Tips for protecting yourself from the hazards of an industrial work environment

Most employers have some kind of safety policy to provide a safe work environment for employees.  They post or at least provide best practices to avoid safety hazards common to the kind of environment they operate.  While safety is a big responsibility for employers, each individual employee must also take a lead role in protecting themselves from hazards in a work setting.  This is especially important in industrial work environments where, due to the nature of the work and materials or tools used in the production environment, there may be a higher likelihood for potential injury or harm.

 

Safety is not something to be anxious or afraid about. However it is something to be aware of and proactive about.  The keys to protecting yourself from hazards in an industrial work environment are all based on being ready in advance to avoid harm or act quickly when accidents arise.  To protect your health and safety, you want to:

 

1. Educate yourself on safety
2. Work with awareness
3. Ensure that you are properly protected

 

Educate yourself on safety

Since many employers proactively try to protect employees from unnecessary risks, many businesses or organizations have specific safety policies.  This is particularly true for industrial employers who usually emphasize safety as part of their standard business practices.  Ask your employer’s human resources department for a copy of the safety policy if it is not provided to you up front. Read it thoroughly and adhere to everything in it.

 

In addition, for all equipment and materials you are using, pay close attention to training. Also read all materials and posted signs related to the chemicals and machinery you are using. Workplace accidents are a big cause of injury and death and oftentimes investigations show that the incident could have been avoided had rules or procedures been more closely followed.

 

If an accident reporting phone number and protocol are not posted in a common employee area or near industrial machinery in your workplace, request that someone post them. Or ask for the information and post it yourself. This gives you quick access to the information needed in case of an accident. Moreover, always remember that the first number to call in the case of serious injury is 911.

 

Work with awareness

A large part of best practices for industrial safety is actually remembering that safety is rule number one each day that you go in to work. This means having an overall safety awareness mindset.  At companies where safety is a big risk and a substantial priority, it is likely that your employer is reminding you of safety constantly and hammering this point home.

 

However, even if your managers are not the most safety minded leaders, you can make this a daily part of what you do to protect yourself. In the same way that a pilot has a checklist that they go over to make sure that everything about the safety of the aircraft has been covered, you should create a small written list for yourself—if one is not provided—to go over everything that provides for your safety while at work.

 

Ensure that you are properly protected

As mentioned, you need a physical checklist posted in your locker or work area that you can quickly look over each day before you start your job in an industrial work environment.  One or more of the items on that list should ensure that your physical body is properly protected. Part of this protection includes making sure you wear the appropriate work uniform and safety gear.  Your company should automatically provide these items to you since you work in an industrial environment. Quality uniforms and safety vests or eyewear in industrial settings can protect you from temperature extremes, chemical burns, and cuts or bruises. It is important that you have every part of your protective uniform available and that you put it on every day for full safety.