Like any manufacturing industry with workers who handle tools and heavy machinery, the pallet industry has to grapple with how to keep its workers most safe while building, repairing, lifting, moving, and hauling its product: pallets. Kamps prides itself on its vigilant attitude toward worker safety, and has set a motivating goal for its workforce – to cut the number of injuries in half for each year that goes by.
We are proud to say we have made significant progress towards meeting this goal this year and attribute this success to our employees’ dedication to making sure everyone on site is working safely. At midpoint in 2014, Kamps had cut worker injuries by 27 percent.
In order to ensure meeting our yearly goal however, we are concentrating on the basics:
- Lifting – All workers who handle pallets work with heavy loads. There are proper techniques to lift heavy items including making sure the load is centered and lifting with the legs and not the back. We encourage our workforce to stretch and loosen up their muscle groups before they start their shifts.
- Maintaining space – It’s also important when working with heavy objects to maintain a circle of space so that if items fall, they will land on the ground and not on people. Pallets can also have splinters and nails protruding. Maintaining a safe personal space can eliminate many scratches, punctures, and nicks.
- Focusing on safe processes and routines – Many cuts and puncture wounds can be avoided with safer routines such as using tools correctly, as trained, and making sure machinery is fully turned off before cleaning or moving it. The tools we work with are not toys, and we train our employees to treat them with respect and awareness.
- Wearing the proper safety equipment – Proper donning of gloves, goggles, and safety boots can prevent many injuries.
- Keeping the work area clean and clear – This is important for fire safety as well. Clear and clean workspaces reduce all kinds of injuries from slip and falls to cuts or bruises.
- Reporting unsafe conditions immediately – If our workers are cognizant of their surroundings, they will eliminate problems before they become problems. We encourage greater worker awareness of all environments in our plants and workspaces.
Kamps feels confident that our motivated workforce can help meet our goal of a continuously improved workspace and healthier, happier employees.
By: Mitchell Kamps
