How Working Conditions On The Plant Floor Vary By Industry

Efficiency is today’s driving force for any company in the business of production. It drives companies to be as cost-effective and resource-savvy as possible per unit produced, whether that be the production of a motor vehicle, chemical or electricity.

Time studies are one means by which plants can observe, record and rate any and all activities that contribute to a production process. The fundamental reason for a time study is clear: efficiency.

However, production on any plant floor cannot be at any cost. Factors need to be taken into consideration that can ensure that efficiency is attained for the benefit of all, including employees. ‘Cutting corners’ can impact lives, assets and reputation. This article will focus on three factors that impact working conditions on the plant floor and how these can vary by industry, namely occupational safety, occupational health and housekeeping.

Variations in Occupational Safety

Working conditions will vary considerably regarding safety in different sites, with certain industries having a far higher safety risk profile. Construction is one such industry, given that construction sites are innately hazardous. Falling from height continues to be a leading reason for death or serious injury in the industry. Working with mobile equipment, such as excavators or front-end loaders, can also present safety risks, as can the danger of sudden collapse, particularly for workers in and around excavations.

European statistics by Eurostat show that construction consistently had the highest rate of fatalities between five industry sectors from 2010 to 2018, even if numbers have gradually declined for the period.

The oil and gas industry with its high risk of major explosions and fires at facilities is another industry with a high safety risk profile. One specific example of this is workers getting burned by a flash fire or explosion due to an accumulation of flammable gases around a wellhead, such as methane or hydrogen sulfide.

Then there are industries with a lower safety risk profile for those on the plant floor. These include auto assembly plants, primarily due to many automotive production processes today being semi or entirely automated/robotic. The manufacture of mobile or personal electronics, such as mobile phones and computer equipment, does not typically have a high safety risk either. This is because most electronic assembly work is done in seated or inert work positions, and does not require working with hazardous or heavy equipment.

Of course, injuries can still occur in an auto assembly plant or electronics factory. However, those risks are significantly lower than industries with inherently high safety risk profiles, such as construction or oil and gas.

Variations in Occupational Health

Safety is not the only risk factor that can vary between the plant floors of different industries. Certain industries have a significantly high health risk profile, one of which is the production of chemicals. The highly diverse chemical industry invariably exposes its workers to a high number of hazardous chemicals, which can result in both acute and chronic health risks. Lung-related infections and diseases and neurological disorders are particularly prevalent in the industry. The risk is so prevalent, that the European Commission (EC) is in the process of re-evaluating how chemicals are classified in terms of their toxicity, including how they might bioaccumulate in the body and cause endocrine disruption.

Steel manufacturing also poses serious risks to worker health due to their frequent exposure to high levels of noise, as well as noxious fumes. This can encompass everything from the manufacture of basic iron and steel and of ferro-alloys, to the casting of metals and manufacture of fabricated metal/steel products. Smelting and casting of metals are particularly hazardous, given the high levels of noise and noxious gases that these processes produce on an almost constant basis.

However, an industry with an incorrectly perceived ‘low’ health risk profile is construction, with the common (mis)perception that safety is the chief concern in construction. Health-related risks such as chronic muscular-skeletal ailments and lung conditions due to exposure to certain hazards on sites, such as asbestos, can occur. 

Also of concern is the prevalence of psychosocial health issues for construction workers, resulting in chronic fatigue, depression and even suicide. For example, the UK’s National Office for Statistics found that male construction workers were three times more likely to commit suicide compared to the national average during the period between 2011 and 2017.

Variations in Housekeeping Standards

The housekeeping ‘mantra’ is world-renowned: "A place for everything, and everything in its place". Housekeeping is critical to maintaining an ordered and tidy, and thus safe and secure, workplace. However, some industries are notoriously difficult for maintaining good housekeeping. Steel manufacturing is a clear example of this difficulty, given that steelworks are grimy, dirty, often dark workplaces. Trips, slips or falls due to poor housekeeping in a metalworks plant can have serious, even deadly consequences.

Construction sites can also be notoriously difficult to maintain good housekeeping. Tools, equipment and building supplies can be difficult to contain with ongoing work. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has found that slips and trips are the most common cause of non-fatal workplace-related injuries reported each year, with approximately 1,000 construction workers suffering dislocated joints or fractured bones.

On the other hand, it is logical that auto assembly plants tend to have very strict housekeeping standards, since no vehicle can be manufactured in a ‘chaotic’ environment. Another similar line of work is avionics assembly in the aviation manufacturing industry, which requires sterile environments for the manufacture of electronic components to be fitted into aircraft.

Efficiency may be the name of the game for most production plants, but it has its limits. Ensuring the safety and health of workers are critical factors that cannot be undermined in the pursuit of production. Different industries have different working conditions and, thus, occupational risk profiles. The operational management of any plant must know their own unique risk profile - and know it very well.

- The author, Bryan Christiansen, is the founder and CEO of Limble CMMS.

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