Published: March 18, 2025  Updated: March 17, 2025

Workplace Safety Success: Facility and Safety Management Tips

We all strive for safety in our lives. Safe at home. Safe while driving. Safe while traveling. Make safety in the workplace the top priority. Here, as in other areas of our lives, safety measures take many forms.

• Structural security with locks, alarms, etc.
• Computer security to avoid malware and data breaches.
• Internal measures for employees to work in a comfortable and safe environment. These may include proper lighting, clean stairwells, and protective guards on machines.

In this article, we'll discuss the following:

• Facility safety definition.
• Tips to have success in facility safety.
• How a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) benefits.

Understanding Facility Safety

Facility—or workplace—safety refers to the practices and measures taken within a physical space to minimize risks and ensure the well-being of occupants. It encompasses creating a work environment that protects employees, visitors, and anyone interacting with the facility from potential hazards.

10 Tips to Succeed in Workplace Safety Suggested H2: Top 10 Safety Management Strategies for A Safer Workplace

Build a Strong Safety Management Program

This program outlines policies, procedures, and protocols for identifying, mitigating, and responding to safety hazards. Let's break these down further.

Identification – Note the hazardous places in your workplace. Parking lots. Walkways. Halls. Offices. Windows. Production floor.

Mitigation – Either repair or mark hazardous areas. Post warning signs for unauthorized individuals. Post signs stating PPE requirements within certain areas of the workplace.

Install the proper measures – Lighting, railings, repairing cracks and leaks.

Response – You need to have proper contingencies if issues occur. Implement policies for emergencies. Develop the steps for employees to submit and process maintenance requests.

Perform Routine Facility Safety Inspections

Proactively identify and address potential risks through inspections of equipment, work areas, and overall facility conditions. Make these inspections routine. Read on for further preventive maintenance measures. Include these inspections in the PMs.

Discover how streamlined maintenance processes can elevate production. Learn more.

Strengthen Workplace Safety with Employee Training

Remember that every employee has a responsibility for safety in the workplace. Utilize online videos, distribute documents, and hold training courses. Equip employees with the knowledge and skills to recognize and handle safety concerns effectively.

As mentioned in the last point, you need a way for employees to report problems to maintenance. I'll discuss a CMMS later but understand that this software can help process requests and create work orders. Let employees know how they can submit requests.

Enforce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Use

Ensure employees have access to and wear appropriate PPE for the tasks they perform. Make this a part of the safety management plan. Train employees on the proper usage of this equipment. Stress the importance of never accepting negligence in this area.

Practice the 5S System to Maintain Order

Implement a system like the "Five S." This stands for Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain to keep the workplace clean, organized, and free of clutter. Let's discuss these.

Sort - The initial step where you identify and remove anything unnecessary from the workspace. This includes items that employees rarely used, broken, expired, or simply cluttered. You want a clear and uncluttered environment free from potential hazards.

Set in Order - Once you eliminate unnecessary items, organize the remaining tools, equipment, and materials. Designate specific storage locations for everything, ensuring easy access and visibility. Use label and color-code systems to create a clear and intuitive layout.

Shine - This step focuses on maintaining a clean and hygienic work environment.

Regular cleaning, sweeping, and wiping down of surfaces and equipment are crucial. This promotes a sense of well-being and reduces the risk of accidents or contamination. Again, add these to your PM routines.

Standardize – After the completion of the above, establish clear procedures and guidelines to maintain the organized state. Create visual aids, checklists, and training programs to ensure everyone understands and follows the established practices.

Sustain - For long-term success, you foster a culture of continuous improvement and commitment to the 5S principles. This requires ongoing monitoring, audits, and employee engagement. You want to ensure the system remains effective and doesn't regress to its previous state.

By implementing these 5 S's systematically, workplaces can:

• Improve safety: Reduced clutter and organized spaces minimize tripping hazards, misplaced tools, and potential accidents.
• Boost productivity: Easier access to necessary items and a clean environment lead to faster workflow and less wasted time.
• Enhance quality: Standardized practices and a well-maintained workspace contribute to higher quality outputs.
• Promote a positive work environment: Organization and cleanliness create a more pleasant and professional work atmosphere.

Remember to make these 5 S's a continuous cycle.

Discover how streamlined maintenance processes can elevate production. Learn more.

Strengthen Facility Safety with Incident Reporting & Investigating

Establish clear procedures for reporting near misses and accidents, followed by thorough investigations to prevent future occurrences. This follows up on the first point of having a prepared response.

Foster a Workplace Safety Culture with Open Communication

Encourage open communication about safety concerns. Empower employees to stop unsafe work practices. No one should feel hesitant about reporting issues.

Use Technology for Continuous Documentation

Utilize technology like video surveillance and sensors to monitor high-risk areas and identify potential problems promptly. Instead of treating cameras as invasive, think of them as documentation if something does occur.

Perform Preventative Maintenance to Stay Proactive

Regularly maintain equipment and infrastructure to prevent breakdowns and malfunctions that could lead to accidents. Perform the proper checks, cleaning, and lubrication of assets. Inspect protective shielding and guards. Monitor equipment readings to help with your PM strategy.

Enhance Overall Workplace Safety Through Ongoing Safety Management

Regularly review and update safety protocols based on new information, changing conditions, and industry best practices. Hold regular training sessions throughout the year, even if you cover the same material as the previous time. This stresses the importance of workplace safety.

How a CMMS Helps Keep Your Facility Safe Suggested H2: The Role of CMMS in Safety Management

While everyone plays a part in workplace safety, the maintenance department handles the repairs and the PMs. Many companies have found value and benefit from a CMMS. It acts as a central database for organizing records of assets, inventory, PMs, and work orders. How can CMMS software help safety?

1. Tracking Equipment Maintenance: Scheduling and managing preventive maintenance. You build your list of PMs, prioritize each, and schedule them.
2. Managing Work Orders: Streamlines the process of identifying, prioritizing, and assigning corrective maintenance tasks for safety hazards. Remember the work requests mentioned earlier? For a CMMS, employees could use an HTML link to submit requests into the system.
3. Data Analysis and Reporting: Provides insights into maintenance history, identifying recurring issues and areas for improvement in safety protocols.
4. Inventory Management: Tracks the availability and proper storage of safety equipment like PPE, ensuring accessibility when needed.
5. Document Management: Stores safety procedures, training materials, and inspection reports in a centralized location for easy access and reference.
6. Attachments: Maintenance technicians receive safety protocols and instructions in their work orders.

Safety is for Everyone's Benefit

Don't shirk safety at home or in the workplace. Set up your safety strategy, implement it, and follow it. Make sure all employees understand protocols and that they follow them.

Maintenance workers can assist by completing regular PMs. A supervisor keeps oversight on these and general repairs by using the organization that comes with a CMMS.

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