Keep spills under control

If you are the health and safety officer in a large manufacturing facility you will be well aware of the number of hazards that are present to all the employees on a daily basis. That is why in places of work such as this, there are safe systems of work in place and risk assessments done on any working activity that may pose a risk to a person’s health.

One of the major types of accident at an industrial site are those caused by a slip, trip or a fall. These accidents account for a large proportion of all accidents at work and hence steps need to be taken to minimise the risk to employees and for the company to have systems in place to prevent accidents and clean up spills that may lead to slips or falls.

Most manufacturing plants use large machinery that needs to be lubricated to work properly. This means that oil needs to be added to these machines regularly to keep their levels topped up. If the machine is new, the likelihood is it will not leak, however on some sites that use machinery that is decades old it is a common occurrence to see drips of oil from the seams of the machinery. In instances like this, it is the duty holder’s responsibility to make sure the leak or spill is controlled and repaired and at least cleaned up using oil absorbents such as pads or socks.