For operators of factories and warehouses of different sizes, maintaining clean and organized premises is one of the most significant struggles they likely face. Cleanliness and organization are crucial for any company, promoting better company culture, productivity, and better workout output.
Here are expert tips to help keep your operations and workspaces clean and in perfect working order.
Establish and Follow Regular Cleaning Schedules
Involving workers in regular cleaning can go a long way, especially when dealing with indoor mold and growths. That’s because not only mold growth is unsightly and foul-smelling, but they also pose several severe potential health problems. Since actively-growing mold naturally damages the materials they live on and impair their structural integrity and can trigger fatal allergic reactions, it’s best to address these issues quickly. That’s why regular cleaning and removal of mold and growths is crucial.
Regular Equipment Maintenance
Factories are often home to plenty of expensive equipment, and keeping these massive machines running efficiently and safely is a matter of proper ongoing maintenance. After all, these processes won’t take care of themselves. That’s why it’s best to create a schedule for your employees to follow regarding equipment maintenance.
Although deep cleaning and replacing worn machine parts won’t happen daily, doing spot-cleaning is still something workers should do during their shifts. Train your employees to look over their machines and wipe any dust or debris from their surfaces and reachable parts. Encourage them to do this before the start of each shift.
Keep the Workplace Organized
Like with most offices, keeping the workplace and facilities organized and clean is one of the crucial steps manufacturers should take. Doing this can help you ensure your employees stay safe and keep essential tools and product parts where they can be easily found—improving overall productivity. One of the most efficient ways to achieve workspace organization is designing the facility carefully to give everything a designated space.
Workers should know where to find tools, materials, and other equipment they may need to get their jobs done. Additionally, they should be trained to let them know to return items to their rightful areas once they’ve finished using them.
Minimize Travel Between Workstations
Manufacturing industry employers should take the time and effort to map out and take a fresh look at their factories’ layout. Doing this can help you see more opportunities to shorten the distance workers travel between steps in operations. Reducing cross-traffic within the workplace is an excellent general safety measure to consider, minimizing collisions and other mishaps when cars or personnel cross paths. Additionally, it reduces the chances of workers misplacing expensive tools or damaging goods in production.
Invest in the Right Factory Cleaning Equipment
If you’re committed to ensuring your factory stays clean and tidy, you must provide workers with all the equipment they may need to perform their cleaning duties efficiently. Ideally, it would be best to supply each employee with ‘basic’ cleaning equipment to perform their regular cleaning routines with ease. After all, if each worker accesses clean rags, dustpans, brushes, and paper towels, they’re more likely to clean up after any spills or dirt in their workstations.
Additionally, investing in automated cleaning equipment can help make your cleaning routines as efficient as possible. For instance, if you own a factory and utilize material handling equipment every day, buy a ‘sweeper’ attachment for forklifts to automatically clean the premises’ floor.
Train Workers to Report or Address Spills and other Hazards Quickly
Accidents of slipping and falling result in more than 1 million emergency room visits every year in the United States alone. They’re one of the most common incidents you can encounter in industrial settings. That’s why besides having clean environments, make sure your employees are well-informed as well. You can do this by encouraging them to pay more attention to their surroundings and report spills and other issues to their executives, helping them maintain a ‘sure’ footing in areas for spills and hazards.
Additionally, train your workers on how they can address some spills themselves, rather than leaving it for the next person to clean up. For instance, water pooling from leaking coolers or dock seals can be handled by anybody in the factory. However, it’s best to leave industrial chemicals and cleaning supplies to adequately equipped staff members.
A clean and functional factory not only motivates your employees, but it can also help you both existing and potential clients your site may have, building profitable relationships that ultimately contribute to your business’s success. Plus, attractive workspaces tend to attract the best talent, so don’t miss out on the opportunities—and follow the tips mentioned for a smoother process.
