Safety And Efficiency Go Together

There is little else that is as dangerous as having a messy and cluttered work area. Tripping hazards and debris around your work area is just an accident waiting to happen. But not only is having a messy area a bad idea, but not having things properly labeled is a bad idea too. Things that aren't labeled such as tools and hazards can be dangerous to anybody that comes into contact with them. This is especially true with tools and machinery.Having these things labeled is not only a safety issue, which it's of course, but it is also an efficiency issue. Without proper labels and instructions on a machine or a tool, there can be delays in using the tool or there can be an issue with using it incorrectly, and this turns it into a safety issue again. So many accidents can be prevented by just making the person in the situation aware of the hazards. This goes for the person that hurts themselves because of not following directions or hurts another worker because they failed to do something and the other person got hurt because of it.For example, an accident that could have been prevented by proper identification and proper use happened at a local facility that uses large sheering machines. A shift supervisor did not have the guards in place for the machine, and because the labels were not visible, they had rubbed off and were scrapped beyond readability; the worker forgot to put the guards on before moving away from the machine.Another worker was placing the parts into the machine, and because the guards were not in place, placed his hand too close to the blades. Needless to say, the accident was catastrophic to the worker who was not even part of setting up the machine. He lost his right hand in the accident and the other worker and shift supervisor lost their jobs. It was an accident that could have been prevented if proper warnings were in place and proper identification and follow-ups were engaged.These kinds of accidents, while a major safety issue, still will cause more than just safety related problems. The plant was shut down immediately after the accident, production was lost and time was lost. Of course the well being of the employee is the most important thing, but like anything else, a problem in one area is going to negatively affect every other operation in the plant.If you are interested in lean six sigma or any other aspect of the six sigma process log onto stupidcupid.org.