Tying KPIs to safety
As operations manager or head of facility, you’ll undoubtedly know the importance of following WHS legislation. Failing to meet strict workplace safety standards carries significant risks not only to workers, but to you personally and to the company you work for.
Many workplaces now see complying with WHS legislation as so important that they tie KPIs to maintaining a clean workspace and having zero safety incidents.
October is National Safe Work Month, which is a great time to reflect on how safe your workplace is and what you can do to create an even safer workplace for all workers and site visitors. This year’s theme encourages us all to think safe, work safe and be safe.
Reducing the risk of common safety hazards
Hazards from wet and dirty floors contribute to safety breaches and can lead to slips, trips and falls, all common forms of workplace injuries.
Keeping your workplace clean, dry and free from safety incidents will be a top priority for you. Having the right floor cleaning equipment to keep your workplace clean and safe places a giant tick against at least one item on your workplace safety compliance list.
By building a regular (or daily) floor clean into your cleaning process, it becomes one less thing you have to think about. It can also keep your company’s Safety Manager off your back!
Staying within the safety lines
Warehouse workers are trained to stay within the safety lines to avoid the risk of collision with forklifts and other vehicles or machinery. But what happens when safety lines become less visible?
Safety line visibility is critical to maintaining worker safety and meeting your WHS requirements. It’s amazing how quickly dirt and forklift tyre marks can build up on painted floor surfaces, diminishing their brightness and reducing visibility.
However, with the right floor cleaning machine like the Carbon 28TD, restoring those safety lines is quick and easy, and won’t risk lifting or chipping the paint.
Managing silica dust risks
There’s been a lot of focus in the media recently about the risks associated with airborne silica dust generated in the workplace, which can cause permanent lung damage, leading to serious illness or even death.
A standard protocol for workplaces that generate silica dust is to use a low-pressure water sweeper or combination sweeper scrubber like the CC1200, to wet down and clean dusty floor surfaces.
Having the right equipment and cleaning process is critical to ensuring the respiratory safety for operators in these operating environments.
Avoiding the spread of bacteria and pathogens in food production facilities
For food processing and distribution facilities, clean floors are critical to avoid the risk of bacteria and pathogens contaminating food.
A little-known fact is that using brooms and mops actually increases the risk of bacterial contamination. Not to mention, less than time-efficient to clean expansive floor spaces.
Instead, an industrial scrubber like the Maxima 50Bt will clean and dry floors in a single pass, to reduce surface contaminants such as bacteria, while minimising the risk of slips, trips and falls.
Where a sweeper is more appropriate, opt for those with design features such as direct-throw sweepings systems coupled and advanced poly-filters such as the PB120E floor sweeper, which minimise the risk of airborne contaminants settling on the foods.
Improving productivity with zero downtime
There are other benefits to be experienced when you meet workplace safety standards and comply with WHS requirements.
By having protocols in place to avoid safety hazards, you’ll also avoid the downtime and financial impact associated with safety incidents. You rarely realise the importance of a regular and efficient cleaning routine until you face a situation where worker safety has been compromised and productivity is impacted.
When your KPIs are tied to safety and efficiency, you’ll be winning on both fronts by having the right commercial floor cleaning equipment as part of your commitment to fight safety hazards.
Discovering the optimal floor cleaning machine for your workspace
At Conquest, we get it. You’re busy. You’re juggling everything needed to maintain a safe and productive workplace.
Using our Intelligent Solution Program (ISP), we can help you determine which machine is optimal for your workplace. By assessing your workspace needs, and by identifying the cleaning challenges that impact you, we can then recommend the right machine for your situation.
Is it time to rethink hazards in your workplace? You don’t have to wait until October to think safe, work safe and be safe.
No one should have to work in an unsafe environment. Safety is critical. To meet your WHS obligations and maintain a hazard-free and clean environment, partner with Conquest. We’re behind you all the way.
Contact us today to learn more!
