How to Apply Good Manufacturing Practices to Workplace Safety

Every manufacturing company strives to follow good manufacturing practices (GMP) in hopes of running a successful and profitable business. They all have a GMP definition to help them stay in line with the key elements of good manufacturing practices.

However, the components of sound manufacturing can be used for more than turning a profit. They can also be applied to maintaining a safe and healthy work environment, which can be equally important in manufacturing. While the tasks are a little different, the principles largely remain the same. With that being said, let’s take a closer look at how companies can apply good manufacturing practices to workplace safety in order to create the safest work environment possible.

Equipment and Premises

Just like companies need to have the best equipment and environment for being productive, the same is true for creating a safe workplace. This means keeping a clean and organized workplace as well as providing employees with all of the necessary safety equipment. Think of this as laying the foundation for a safe work environment. After all, if your equipment is subpar, your products will be subpar, and the same applies to workplace safety.

Right People in the Right Roles

Successful manufacturing companies need to have the best workers possible performing the job that fits them best. Of course, they also want the same as it relates to safety. That means having employees who are going to take safety seriously and understand how to keep themselves and everyone else safe. Naturally, an important part of the equation is training employees to follow safety procedures and protocols. The right people will be the employees who take the training seriously and can put what they’ve learned into practice in order to maintain a safe work environment. 

Policies and Procedures in Place

As mentioned, policies, procedures, and protocols are a huge part of workplace safety. Most manufacturers have certain steps to take to ensure they produce quality products. It should be no different in the approach to workplace health and safety. There should be procedures for everything that are designed to keep employees safe and prevent accidents. This helps leave nothing to chance when it comes to keeping everyone safe. 

Documents and Audits

If it’s important, it needs to be written down. When it comes to workplace operations and production, documenting procedures is essential, and it’s no different when talking about occupational safety. Things like safety policies, employee training records, and accident reports should all be well-documented to help companies make better decisions when it comes to safety. At the same time, auditing the procedures in place and inspecting the workplace from a safety perspective can also provide clues for how to improve safety, which is no different than looking for ways to improve productivity.

End Result

In the end, what matters in manufacturing is the end product. Is it meet standards for quality and is it satisfying customers? It’s good practice to take the same approach to safety. Is the company minimizing the number of accidents and injuries as much as possible? Are employees being kept safe and do they feel protected? This is the bottom line when it comes to workplace safety, so it’s good practice for manufacturers to be aware of the end result when it comes to their safety endeavors.

Finding Software That Can Improve Safety

The thing to remember about workplace safety is that there are always ways to improve it. One of the best ways to improve it is to use safety management software. For instance, the software offered by EHS Insight is a proven way of managing workplace health and safety in a more effective way because we have a platform that puts every aspect of safety in one system. That means everything is organized and connected.

If you want to do more to improve workplace safety, get in touch with us and we can have our software up and running before you know it.