Making Employee Safety a Priority in Industrial Fabrication

Employee safety in the industrial fabrication industry should be a paramount consideration for all companies. At AMF, we believe our employees are our most important assets, and that makes their safety our number one priority.

Safety vs. Productivity
When it comes to safety vs. productivity, employee safety should always be the clear winner. In fact, when properly implemented the two goals should complement each other. After all, safe employees are productive employees.

A survey by the National Safety Council reported that 70 percent of employees say that safety is part of their orientation and ongoing training. It’s important to remind both employees and management not to let safety practices slack due to a heavy workload and pending deadlines. Encouraging employees to stay focused will not only keep them safe, but will actually help get the job done right and on time.

The bottom line: Employees cannot and should not be forced to choose between safe practices and the pressure of keeping productivity goals. Most importantly, they must have the ability to stop production when they feel safety concerns are at stake.

Safety culture begins at the top
When it comes to worker safety in industrial fabrication, a safety manager is a key liaison between management and employees. The safety manager’s responsibilities begin with ensuring that all OSHA requirements are met. Under OSHA, employers have a responsibility to provide a safe work environment, including:

• Providing a workplace free from serious recognized hazards
• Comply with standards and regulations listed under OSH Act
• Ensure employees have and are trained to use safe and properly maintained tools and equipment
• Establish or update operating procedures and communicate them so that employees follow safety and health requirements.
• Provide safety training in a language and vocabulary workers can understand.

Safety issues should always be addressed immediately, before anyone gets hurt.

All Metals Fabrication works hard to create and maintain a safe work environment.
Our standard safety practices include:

1. Yearly safety and process audits by outside consultants
2. Monthly company-wide safety meetings
3. Regular and accurate measuring of accidents and the root causes of those accidents
4. Culture set up to allow employees to stop work when conditions feel unsafe

Workplace safety is important for many reasons, including employee welfare and retention, maintaining OSHA compliance, and manufacturing efficiency. OSHA reports that “an effective safety and health program…is the right thing to do, and doing it right pays off in lower costs, increased productivity, and higher employee morale.” At All Metals Fabrication, we wholeheartedly agree.

About the Author

Rich Marker

All Metals Fabrication Owner and CEO

Rich Marker is an 18 year, skilled professional in metal fabrication and manufacturing. Co-founder, owner and principal of All Metals Fabrication, Rich has helped to sustain the company’s success over a variety of economic conditions. He has extensive background in continuous improvement, training and process improvement, and emotional intelligence—among other specialized proficiencies. He loves to learn, fly fish, watch college football and devour NY style pizza! He has the best family on earth, loves a good plan, great teaching and the opportunity to get better.

Learn More