Creating a Workshop Safety Plan
Developing a proper workshop safety program is important for maintaining the health of yourself and your employees and to help protect your valuable equipment as well. Safety in the workshop setting is a good way to protect the investments that you have made in both the workers using the workshop and the equipment located within it. Developing a plan for safety and strictly enforcing the rules is the best way to keep everyone in your workshop safe.
The number one part of workshop safety is education. Anyone who will be or is working within the workshop must be educated on the rules and procedures for safety as well as the proper techniques for handling equipment. It is important that all workers understand the basic safety rules of the workshop as a whole and know the safety rules for each piece of equipment they will be using. This includes educating workers or students about fire and chemical safety as well. Each person should know the procedures for fire, evacuation, chemical spills and any other emergencies that may arise depending on the type of workshop.
The next part of maintaining safety in the workplace is keeping these safety rules in check. Instruct everyone in the shop that they must follow rules of safety and enforce them if necessary. This includes rules about employee conduct and attire as well as cleanup and maintenance procedures on equipment. No employee should be allowed to use or handle equipment unless they have been specifically trained on it. Workers or students should also be instructed to dress appropriately for the workshop. This may include coveralls, masks, eye and ear protection, proper footwear and no loose clothing. Rules and regulations should be taught regularly and all new applicants should be well trained. Workshop safety regulations should also be clearly posted where all employees or students can read them. Know local emergency numbers such as fire and rescue, and make sure your employees know them too. Assign a designated safety officer to be in charge of handling safety regulations and concerns from employees. A foreman or other supervisor should always be present anytime any work is going on.
Another important part of maintaining a healthy workplace is the structure and design of the workshop itself. Always make sure that all machines and equipment are in proper running order and fully meet the manufacturers or regulatory standards. Use any necessary guards or protection devices on equipment that requires it. All equipment and machines should also have an emergency stop button or alarm. Each employee or student should know where these emergency buttons are and how to use them. Never run equipment that is not fully functional or allow anyone not qualified to repair equipment. Keep the workshop clear and well organized. Prevent personal items, boxes, debris or chairs or stools from building up within the workshop, as they may present dangerous hazards such as tripping. Security may also be important, in order to prevent unqualified people from wandering into a possibly dangerous work environment.
The final portion of keeping your workshop safe and accident free is a general overall attitude of safety and awareness. Anytime someone is working they should be focused on their work and on guard for accidents. There should be no playing around or running within the shop as this may cause serious accidents. In general, workers and students should be working in a deliberate and slow manner, paying close attention to the work at hand. This may especially important in workshops with dangerous equipment. By making sure to create a quality workshop safety program and taking the time to enforce these rules and regulations, you will be able to have a safe and effective workshop.