All work environments can be dangerous to employees and visitors, but some are more dangerous than others. The prime example of a more dangerous environment is a factory. These are actually more dangerous than some of the more hazardous work environments for the simple reason that it’s easy to underestimate the dangers. People take safety pretty safely in, say, a nuclear power plant, less so in an area that doesn’t have any hazardous materials. But as we’ll see below, there are plenty of dangers present in a factory. Take a read, and make sure your staff isn’t at risk from threats that can be prevented.

Poor Staff Training

Think about who you’re trying to protect in a factory environment: it’s your staff. The vast majority of incidents that occur are preventable. If your staff are well-trained, then they’ll know the correct procedures to follow that’ll keep accidents at bay, and also what to do should something happen. Humans can get pretty comfortable when they’re in an environment that they know well, but it’s when people get more relaxed that accidents normally happen. As such, it’s best to keep on top of training by providing refresher courses every few months.

Long-Term Issues

The dangerous side-effects of working in a factory aren’t always felt instantly. Sometimes, they can take years to present themselves. One particularly hazardous side-effect of working in a factory can be hearing problems. If your staff is working in a loud environment day in, day out, then eventually it’ll cause damage to their ears. If you have particularly noisy machinery, take a look at blast room solutions. They’ll help to reduce noise pollution, and make your factory an all-around safer place to work — many an injury happens because a worker didn’t hear the warning from other team members. Another longer-term consideration should be your infrastructure — particularly your electrical system. The older they are, the more dangerous they are. Make sure you’re getting yours tested regularly and update it when it becomes a safety risk.

Cluttered Floors

Yes, factories can be chaotic. Things are always coming and going, people are working, and so on — it’s understandable that the space won’t always be in a well-organized state. However, it’s important to remember that the more chaotic your space is, the greater the risk of an accident. As such, you’ll want to put in place systems that ensure the walkways and workspaces are kept clear. It requires a little bit of extra work, but it’s an important step in providing a safe working space for your employees.

Substances In the Air

Some dangers in the factory can creep up on you. Take dust and other debris, for example. The dangers of such materials might not seem instantly apparent, but if they’re left unchecked, they can cause breathing problems and other issues for the factory workers. Make sure you’ve got a strong extraction system, that you’re providing your team with masks where appropriate, and that you’re giving the factory a deep clean regularly.