What Does
Industrial Safety Mean?
As the name suggests, industrial safety refers to the safety management practices that apply to the industrial sector. Those processes aim to protect industrial workers, machinery, facilities, structures, and the environment.
Industrial safety is overseen by federal, state and local laws and regulations. The Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) is the primary regulatory body in the United States dedicated to workplace safety, including the industrial sector.
Safeopedia Explains Industrial Safety
Industrial safety is a broad area of workplace safety, covering a number of issues and topics, including:
- General safety (issues and concerns that are common across all industries)
- Site-specific safety issues
- Process and production safety
- Material safety
- Fire safety
- Electrical safety
- Building and structural safety (including temporary installations)
- Environmental safety
The Importance of Industrial Safety
Although every workplace and job task carries some safety hazards, industrial hazards are often higher risk and have the potential to cause severe injury, extensive property damage, or devastating environmental harm.
Given the highly specialized nature of the work, many of the jobs are carried out by trained and skilled employees. Workers who sustain lost time injuries can be difficult to replace, even temporarily. Because of this, injuries can have significant effects on a company’s production output, shipping schedules, fulfillment, vendor relationships and customer satisfaction. Good safety practices, then, not only keep workers safe but also help maintain employee, vendor, and client satisfaction.
Industrial Safety Objectives
- Preventing work-related fatalities, disabling injuries, illness, and damage to machinery or materials
- Ensuring continued production by preventing disruptive incidents
- Reducing workers compensation costs, maintaining lower insurance rates, and minimizing indirect costs associated with accidents
- Strengthening safety culture and increasing employee morale
- Meeting vendor and client expectations
Industrial Safety Planning
Industrial safety takes place long before the work begins. In fact, it should be part of the job planning and site design. Some important early and ongoing considerations include:
- Plant layout
- Fire prevention systems
- Health and hygiene
- Safety training
- Alarms and warning systems
- Adequate lighting in work areas and corridors
- Flooring and working areas that are easy to clean and organize
- Insulation
- Signboards and written safety instructions
Ready to learn more? Check out our free webinar on Hearing and Eye Protection Solutions for Industrial Manufacturing!
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