Almost half of employees on the shop floor in factories, workshops or outdoor locations do not always follow safety rules. 39% even admit to having deliberately ignored safety rules on occasion. This is according to recent research by Manutan.
Employer remains responsible
"These are worrying results," states Jan Piet van Dijk, Director Operations Benelux and Safety Coordinator at Manutan. "There is still a lot of room for improvement in communication about safety on the shop floor." In addition to excessive work pressure, employees who deliberately ignore safety rules on occasion also emphasise in particular that safety rules are often awkward and obstructive and are therefore not used. "Quite understandable," says Jan Piet.
"If the usefulness of safety rules is not sufficiently clear, employees start to perceive them as unnecessary. Especially when working under time pressure, people push aside regulations that take time more easily." Such laziness can lead to numerous dangerous situations. As many as 35% of employees on the shop floor state that high work pressure sometimes causes unsafe situations. 30% state they have occasionally made a mistake due to fatigue from working too long. "Here lies an important task for the employer," continues Jan Piet. "The moment safety is compromised, active intervention is needed. On the one hand by ensuring that the work pressure is not too high, and on the other by raising the importance of safety much more clearly. Ultimately, workplace safety and compliance are the responsibility of the employer."
More openness about risks
67% of shop-floor employees say they sometimes think about potential hazards and 52% say that underestimating risks can cause accidents. "A prevention officer can prevent unsafe situations from arising and getting out of hand by making risks visible and giving advice. Point is, however, that only 53% of those surveyed have a prevention officer in place," argues Jan Piet. "And that 17% are not even sure whether there is a prevention officer at all. So ensuring that is an important step towards greater safety. But that doesn't get you there. 43% of employees say they are far from always reporting mistakes made and 17% find it difficult to report an unsafe situation. So making possible risks negotiable is important."
Manutan
Jan Piet: "We have a lot of experience and knowledge in the field of safety, which enables us to advise managers, safety officers and employees well. And we're not just talking about the right safety products, because people usually know about them, but also about being aware of all aspects of safety. In our Rapid Racking concept, where we customise complete workplaces, safety is at the top of the list. Under the theme 'Manutan works for you', we support you on the shop floor and in the office to help you work even more safely."
*) Survey commissioned by Manutan among 865 employees involved in safety in the office environment and on the shop floor in factories, workshops and outdoor locations in the Netherlands.
An interview with Rebo Systems will soon appear on Maakindustrie.nl. They specialise in labelling for machinery and floor marking, among other things. In it, read how they think about safety on the shop floor.
By: Kelly Bakker
Source: Manuta
Photo: Engineering Image Bank
