How much does employee absenteeism cost your company? Gallup reports that absenteeism, often resulting from occupational injuries and illnesses, costs employers $153 billion per year. Employees in high-risks environments, such as industrial manufacturing and operations, constantly face threats, including shocks, burns, and lifting injuries. What safety practices and equipment keep workers healthy and productive?
Contain Electrical Wiring
Electrical wiring and parts pose significant threats; industrial manufacturing and operations workers may suffer from shocks, burns, and other serious injury at the hand of damaged electrical wiring. Employers can drastically reduce risks by using simple protective products and fixtures.
For example, electrical metal tubing, or metal conduit protects electrical wires from harmful magnetism. All conduit wraps around wires, cables, and cords, and conduit is available in rigid or flexible forms. Standard conduit may also be used to shield cables from tearing, abrasion, chemical wear, and corrosion. Metal conduit should be used in conjunction with conduit bushing. Conduit bushing allows workers to easily adjust and pull wires without snagging them on sharp metal edges.
Avoid Manual Lifting Dangers
Regular manual lifting may result in repetitive strain or sudden impact injuries. Moreover, repetitive strain injuries are responsible for a quarter of all missed work injuries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Employers can drastically reduce lifting dangers with the following equipment:
- Industrial handles and cinch straps. First and foremost, if manual lifting is unavoidable, workers should practice safe lifting. Installing industrial handles, or securing loads with sturdy cinch straps, can significantly reduce injuries from lifting awkward or unstable objects.
- Forklifts, leveling feet, and swivel casters. Whenever possible, employers should discourage manual lifting. Handling and lifting equipment, such as forklifts, leveling feet, and swivel casters, prevents injuries and keeps workers productive. Leveling feet, for example, stabilize equipment and machines on uneven surfaces. The product also allows workers to slowly and safely raise equipment for maintenance and inspections. Swivel casters, on the other hand, can be affixed to platforms to help workers quickly and efficiently move heavy machinery.
Avoid costly worker injuries and health conditions. Invest in simple safety equipment, such as conduit, conduit bushing, and leveling feet, to keep electrical wiring and routine handling and lifting as safe as possible. Get more info here.