At Compliance Solutions, we serve clients in a wide range of industries, and each contends with unique equipment issues. But the bottom line—and this IS about the bottom line—is that maximizing the lifespan of expensive equipment increases profitability and reduces the possibility of user injury.
Following the tips below will go a long way in ensuring that your equipment will be useful and safe for the employees who work with it. Here is a list that should in general apply to most different types of equipment.
Following the tips below will go a long way in ensuring that your equipment will be useful and safe for the employees who work with it. Here is a list that should in general apply to most different types of equipment.
1. Take Time to Read the Manual
This is may seem obvious to some, but the truth is that more often than not, that owner’s manual never leaves its plastic wrapper. The time taken to read through the manual when the equipment is first installed can provide information that will prove to be pretty crucial. Most equipment comes with this magical document, which tells you how to use it, and how not to use it. Simply reading the manual will help in avoiding many of the common pitfalls that cause needless wear and tear, damaging and replacement of parts before they should have been replaced if cared for appropriately.
What OSHA says about manuals:
Failure to keep manuals readily available to operators and to have employees heed to its instructions, will bring about OSHA citations and penalties. Most of the time, the manual dictates how to safety operate a machine or piece of equpment or newer technology. Remember, under the OSH Act, employers have to provide a place of employmet that is free of recognized hazards. Operatin machines or equipment brings about hazards that can be prevented by following the manual. It is therefore very important that you:
1. Keep them with the machines (readily available to the operator) at all times.
2. Include them as part of the training.
See 1910. 178(I)(3)(i)(M) Powered industrial truck training requirement.
See 1910.266 (f)(1)(iii) Operating maintenance instructions must be placed in all machines and vehicles and followed by the operator and mechanics.
NOTE: See the equivalent laws per your own OSHA state approved plan.
3. Furthermore, ANSI approved equipment always comes with a legend similar to the following:
The operator must read and completely understand both this operating manual and the safety panel label located on the name of machine/equipment and all other warnings in this manual and on the name of machine/equipment. Compare the labels on the name of machine/equipment with the labels found within this manual. If any labels are damaged or missing, replace them immediately.
What OSHA says about manuals:
Failure to keep manuals readily available to operators and to have employees heed to its instructions, will bring about OSHA citations and penalties. Most of the time, the manual dictates how to safety operate a machine or piece of equpment or newer technology. Remember, under the OSH Act, employers have to provide a place of employmet that is free of recognized hazards. Operatin machines or equipment brings about hazards that can be prevented by following the manual. It is therefore very important that you:
1. Keep them with the machines (readily available to the operator) at all times.
2. Include them as part of the training.
See 1910. 178(I)(3)(i)(M) Powered industrial truck training requirement.
See 1910.266 (f)(1)(iii) Operating maintenance instructions must be placed in all machines and vehicles and followed by the operator and mechanics.
NOTE: See the equivalent laws per your own OSHA state approved plan.
3. Furthermore, ANSI approved equipment always comes with a legend similar to the following:
The operator must read and completely understand both this operating manual and the safety panel label located on the name of machine/equipment and all other warnings in this manual and on the name of machine/equipment. Compare the labels on the name of machine/equipment with the labels found within this manual. If any labels are damaged or missing, replace them immediately.
2. When you Buy Don’t Skimp on QualitY
No matter what type of equipment or technology your business requires, its regular maintenance is vital to keeping it working for as long as possible. Schedule regular maintenace beyond the day-to-day while the equipment is running routine upkeep of the equipment. Usually it’s wise to have a team of specialists oversee the equipment on a regular basis. They will catch small issues before they become big and expensive repair problems.
Take the time and spend the money on the little details, and you’ll help assure that your entire business will run like a well-oiled smooth machine.There are many ruined castles spread across Europe. These once great fortresses now being overtaken by nature. Did it happen overnight? Not at all. In fact, it started with a little dust here and there, then a broken window, or a misplaced roof tile, you get the picture.
Small issues, if not repaired, can cause the equipment to get ruined quickly. Repair and maintenance crews also get to know and love their machines and equipment (heck they even talk to the machines while making the repairs!) Your equipment will love you back by lasting you for a long time.
Take the time and spend the money on the little details, and you’ll help assure that your entire business will run like a well-oiled smooth machine.There are many ruined castles spread across Europe. These once great fortresses now being overtaken by nature. Did it happen overnight? Not at all. In fact, it started with a little dust here and there, then a broken window, or a misplaced roof tile, you get the picture.
Small issues, if not repaired, can cause the equipment to get ruined quickly. Repair and maintenance crews also get to know and love their machines and equipment (heck they even talk to the machines while making the repairs!) Your equipment will love you back by lasting you for a long time.
