Maintenance is crucial for manufacturing safety, but manual maintenance is dangerous work that causes many life-threatening accidents. IoT maintenance drastically reduces risks, improves industrial safety, and gives your company a competitive edge.
It may sound strange, but working with manufacturing safety is not a safe job. The number of injuries and fatal accidents among maintenance workers is higher than among most factory personnel. IoT manufacturing and maintenance can bring down these numbers.
Relevant article: El-Watch Neuron Sensors: A sixth sense for IoT monitoring
This article will explain why your maintenance staff is at risk and how you can improve industrial safety by implementing IoT manufacturing methods. After that, we’ll explain why your company cannot afford to ignore IoT maintenance.
Content
- Why is maintenance important for industrial safety?
- How can manufacturing safety hurt maintenance safety?
- Why is manufacturing safety important?
- What is IoT’s role in manufacturing safety?
- How IoT safety improves maintenance safety
- Industrial safety via IoT manufacturing is the future
- Manufacturing safety protects your assets and increases efficiency
Why is maintenance important for industrial safety?
Maintenance is important for industrial safety because well-functioning machines and equipment don’t cause accidents. More importantly, stable machinery requires fewer ad-hoc repairs that cause many injuries and fatalities in the industrial sector.
It is no secret that factories, construction sites, farms, and transport companies have higher injury rates than offices, banks, or marketing companies. People are at risk when working with or near heavy machinery.
To maintain industrial safety, it is essential to impose rigid maintenance routines. These routines keep the machinery operating safely and increase productivity. However, it turns out that manufacturing safety puts your maintenance staff at risk.
How can manufacturing safety hurt maintenance safety?
Manufacturing safety relies on rigorous maintenance, but maintenance workers are as likely to injure themselves as other industry workers. In 2019, 78 maintenance workers suffered a fatal injury in the US, which equals 13 deaths per 100.000 workers.
Many maintenance workers suffer injuries or fatalities because they put themselves in unnecessarily dangerous situations. Why would they do that? Because improper maintenance halts production and reduces the company’s income by the minute.
Due to time restraints, maintenance staff injuries are often caused by improper upkeep methods. In other words, to improve manufacturing safety, we first need to improve maintenance safety and reduce the fatalities of maintenance workers.
In comparison, construction workers suffered 14 fatal injuries per 100.000 workers, while farmers suffered 21 deaths per 100.000 workers. Developing better manufacturing safety routines would reduce all these numbers.
In addition to preventing fatalities, it is equally important to safeguard maintenance workers’ health. Studies show that maintenance workers are more susceptible to suffering work-related health issues.
This is because maintenance workers often are involved in operations with high degrees of pollution from dangerous dust particles, poisonous fumes, or aggressive chemicals. In France, 24% of deaths by mesothelioma are found in maintenance worker occupations.
Why is manufacturing safety important?
It might sound like a silly question, but manufacturing safety is still important even though your maintenance staff is at risk. The problem is that many industries cling to outdated maintenance routines when new and better solutions are at hand.
Manufacturing safety is about establishing and enforcing workplace routines, and who do you think is most suited for this? Humans or machines? You guessed it! Machines, or rather, digital algorithms, enforce routines better than humans ever could.
Digitized IoT maintenance routines eliminate many human risks and come with some very valuable benefits. Implementing IoT also improves effectiveness, productivity, and sustainability, which should appeal to most companies.
Manufacturing safety is important to keep your workers safe and healthy, protect your assets, increase your company’s productivity, and make the best use of your resources. All of this can be achieved by embracing IoT manufacturing methods and IoT safety.
What is IoT’s role in industrial safety?
What is the Internet of Things? IoT describes how all things digital can be connected via the internet. It implies that everyone can control everything from anywhere at any time. So, what does that have to do with manufacturing safety?
IoT would not work without IoT sensors. The sensors enable industrial streamlining and automation. We call this IoT manufacturing. It unlocks more efficient production methods and facilitates increased industrial safety via IoT maintenance.
IoT maintenance entails sensor placement on machinery and equipment to perform predictive maintenance. The idea is that constant surveillance enables fault detection before it turns into something serious.
Predictive maintenance uses IoT sensors and machine learning software to determine the best time for upkeep and estimate equipment limitations. IoT connectivity is the key to stable equipment performance and improved manufacturing safety.
How IoT safety improves maintenance safety
IoT safety improves maintenance safety by effectively removing sudden equipment incidents and ad-hoc repairs under time constraints. In short, maintenance safety is improved by minimizing maintenance needs.
Now, that might not sound like the best career move for maintenance workers. However, if given a choice between lots of hazardous work and a long, healthy life, the choice looks easy. This is the idea of digital transformation: Improved use of expertise.
Yes, IoT manufacturing might eliminate the need for maintenance workers, but their skills are still valuable and can be better used in a more productive environment. IoT maintenance is about more than industrial safety; it’s about evolving with the times.
How much do companies make from ineffective maintenance, injured workers, and poor resource placement? (Rhetorical question.) There is a reason that more and more companies invest in manufacturing safety; it promotes productivity.
Industrial safety via IoT manufacturing is the future
You must catch up if you think of IoT in terms of departments or specific uses. IoT might be implemented locally, like IoT maintenance, IoT HVAC, or IoT manufacturing, but they are all sides of the same coin.
