Plastics Industry - Workplace Safety
The majority of modern products made today have some sort of plastic component. Plastic is a large component of almost every industry including packaging, automotives, construction, agriculture, electronics, and consumer domestics. Plastics assist with our health, wellbeing, nutrition, shelter, safety, transportation, communication, sports and leisure activities just to name a few.
With the high demand for plastic manufacturing, distribution and compounding, comes a high demand for workers. There are over 1.1 million plastics industry workers in the United States, which represents a large portion of the workforce. Along with these workers comes the increased importance of ensuring operations run safely and smoothly. There are health and safety concerns that every company should be aware of in the plastics industry. Provided by the United States Department of Labor and the Society of the Plastics Labor, below are some guidelines and tools to help companies in the plastics industry to address the safety concerns and hazards experienced by laborers.
Plastics Industry Hazard Analysis
A job hazard analysis in the plastics industry is a practice that focuses on tasks that identify a plastics industry hazard before it occurs. There is a focus on the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools, and the work environment used to manufacture, distribute, and compound plastics. After the uncontrolled hazards have been identified, the necessary steps will be taken to reduce them to a risk level that is acceptable.
This job hazard analysis is important because there are many workers severely injured in the workplace on a daily basis. Properly training your plastics industry employee on their position and informing them of the hazards and conditions they may be exposed to can help make them aware of what to look for. Implementing a job hazard analysis can lead to added value of the plastics business and the employees’ lives. Plastic industry companies can identify and prevent injuries and illnesses by evaluating operations, job procedures, and training. Below are 5 tips to help you get started in implementing a hazard analysis.
1. Involve Your Employees- It is extremely important to involve all employees when implementing a job hazard analysis in the plastics industry. They have an understanding of the job and performance of the machinery and this is a great way to find and prevent hazards. Employees will be able to share ownership for the progress, and that is invaluable for you in ensuring their safety.
2. Review Your Accident History- Alongside your employees, be sure to review the previous accidents and illnesses. Investigate the accident or illness treatments and any losses that required replacement or restoration. Also include any “near misses,” where an accident did not occur but could have.
3. Conduct A Preliminary Plastics Industry Job Review- Discuss with your employees the hazards they know to exist in their work area, if any. Brainstorm with employees for ways to eliminate or decrease the hazard. If you find that there is indeed a hazard that is serious or life-threatening, you should take immediate action to correct the hazard. Do not postpone on alleviating hazards to show employees your dedication to their safety. If you discover a life-threatening hazard that cannot be fixed immediately, consider contacting a consulting service.
4. Outline the Steps and Tasks- Break down each job or task into steps. Watch your employee perform his or her job and list each step that is taken. You may want to collaborate with other employees who have also performed this job to ensure you have the correct steps. Be sure to meet with the employee to ensure you did not miss a step. You may also want to video tape or take photographs of each step for a visual reference.
Plastics Industry Safety and Health Programs
In the plastics industry as well as all other industries, every level of the organization should be involved in a Safety and Health Program. A Safety and Health Program in the plastics industry company will ensure the final goal of reducing accidents in the workplace. There are four specific interrelated questions every plastics industry company should ask when developing or evaluating their Safety and Health Program. These questions should be answered carefully and collectively with the assistance of every employee.
1. Plastic Industry Safety and Health Payoffs
Question: What Return on Investment can Safety and Health Management programs provide?
Answer: Safety and Health Management programs can provide improved employee morale, decreased lost time, fewer workplace injuries, fewer workplace illnesses, lower insurance costs, and safety culture adoption.
2. Management System and Safety and Health Integration
Question: How can safety and health become a part of the way our plastic industry business runs?
Answer: Safety and health becomes apart of businesses by combining performance standards with Safety and Health standards. It also encourages the “talk the talk, walk the walk” idea, top down support, and bottom up implementation.
3. Doing a Safety and Health Check Up
Question: What indicators tell me if our plastics company is getting weaker or stronger?
Answer: Indicators such as statistical reports, opinion surveys, risk analysis, periodic inspections and plastics process improvement initiatives may indicate performance.
4. Creating Change
Question: What practices are best for our company assuring lasting success in the plastics industry?
Answer: The practices that are best for success in the plastics industry include: obtaining a management buy-in, building trust and lasting relationships among management and employees, conducting self-assessments and developing a site safety vision when manufacturing, distributing and compounding plastic. Other practices are also important such as developing a system of accountability and measures, implementing recognition and awards, providing plastic awareness training and implementing process changes. Another important aspect of ensuring success involves the plastics company to continually measure progress of the program, communicate the results with employees and management, and celebrate the successes!
