Pallet demand may be down, but safety focus should be up. When demand is high and your team is running hard, it can be easy to miss safety issues as you struggle to get orders out the door. That doesn’t make it right or smart. But some things can be overlooked as your management team is stretched.
As pallet demand has dropped in most markets over the past year or more, pallet companies are working hard to keep their workforce busy. This negative also comes with a positive. Companies have more time and manpower to focus on improving the safety of their plants and personnel. And if you do it right, this enhanced safety focus can be carried forward to the next time when orders are pouring in the door. And we all hope that it is sooner rather than later.
This issue includes a number of safety articles to help you with everything from selecting the right gear to identifying the top safety risks at pallet operations. This issue also includes a review of safety concerns for automated guided vehicles and automated forklifts, a technology that may become popular as companies look to automate even further. The good news on that front is that automated vehicles can be extremely safe and productive if used in the right applications.
Why should you give safety a lot of consideration? Well, safety is just the right thing to do. A safe plant will attract people and reduce liability. And if that isn’t enough to drive the issue, enforcement is up as federal authorities are continuing to give pallet and lumber companies close scrutiny.
For example, the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) recently cited a Midwestern pallet company for more than $177,000 in fines for not having adequate lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures and failing to provide fall protection when employees worked above dangerous machinery.
The agency insisted that companies train workers and require them to de-energize and LOTO machines when operators are removing stuck boards, performing part evaluation or replacement when going past guards, and conducting cleaning and maintenance activities that expose them to mechanical hazards. These strict LOTO procedures are followed to varying degrees at different companies. But it is clear that OSHA is focusing on some common LOTO procedures and fall prevention hazards that may be overlooked in some pallet facilities.
In addition, OSHA cited the company for 15 serious violations for lack of point-of-operation and machine guarding on table saws, band saws, shaft ends, chains and sprockets. Inspectors also noted a lack of fall protection – including missing staircase handrails – electrical hazards and oxygen tanks stored unsafely. You may want to use this case to clarify your current standards and practices when it comes to machine guarding, fall prevention and LOTO procedures.
Most pallet companies strive to have a safe working environment, but it can be difficult during busy seasons to identify all the potential hazards. That’s why this lull in the market is the perfect time to renew your safety focus. If you don’t have a safety committee, consider starting one. You can begin regular safety huddles with your teams and increase or improve training practices. Federal and state safety agencies offer some free consultation programs where they can help you identify areas that need improvement. And, of course, the Pallet Enterprise website is a great resource for all of your safety questions and projects. Start your safety improvement journey at www.palletenterprise.com.
