Safety is more important than ever for today’s machine shops. With automation enabling increased efficiency, the demand for speed may tempt contract manufacturers to relax their safety protocols. However, even small safety “slips” can lead to serious problems.
In manufacturing spaces, neglecting safety is like rolling a snowball downhill—it only grows larger and more dangerous with time. Here’s how your machine shop management team can establish and maintain a strong safety record that sets your business apart.
The Goal: Stop Accidents Before They Happen
Seemingly minor safety breaches can cause a cascade of unsafe practices throughout your facility—practices that often persist until an accident occurs. Don’t wait for a tragedy to devastate your business before you take safety seriously.
We’ve heard many shop managers say, “You all arrived today with two eyes, two arms, and two legs, and we want you to leave the same way!” This lighthearted statement captures the ultimate purpose of safety protocols: to keep every team member safe and healthy day after day and year after year.
Safety Strategies for Machine Shop Management
Contract manufacturing managers must actively incorporate machining safety into every aspect of their daily routine, ensuring it remains a forefront concern rather than an afterthought. Watch for even insignificant breaches, and normalize safety check-ins and reminders. It’s better to dish out yet another reminder about wearing safety goggles than to wish you’d been more assertive and saved someone from serious injury.
Some of the most effective safety strategies are surprisingly simple:
“If you see something, say something”
Everyone in your shop should feel empowered to address safety concerns on the spot. Most safety oversights are simple mistakes that can be quickly corrected with a friendly reminder. The more accustomed people become to talking about safety, the more they’ll actively participate in maintaining a safe work environment.
Post safety resources front and center
Signs, posters, wall murals, flashing lights, data monitors, silly memes: it doesn’t matter how you talk about safety as long as you do so in ways that truly impact your team. Make safety reviews the focus of a regular all-hands meeting, and incorporate safety as a target area for continuous improvement.
Make mental health a safety matter
Older generations often shy away from mental health conversations, but today’s machine shop leaders are wise to acknowledge mental wellness as a valid safety consideration. Help mitigate mental health crises by providing information on reputable resources, encouraging employees to take mental health days, and, most importantly, ensuring that “mental health” is never mocked in your workplace.
Accidents Aren’t Worth the Price
When a contract manufacturer develops a reputation for high-risk behaviors, word gets around. Skilled manufacturers leave to seek safer employment, customers take their business elsewhere, and top vendors avoid collaborations. Safety lapses also increase OSHA incident reports, possibly resulting in costly fines and urgent fixes.
Cutting corners may save time on the front end, but safety failures always exact their price—now or later. For a shop that suffers a serious safety incident, the journey to recovery is expensive at best and impossible at worst.
Make Safety Your Shop’s Competitive Advantage
A strong machining safety record is a significant differentiator in the manufacturing industry.
NTMA member Peerless Precision recently revealed an award they received for achieving 1,736 days without lost-time injuries—a tremendous accomplishment for a busy production shop!
Here are a few ways NTMA supports safety initiatives throughout the manufacturing industry:
NTMA-U: Shop Safety Course
Through NTMA-U, member shops can leverage the online Shop Safety Course to train team members on the best practices for machining safety. NTMA members use this course to onboard new employees and reinforce safety protocols for current staff, emphasizing the importance of ongoing safety education.
NTMA safety surveys and certificates
Annually, we invite NTMA members to self-evaluate their safety protocols and submit their findings via our emailed safety survey, which is developed in accordance with OSHA Form 300A. Each shop’s score is calculated according to the size of its team and other details and then emailed directly to your company.
If your contract manufacturing business meets the safety requirements, you’ll receive an NTMA safety certificate showcasing your company name and safety record. Over the past three years, NTMA has awarded safety certificates to dozens of exceptional shops:
- 2023: 68 NTMA safety certificates awarded
- 2022: 71 NTMA safety certificates awarded
- 2021: 72 NTMA safety certificates awarded
Successful Businesses Are Serious about Machining Safety
No one sets out to ignore safety or introduce injury to their shop floor, but incidents are unavoidable unless you actively promote a culture of safety throughout your team.
NTMA’s resources are designed to help you establish smart safety strategies that propel your company forward into the future. From courses and certifications to NTMA Connect chats and face-to-face discussions at NTMA events, the safety tools you need are always available through the National Tooling and Machining Association.
Join today and meet other safety-focused manufacturing professionals just like you!