3. SecurelyCreate an Organized Storage System—and Use It.
The higher the quality, the longer it should last, and the better the maintenance contract options are likely to be. While it may be fine to use the least expensive supplies on less important items (paper clips and rubber bands?), the quality of your end product, service and the safety of the workers operating the equipment will depend on those bigger capital investments. So do your research and invest in the big-ticket items so that they help everyone work smarter, faster, and most reliably. We all know that the better the quality, and with the appropriate care, things last a lot longer.
Down the road, you’ll be ahead of the competition because you probably will have saved yourself a lot of aggravation, delays and costly employee injuries. Buying quality, saves money in the long run.
In the flurry of an approaching deadline, it’s easy for the team to focus on getting the task at hand and get disorganized and without regard for what’s left to clean up later.
Depending on your industry, this may happen occasionally—or frequently. But no job or project is truly finished until everything used in the process is clean and put back where it belongs. Having a storage system that is accessible, well-marked, and easy-to-understand —and insisting that everyone respects that system—is imperative in working efficiently, safely, and profitably.
Expensive fines due to failed inspections, by institutions such as your Acreditation Agencies, EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and OSHA will be the result of disorganized storage areas, unattended equipment, etc. Many accidents and machinery breakdown happen because of poor housekeeping and cluttered work areas. Leaks in the fuel systems, debri that cause machinery to jam or brake down, equipment left unattended during luch or overnight, compressed gas cylinders stored improperly, etc., all represent a high degree of risk and an accident and costly fines waiting to happen. This is even important for storage of data and technology, don’t wait to do your back up until is too late and all of your information has been lost after you spilled coffee all over the laptop that controlled the equipment.
If your current storage system is disorganized, poorly labeled, or in need of improvement, fix it now, even if you have to hire someone to do it for you. It will be money well spent.
You have to have a place for everything and everything should always be in it’s place. Fortune favors the ones who keep their workspace tidy and their priceless equipment safely stored.
Down the road, you’ll be ahead of the competition because you probably will have saved yourself a lot of aggravation, delays and costly employee injuries. Buying quality, saves money in the long run.
In the flurry of an approaching deadline, it’s easy for the team to focus on getting the task at hand and get disorganized and without regard for what’s left to clean up later.
Depending on your industry, this may happen occasionally—or frequently. But no job or project is truly finished until everything used in the process is clean and put back where it belongs. Having a storage system that is accessible, well-marked, and easy-to-understand —and insisting that everyone respects that system—is imperative in working efficiently, safely, and profitably.
Expensive fines due to failed inspections, by institutions such as your Acreditation Agencies, EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and OSHA will be the result of disorganized storage areas, unattended equipment, etc. Many accidents and machinery breakdown happen because of poor housekeeping and cluttered work areas. Leaks in the fuel systems, debri that cause machinery to jam or brake down, equipment left unattended during luch or overnight, compressed gas cylinders stored improperly, etc., all represent a high degree of risk and an accident and costly fines waiting to happen. This is even important for storage of data and technology, don’t wait to do your back up until is too late and all of your information has been lost after you spilled coffee all over the laptop that controlled the equipment.
If your current storage system is disorganized, poorly labeled, or in need of improvement, fix it now, even if you have to hire someone to do it for you. It will be money well spent.
You have to have a place for everything and everything should always be in it’s place. Fortune favors the ones who keep their workspace tidy and their priceless equipment safely stored.
4. Train the Staff Who Use the Equipment
When purchasing an expensive piece of equipment, determine which employees will be expected to use the equipment and make sure they receive the training they need to do the job. Most companies that sell you new equipment will set you up to be trained by one of their specialists.
Make certain that only trained staff have access to such equipment. Disciplinary action should be in place for those operating equipment they have never been trained and authorized to work with.
Checklists will do the trick. Instead of relying on the memory of the supervisor who is going to train the new employee on the use of the new piece of equipment, the supervisor uses a checklist and does the training by going down each of the items on the checklist. Relying on your memory is not a good way to train a new worker.
Make certain that only trained staff have access to such equipment. Disciplinary action should be in place for those operating equipment they have never been trained and authorized to work with.
Checklists will do the trick. Instead of relying on the memory of the supervisor who is going to train the new employee on the use of the new piece of equipment, the supervisor uses a checklist and does the training by going down each of the items on the checklist. Relying on your memory is not a good way to train a new worker.
5. Don’t let things go to ruin, make maintenance a priority.
If you are dealing with issues or equipment brake downs, lost time at work, production delays and high rates of injury, or if you feel you are locked in a pattern of low production, costly accidents and a trail of fines and inspections, give me us a call, We want to get you back on the right track towards compliance and long lasting equipment that you profit with and helps everyone to work effectively and safely!
Yours in safety and health,
Alba M. Vazquez, MCS-P
OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer
Founder, Compliance Solutions LLC
Yours in safety and health,
Alba M. Vazquez, MCS-P
OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer
Founder, Compliance Solutions LLC