With over 25 offices and plants worldwide, safety is always a priority. This milestone is celebrated and an opportunity to improve as we prioritize an accident-free workplace. At Silgan Dispensing Systems, we use the SDS’ “Safety Golden Rules” to educate and raise awareness of common hazards on the plant floor and in our offices. While we practice these rules daily, Silgan highlights them in June to celebrate Safety Month.
These 12 rules help us understand why safety is important and promote safety and prevent accidents and injuries in the workplace. Initiatives were chosen on criteria such as:
- Life-altering regulations
- Evaluation of trending data and common incidents and
- Activities for our specific job functions
Below we highlight a few of our safety rules and their importance to keep our Silgan Dispensing’s One Team safe.
Machine Guarding
Did you know that almost half of machine guarding accidents resulted in serious injury or death?
Machine guarding involves installing physical barriers that help protect workers from moving parts, rotating equipment, and other hazardous machine components. Limiting contact with machine components is essential to workplace safety and regulatory compliance.
Control of Hazardous Energy
LOTO or Lockout and Tagout is a crucial procedure to control hazardous energy sources during equipment maintenance or repair. It involves de-energizing and securing equipment and alerting employees of machine status. This rule is critical for machine and human safety.
Tools
At Silgan Dispensing, the use of any homemade or modified tools is strictly forbidden. Engineered and approved tooling ensures consistency, reliability, and safety in the workplace. By using the proper specifications and industry standards for tooling mitigates risks, prevent accidents, and maintain a safe and productive work environment.
Safety Cutters
All of our cutters must be tape splitters, operations that need retractile cutters must be authorized and all snap-off blade cutters are forbidden. 80% of plant operators are opening cardboard boxes at some point during their workday. With the correct safety cutters, we can eliminate the risk of injury.
Molds
Molds must be safely moved and when not in use or under maintenance, locked with proper magnetic or physical blocker equipment. Safe mold movement is crucial in manufacturing to prevent injuries and equipment damage. By prioritizing safety using proper procedures, equipment, and training, PPE, we can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and injuries during mold movement operations.
As we celebrate Safety Month, we recognize that our commitment to safety extends beyond compliance. It’s about continuously committing to building a safer tomorrow, one safe choice at a time.