Clearly, when it comes to manufacturing, safety is extremely important. More than that, the Office of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires some type of annual safety training. You want to provide your employees with the best safety training possible, both for their health and to protect your company, but you also want to make sure that you are in compliance.
So what kind of safety training requirements do you have to meet for manufacturing and how can you meet them?
First: What Is Manufacturing?
The United States Department of Labor and OSHA define manufacturing as “establishments engaged in the mechanical or chemical transformation of materials or substances into new products.” It goes on to include factories, mills, plants and other operations that use material handling and power-driven equipment. Manufacturing operations can involve agricultural, fishing, mining, quarrying and forestry products, among others. Some types of manufacturing can include sign-making, logging, electroplating, metal fabrication and machine building and repair.
What Are Manufacturing Safety Training Requirements?
Annual safety training requirements for manufacturing will vary from industry to industry and from employee to employee. For example, any employees who may be exposed to asbestos in their work must take Asbestos Abatement Training, Asbestos Awareness Training and Asbestos Operations and Maintenance Training classes. Employees who inspect or maintain fire systems must undergo annual fire extinguishing systems training. If your employees may have to respond to an uncontrolled release of hazardous waste, they must take annual Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response training.
Other industry-specific training may be required for all or most employees. For example, if your manufacturing work is in high-noise areas, employees must have annual hearing protection training. If there are fire extinguishers in the work area, and there should be, your employees will have to undergo portable fire extinguisher training. If your employees use forklifts, they will have to undergo Powered Industrial Trucks training every three years. If your work requires respiratory protection, there is Respiratory Protection training.
Some of the types of safety training that manufacturing companies are most likely to have to implement include safety training related to fire prevention and emergency procedures, safe use of platforms, safe use of machinery, dealing with hazardous materials, dealing with noise and respiratory protection.
Knowing Your Specific Training Requirements
When it comes to safety training in your manufacturing business, the answer is always to err on the side of caution. If you’re not sure whether a certain employee needs a certain kind of training, the best thing to do is to make sure they get it. You can find more detailed information about OSHA training requirements and how to administer the training to those who need it here.
Global Electronic Services is committed to making sure your manufacturing equipment is working in top condition at all times and that you experience as little downtime as possible — and also to making sure your employees enjoy a safer and more productive workplace. For more information, contact us today.