At Hutco, we believe safety is one of our most important core values. Within any fabrication environment, safety is an essential consideration. In a shipyard, that need is increased with various added hazards. It’s critical that shipyards continually revisit workplace and employee safety standards. In this post, we want to discuss the importance, and the steps, for having a good safety plan in place. This includes safety training, hiring experts, keeping the shipyard uncluttered, fostering teamwork, and more. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Continual Training Programs
Safety should never be a one-and-done process. Some people think that if you train a new employee on safety standards, that should be enough. But it’s not. Safety is something that needs continual reinforcement.
2. Hiring Safety Experts
In an environment with as many possible hazards as a shipyard has, hiring dedicated safety professionals is a good idea. A safety team on-premise to help your employees navigate safety rules, be there for safety reports, and provide additional training is a smart bet.
3. Uncluttered Workspace
You also need to create a workplace wide practice of keeping your shipyard neat and free of any hazards. There are several industrial methods you can use, including the 5S or Lean manufacturing strategies to keep your space neat.
4. Team Cooperation
Safety is also not an individual sport. Your entire staff has to work together to ensure their safety and the safety of everyone else. Training should also be done in team environments with the entire team in mind.
5. Protective Gear
You can’t get too relaxed about personal protective gear, either. For example, welders always wear gloves and shields. Everyone else needs to wear the right equipment to help them do their job safely and effectively too.
6. Communication
Finally, safety is all about communication. At every level of your organization, safety needs to be a priority and continuously discussed. Communicate to reinforce safe behaviors as well as to change any policies or procedures.
Do you want to know more about safety and your shipyard? Contact Hutco to learn more about our commitment to safety today.
