Menu

Avoiding Common Mistakes With Industrial Equipment


Two steps that manufacturers should take to protect their employees who need to operate powder coating equipment

If you run a manufacturing business and use powder coating equipment to produce your products, it is important to take steps to protect your employees who use this equipment. Here are two such steps.

Have the ventilation system serviced on a regular basis

Due to the fact that powder coating equipment releases a large number of hazardous particles into the air whilst it is in use, any manufacturing businesses which use this equipment must install powerful ventilation systems in the areas of their facilities where this equipment is operated.

It is important to ensure that the ventilation system in your facility is always in good working order, as any faults which cause it to malfunction could lead to the concentration of powder coating dust in the air becoming dangerously high.

If this happens, any employees in the vicinity of the equipment could be exposed to this airborne dust. This exposure could result in them experiencing respiratory distress, eye irritation, contact dermatitis or even gastrointestinal issues (if they ingest any dust that floats into their mouth).

To prevent this from happening, it is critical to have your facility's ventilation system serviced several times a year. The person performing the servicing should thoroughly clean all of the system's accessible components, replace its filters and inspect all of its parts for signs of wear and tear.

If any damage or faults are discovered, they should be fixed promptly and the powder coating equipment should not be used until this repair work has been completed.

Perform random spot checks

Your employees who have been using the powder coating equipment in your facility for a long time will no doubt be very familiar with the precautions they need to take to minimise their chances of being injured by this equipment.

For example, they may know that they need to put on protective outerwear as well as a respiratory mask, and avoid consuming any food or drink when using or standing close to the equipment.

However, it is very common for employees to become a little lax about safety when they perform the same tasks day in and day out. As such, there is a chance that your staff members may not be taking the precautions that they should be taking to keep themselves safe when operating the powder coating equipment.

The best way to ensure that your employees do not inadvertently endanger themselves in this manner is to perform random spot checks, during which either you or one of the facility's managers checks to see if your staff members are taking the necessary safety precautions.

If they are not, you may want to either issue a warning or arrange for them to take a safety refresher course, if you feel that it is necessary.

Knowing that a spot check could occur at any time and that there will be consequences if they are found not to have followed the proper safety procedures should be enough to prevent your employees from becoming too careless.

About Me

Avoiding Common Mistakes With Industrial Equipment

If you work in an industrial facility, you need to make the most of your equipment. You need to ensure it's running smoothly and in a state of good repair. You also have to keep your equipment safe and train your employees to use it. If you want help, check out my blog posts. My name is Carrie, and I used to work in a manufacturing facility. That was years ago. Then, I moved to a staffing company. Currently, I am on leave with my second child. I love writing and miss my days on the manufacturing floor so I decided to start this blog. I hope that you like it!