Chemical plants produce necessary substances for various purposes. But they can be a potentially dangerous work environment considering people work with substances that can be poisonous or corrosive. Any accident in such a workplace can also create major work stoppages and cost you millions in terms of compensation.
Working to make the place safer for your employees should be one of your major goals. Here are some guidelines your company should follow to ensure that your people are safe:
Implement Proper Training
An essential part of safety is proper training for your people. Every incoming employee should go through a training period on how to act in the workplace. Safety training can help stop potential accidents before they happen. Teaching your people how to handle dangerous chemicals properly will keep them safer while teaching them emergency procedures will help ensure that if an accident does happen, you have a proper response.
This training is not only for new employees. You should regularly have your people go through refresher training so that they get reminders of what to do. Carelessness can cause accidents, too, and long-time employees might end up forgetting the basics.
Provide the Right Safety Equipment
Another way to ensure that your people are safe is by giving them the right equipment. Start with high-quality steel-toe gumboots for the feet to protective goggles and masks for the head. There are even full-body coveralls that can completely cover your people’s skin to lessen possible contact with harmful substances. Buying this equipment and issuing it to them will ensure that fewer injuries will happen from minor accidents and spills.
Safety equipment is not only what your employees can wear. You should also buy first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, and more. If you work with liquid chemicals, then showers and eyewash stations might be necessary to ensure everyone is clean from exposure.
Proper Identification
One major problem that comes up in chemical plants is that people sometimes don’t know where they are or what they are handling. It should be company policy that everything should have a proper label. If your employees are handling a barrel of acid, they should know that it is an acid. This is so that they are extra careful with it and that they should hold it properly.
Labels on containers should ensure that your workers know what they are handling and how to handle it. Additionally, you will want to put up signs and warnings for your storage and work areas so that people are aware of where they are.
Keep the Place Clean
Slips and falls are the most common accidents in any workplace. In a chemical plant, that can be even more dangerous since the substance can be harmful to people. That is why you need proper cleaning procedures. Identify any potential slipping or tripping hazard and clean it up immediately. An efficient cleaning crew can help greatly in reducing accidents.
Chemicals can be very dangerous. Even a simple spill can have major consequences on the safety of your workers, depending on the type of chemical. With a few simple changes in your work environment, you can lower the chances of accidents. Additionally, if accidents do happen, your employees would know what to do. The result is a safer workplace that won’t suffer any disruptions.
