For noise greater than 115 decibels workers must wear hearing protection after 15 minutes of exposure.
- For noise is below 85 decibels, workers must wear hearing protection after 8 hours of exposure.
- Safety goggles with side eye shields to protect dust, metal, and chemical fumes.
- Gloves, eye goggles, and dust masks to protect from chemical exposures. In these cases, OSHA also strongly recommends that workers wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.
- Accessible First-aid equipment and eye wash stations
- Precautionary machine guards to prevent cuts, punctures, and severed limbs from operating machinery.
- Accessible and visible fire extinguishers and fire exits.
Regular employee training is used to remind and refresh employees on remaining safe and to update employees on changes to protocol. There are many services that can provide worker safety education and OSHA also provides education on keeping the workplace safe.
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About Schneider Downs Manufacturing Services
Schneider Downs understands the manufacturing industry from a regional, national and international perspective. Our experience in engineering-based cost segregation studies, state and local tax services, including nexus studies, as well as research and development tax credits, provides manufacturers the expertise needed to run their businesses more effectively.
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