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Which manufacturing facilities have seen the most accidents?Need help related to this topic?
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Accidents in industrial processing account for 1/3 of all workplace accidents. So how can safety be improved at a manufacturing plant?
In 2022, 22,185 workers in manufacturing suffered accidents, accounting for about one-third of all occupational accidents. Although such incidents are on the decline, there is still a lot of work to be done in the manufacturing industry. How can workers be made safer on the factory floor?
A total of 22,185 people were injured in accidents that involved the manufacturing section in 2022. The largest number of injured people was recorded in the food industry (3,531 people), with slightly fewer people affected in the manufacture of metal products (3,314 people). A large number of accidents also occurred in the production of rubber and plastic products (1,928 people). The number of people injured in the production of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers amounted to 1,703, with slightly fewer people injured in the production of furniture (1,638). More than 1,000 people were injured in the production of wood, cork, straw and wicker products, in the manufacture of machinery and equipment, and in plants engaged in the manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products.
Adequate work clothes and personal protective equipment are the bare minimum when it comes to ensuring worker health and safety. The company should approach this issue in a comprehensive manner. It is very important to act informatively, i.e. to conduct cyclic and ad hoc employee training (unfortunately, the most common cause of accidents is improper employee behavior). It is also necessary to act preventively through proper organization of work and implementation of safety systems. What solutions are worth using in a modern manufacturing plant?
According to CSO statistics, the most common activity during accidents at work is the movement of the employee. Hence, the basic procedure to increase safety at the workplace is to clearly mark communication and transportation routes. In other words, you need to ensure that the paths used by pedestrian workers and vehicle operators are properly marked. This can be helped by Laser Virtual Safety Line, a state-of-the-art horizontal marking system that uses a laser beam.
The solution involves drawing a line on the floor using laser light. It's a simple way to mark paths and corridors, employee assembly areas, parking lots, driveways or danger zones. The virtual line will not wash away when exposed to moisture, nor will it be covered by dust or dirt from production. Paths traced by laser light are a durable yet flexible solution. Unlike paint or tape guideline lines, they will not be damaged by heavy use (which is especially important in manufacturing plants with heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic). On the other hand, in case of changes in traffic organization, the lines can be easily adapted to the current needs of the enterprise.
The most common cause of accidents at work is improper employee behavior. This also applies to industrial processing, especially plants producing foodstuffs, metal products, furniture, motor vehicles, as well as rubber and plastic products. Therefore, it is worthwhile to ensure that workers are more aware of the dangers at the workplace and do not disregard warning signs.
This problem can be solved by LED sign projectors in OSH, which are used to display messages on any surface, such as the floor, wall, ceiling or door. With additional equipment, the projector can work with a motion sensor or emit a pulsating light.
Why replace traditional signs with LED projectors? Here are the most important arguments:
In the industrial processing industry, workplace accidents are most often related to a collision between an employee and a stationary or moving object (i.e. a forklift, for example). Hence, it is worthwhile to implement technologies in the company that reduce the risk of collisions on the work site.
An example of such a solution is the IVIEW+ pedestrian detection system. This system works on a very simple principle. A camera located at the rear of the vehicle transmits the image to a monitor in the cab, allowing the operator to observe the surroundings (thus eliminating blind spots around the vehicle). If an object is detected in close proximity (such as a pedestrian worker), the system will emit an audible and visual alarm, giving the driver more time to react.
An IPAS pedestrian and cart warning system can be implemented to reduce the risk of collisions between factory workers. The solution involves the use of transponders, which are placed on vehicles and elements of pedestrian workers' work clothes. If the transponder comes within range of another transponder, the system will trigger an alarm (light, sound, vibration), so that employees will be warned in time about the possibility of a collision. Depending on individual needs, the alarm can sound when a vehicle approaches another vehicle or a pedestrian worker. The system can also operate by zone, in which case the alarm will sound when an employee violates the selected safety zone.
This is another anti-collision system that can be implemented at a manufacturing facility to reduce the risk of vehicle collisions. However, TXS zone speed limitation works on a completely different principle. It is implemented by placing transmitters in sensitive zones that communicate with receivers on vehicles. If a vehicle is near a particular zone, then the system slows the vehicle to a set speed. This gives pedestrian workers a better chance of avoiding a collision with a forklift that is moving at too high a speed. The TXS system will be perfect especially for those vehicle operators who, due to the rush, often forget to reduce speed.
Ensuring safety on a manufacturing site is not easy. Workers are exposed to harsh conditions (low and high temperatures, high humidity, noise), which makes it difficult to exercise due caution. The risk of accidents is also increased by haste, which promotes ignoring warning signs and speeding by vehicle operators. The consequences of such incidents can vary - sometimes an accident results in only a short-term absence of an employee, other times it leads to production downtime, permanent injury or even death of an employee. Therefore, the company should consider implementing additional safety measures, such as luminous signage and collision avoidance systems.