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Articles Industrial Hazards & Plant Safety

Industrial Hazards & Plant Safety

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Manufacturers endure daily safety risks during routine business operations. Workers are vulnerable to dust, noise, chemical exposures, being caught in moving machinery and struck by falling objects. One in nine workers in the United States was employed in the manufacturing sector as of 2005, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That same year, industrial employees accounted for 21 percent of all occupational injuries and illnesses. These potential dangers make industrial hazards and plant safety critical employment issues.

Statistics

Injuries to manufacturing workers account for 21 percent of all occupational injuries or sicknesses in the United States, the BLS reports. Repetitive motion injuries are a common ailment among manufacturing employees, who experience more days away from work from overuse injuries than nonindustrial workers. A second serious industrial hazard is being mangled in operating equipment. Despite these grim statistics, the overall rate of occupational fatalities in manufacturing fell by 15 percent from 2004 to 2005, according to the BLS.



Features

Lockouts and tag-outs are an example of common safety features inside plants because of the dangers of machines. For example, a maintenance worker needs assurance that a gravel crusher will not slip into operation while he cleans the unit. A loader who starts his shift must know whether the previous operator disengaged the power source or simply flipped the off switch. Lockout devices block the energy source, according to safety fact sheets published by Colgate University. A tag-out means the power switch is turned off, but the equipment is easily activated.

Efficiencies

Innovative thinking within a manufacturing environment is as invaluable as protective safety gear for workers, Vice President Aaron Conway of Mezzanine Safeti-Gates -- a safety product design company -- writes at Manufacturing.net. Plant leaders must look for and fix industrial hazards before someone gets hurt. Companies that are reactive instead of proactive typically spend more time and money correcting safety problems. The costs associated with industrial accidents extend beyond medical claims and victims' time from work. A plant loses revenue when operations are disrupted because of a mishap.

Reporting

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) expects employers to notify the agency of work-related fatalities and any instances involving more than three workers being hospitalized. OSHA requires notification within eight hours of the accident. Manufacturing officials not only share their data with OSHA, but must also furnish the same statistics to its own workforce. The governmental office expects plant personnel to investigate every worker injury or illness -- as well as near misses -- so management uncovers root causes and immediately corrects them.











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