Workplace safety goes beyond best practice guidelines and policies, requiring both management and staff to adhere to safety standards. The foundation of any successful industrial safety guide is empowered employees that are encouraged to identify unsafe behaviors or environments for the benefit of everyone.

Prioritizing workplace safety can help prevent devastating injuries and penalties for safety infractions.
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Refractory materials and installation require their own unique safety guidelines, particularly if you’re working around extreme heat. Safety attire and equipment should be mandatory, and procedures should be established prior to the start of work. Here are some other essential safety tips:

Situational awareness means always being cognizant of your surroundings, including coworkers, machinery, and equipment. Staying alert will not only help protect you from injury but can allow you to spot workplace dangers or risks before they cause injury.

If you don’t wear proper attire or utilize the correct safety equipment for a task, you’re more likely to be injured. Depending on the job, equipment like eye protection, hard hats, gloves or heat protection gear are absolutely necessary.

It’s up to facility managers and construction foreman to get their team onboard with workplace safety efforts, encouraging them to prioritize the safety process. Share workplace injury statistics and the inherent risks of an industrial job, particularly where extreme heat is involved.

Shortcuts and inappropriate use of machinery or equipment is a leading cause of workplace injury. Using tools improperly, or forgoing proper procedures to save time can easily lead to injury.

Many work-related injuries occur because a worker is tired, overworked, and therefore not alert to their surroundings. Taking regular breaks, especially outside if possible,  helps you stay fresh on the job.

While this seems like a no-brainer, exits should never be blocked, even temporarily. In case of an emergency, you’ll need quick access to the exits. It’s also recommended that you keep unfettered access to equipment shutoffs in case you need to quickly stop them.

Your supervisor should be informed about any workplace safety risks or violations. They’re legally obligated to ensure that employees have a safe working environment and will remedy unsafe conditions and make them safe.

Workplace safety is a great concern for the industrial, manufacturing and construction industries. Remember that written safety measures are in place due to real events, where someone, somewhere has paid a price for lax safety standards.

Contact Us to learn more about industrial safety and refractory materials handling systems that can help.

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