According to the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), the top causes of workplace injury come from a failure in the following areas:
- Machine Guarding,
- Lock Out/Tag Out,
- Hazardous Communication,
- Respiratory Protection,
- Electrical,
- Powered Industrial Trucks,
- Personal Protective Equipment, including Occupational Noise Exposure,
- Working and Walking Surfaces,
- Process Safety Management.
Workplace injuries cost companies approximately 1,100 per employed worker with total costs to companies estimated at 161.5 billion in 2017. These costs do not include OSHA fines or impact on company morale.
Read on to learn more about why factory safety is so important.
Impact of Factory Safety
Failing to focus on factory safety can be costly, in both dollars and lives. The majority of the time, it is as simple as failing to follow the safety standards for your industry.
For example, some companies believe that they can avoid costs by not inspecting their overhead cranes. The cost of the yearly inspection, end of life inspection, and critical component inspection is small compared to the cost of OSHA fines and medical expenses due to injuries or death.
Servicing companies provide these services in a manner that keeps you OSHA compliant while not breaking your budget.
Negative Press and Damage to the Brand
On top of fines and medical expenses. Press releases from OSHA and news reports from family members can cause significant damage to your companies reputation.
This content is often published in online sources and is easily found by current and potential customers. You can rest assured that competitors will exploit this content for an increase in market share.
Increased Costs in Insurance and Administrative Time
Injuries to employees, especially those that are the result of negligence, will increase your worker’s compensation and medical insurance costs.
If you fail to follow industry safety standards, it will cost your company money from increased labor time. You’ll have to divert staff to investigate the situation, bring in attorneys to defend your actions, and you may need to hire additional workers if injuries do occur.
Emotional Toll
When injuries occur, it will take a toll on your other employees. You may see an increase in resignations, increased expenses in hiring, and loss in productivity.
Introducing a workplace safety program increases job satisfaction and production. Failing to follow safety standards does the opposite.
Often, the effects on your business linker for years, mainly if failure to follow safety standards results in significant injury or loss of life.
Are You Ready to Get Serious about Work Place Safety?
If you use overhead cranes in your factory or job site and are serious about factory safety, contact us. Our team can help you maintain OSHA compliance and effectively address deficiencies before an industrial accident.