What 'This Is Us' Taught Us About Safety

The post-Super Bowl episode of hit drama ‘This is Us’ finally revealed what killed Jack Pearson. The show outlined a series of events that ultimately led to Jack’s death – including a smoke detector with no batteries.

While the show sparked a Twitter challenge to check residential smoke alarms, it is also a good reminder to re-evaluate current safety equipment in the manufacturing environment.

Download the Manufacturing Safety Checklist here.

Below are five steps to foster mindfulness about safety in your plant.

• Practice what you preach about safety. For the safest environment, everyone must be on board and avoid taking shortcuts to increase productivity at the expense of safety.
• Change safety procedures and equipment as your technology changes. Adapting current equipment to new technology often requires a new approach to ensuring the safety of everyone. Make it a point to evaluate safety products and procedures on a regular basis.
• Talking to employees that interact with equipment daily can provide important insight into ways a manufacturing environment may be made safer. Be open to suggestions and listen carefully to feedback about potential hazards.
• Establish clear rules around smartphone usage. While smartphones and tablets can make communication easier, employees can get distracted by those devices while performing tasks around machinery.
• Once you have started your safety program, don’t stop. One big meeting to push safety might sound like a good idea, but it doesn’t send the message that safety should always be top of mind. Frequently talking about safety is the best way to foster a safer manufacturing environment.

To protect employees and productivity, maintaining a safe work environment is crucial. Avoiding accidents will increase worker retention and reduce insurance premiums. Check out some of the newest in safety products here.