Fabrication and other metalworking shops can be dangerous places. Every year, amputations and other non-fatal injuries occur. Most are avoidable. All it requires is the awareness of what safety measures are available to decrease the incidence – including machine guarding. Such safety devices are crucial to reducing the high rates of injuries in metalworking shops in Cleveland, Miami, Jacksonville and other cities across the United States.
Hazards in Fabrication and Metalworking Shops
Although the number of fatalities decreased between 2015 and 2016 in metalworking shops, one is too many. Injuries remain an issue. Many are the result of the two most dangerous hazards in such shops. These are:
* Insufficient machine guarding
* Defective or evaded lockout procedures
It is important to recognize the problems – including the need to replace outdated machine guards, assess any related issues or concerns and to take measures to correct them accordingly.
Machine Guarding and Responsibility
While most fabrication and other industrial concerns in Cleveland commit their shops and personnel to ensuring the safety of all their workers, some fail to take the matter seriously enough. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) receive complaints annually on the ramifications of this form of neglect. They understand the result is not only severe injuries affecting the ability of an individual to earn a living in their chosen trade but also potentially a fatality, removing an important individual from his or her family forever.
It is imperative in such operations as fabrication shops that the shop owners, operators, managers and all levels of employees, have protection against potential workplace hazards. It is essential that fabrication shops understand that safety is more than installing machine guarding. It is also necessary to involve all employees – to make certain everyone receives the training to ensure they all go home injury-free at the end of a normal workday.