It isn’t coincidental that IoT maintenance promotes both manufacturing safety and industrial productivity. It’s because IoT connects everything digitally, and digital connectivity makes all processes more efficient than manual work.
All industrial digitalization is a step toward digital transformation. You digitize your company step by step until it all connects, and when it does, you need to restructure your organization.
Your maintenance staff has valuable insights. Their resources are wasted on manual maintenance. Applying their skills to reinvent maintenance routines and improve productivity simultaneously is much more worthwhile, and it starts with IoT safety.
Manufacturing safety protects your assets and increases efficiency
Manufacturing safety is, of course, a goal well worth reaching for in itself. Especially if your company is young and fighting for survival in your industry, you cannot afford to neglect your workers’ wellbeing. Industrial safety must be prioritized.
The good news is that prioritizing manufacturing safety is synonymous with promoting productivity and sustainability. Improved maintenance safety leads to fewer production halts, better working machines, and more productive workers.
It can be tough to transition from hands-on problem-solving to digital IoT routines. Sooner or later, though, all businesses must connect the dots—or the sensor nodes, if you will—to stay connected with the market, customers, workers, and machines.
If you liked this article, you’ll find many more interesting ones on our webpage. How about this one, about how wireless sensors enable a sustainable manufacturing industry?
Resources
Advisor Smith: Top 25 Most Dangerous Jobs in the United States
Automation in Construction: An IoT-based autonomous system for workers’ safety in construction sites with real-time alarming, monitoring, and positioning strategies
Industrial Heating: How Preventive Maintenance Improves Worker Safety
Industrial Safety & Hygiene News: Rethinking predictive analysis: Learn how to stop workplace incidents before they occur
Japan Industrial Safety & Health Association: OSH Statistics in Japan
Health & Safety Executive (GB): Manufacturing Statistics in Great Britain, 2021
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses
United States Department of Labor: Machine Guarding
FAQs about manufacturing safety
What does safety mean in manufacturing?
Safety in manufacturing refers to the implementation of measures, practices, and procedures aimed at protecting workers from injuries, accidents, and health hazards. It involves ensuring a safe working environment by identifying potential risks, enforcing safety protocols, using personal protective equipment (PPE), and adhering to regulatory standards to prevent harm and promote overall well-being.
What are the 10 safety precautions in manufacturing?
- Conduct regular safety training for all employees.
- Use personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, helmets, and safety glasses.
- Implement proper machine guarding to prevent accidental contact with moving parts.
- Maintain clean and organized work areas to avoid slips, trips, and falls.
- Conduct regular equipment inspections and maintenance to ensure safe operation.
- Clearly label hazardous materials and provide proper storage solutions.
- Enforce lockout/tagout procedures to control hazardous energy during maintenance.
- Provide adequate ventilation to reduce exposure to harmful fumes and dust.
- Establish emergency response plans and conduct regular drills.
- Encourage reporting and promptly address any safety concerns or incidents.
What are the safety measures in the manufacturing industry?
- Risk assessments and hazard identification to recognize potential dangers.
- Implementation of engineering controls such as machine guards and ventilation systems.
- Administrative controls like safety policies, procedures, and shift rotations to reduce exposure.
- Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect workers from specific hazards.
- Safety training and education programs to ensure employees understand and follow safety protocols.
- Regular safety audits and inspections to identify and rectify safety issues.
- Emergency preparedness plans, including fire drills, first aid training, and evacuation procedures.
- Proper signage and labeling to communicate hazards and safety information.
- Employee involvement in safety programs to encourage a culture of safety.
- Continuous monitoring and improvement of safety practices based on feedback and incident analysis.
Which role does OSHA play in manufacturing safety?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) plays a critical role in manufacturing safety by setting and enforcing safety standards, providing training and education, and assisting employers and workers. OSHA regulations are designed to reduce workplace hazards and ensure safe and healthful working conditions.
What is the ISO for manufacturing safety?
ISO 45001 is the international standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) for manufacturing safety. It provides a framework for organizations to manage risks and improve safety performance, ensuring the health and safety of workers. ISO 45001 helps organizations systematically reduce workplace hazards, prevent injuries, and promote a safe and healthy work environment.
How can technology enhance manufacturing safety?
Technology can enhance manufacturing safety by providing advanced solutions such as automation and robotics to reduce human exposure to hazardous tasks, implementing IoT devices and sensors for real-time monitoring of equipment and environmental conditions, using data analytics to predict and prevent potential safety issues, and incorporating virtual reality for immersive safety training experiences.
What is the impact of workplace culture on manufacturing safety?
A positive workplace culture that prioritizes safety can significantly impact manufacturing safety. When safety is embedded in the company culture, employees are more likely to adhere to safety protocols, report hazards, and participate in safety initiatives. Leadership commitment to safety, open communication, and employee involvement are key elements of a strong safety culture.
What are the key components of a manufacturing safety program?
Key components include:
- Safety policy and leadership commitment.
- Hazard identification and risk assessment.
- Safety training and education.
- Implementation of safety controls and PPE.
- Regular safety inspections and audits.
- Incident reporting and investigation.
- Continuous improvement and updates to the safety program.
