In places where people are situated to perform tasks for an enterprise, such as a restaurant kitchen, a factory, or even in an office, there must be someone in charge of everyone’s health and safety. This is a responsibility of the Department of Labor as they require all businesses to comply with the standards of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). There are specific guidelines for different industries, wherein they must ensure compliance to continue operations.
At the same time, ensuring that employees feel safe and are safe in the workplace can lead to increased productivity. The workers will be less likely to fall sick and, hence, take fewer sick days. Furthermore, they will not be distracted by the risks of showing up to work. This will allow them to focus better on their tasks without being disrupted, increasing the overall productivity of the company’s labor.
Automation is not something that workers should be worried about. It relieves them of menial work and allows their time and presence to be valued more since it encourages them to learn a new skill. Meanwhile, on the business end, companies will save money and ensure improved efficiency along the production line. Here are some ways in which this is achieved:
Minimal Handling
As the raw material or product moves from one workstation to another, it is prone to contamination. When more people come into contact with the item, they increase the chances of it being exposed to oils excreted by their skin or other microorganisms that can attach to the objects. On the other hand, with automation, there will be minimal handling of humans. Using machines, contamination can be completely avoided, ensuring that the material being processed is clean.
For instance, using food-grade transfer pumps is a more efficient and sanitary way of handling products. It ensures that there will be only minimal waste while in transit compared to the manual transfer of material. When it is done by hand, there are chances of spills on the production floor. There will also be a higher percentage of the product left behind in tubs or canisters than direct transfer through a pipe. This reduces the losses during production, freeing up resources for more profits.
The velocity of the material can also be adjusted this way, as well as its entering temperature and pressure. This makes it more suitable for the operating conditions of the next machine. It allows for a smoother transition between the previous process and those that are to follow. All the while ensuring that minimal to zero contamination occurs.
Machines To Carry The Load
Employees can find themselves with irreversible medical conditions as they age in the company, especially as they perform specialized work. When an activity is practiced for most of the day, it can affect their health. For example, workers in the warehouse might find themselves more prone to hernia, arthritis, and chronic back pain. Even if the company covers these possible medical concerns, the health and expertise of their team member will be sacrificed.
Machines can save employees from the risks of heavy lifting. They can be designed for specific loads, with a capacity to exceed the normal physical strength of a well-built employee. This means that more items can be transferred in a short amount of time without straining someone in the process. It prevents injuries from occurring, the kinds that would otherwise cripple someone, putting them out of work for good.
Detectors
In industrial engineering, detectors are used to identify the level of the material being transferred. Once the height is identified, the detector can send a signal through a transducer to indicate that the pumping needs to stop. This alerts the computer and stops the operation.
The automation of this process reduces the risk of being in a factory significantly. It prevents the chances of spillage, unlike the prevalence of this accident in manually controlled systems. Likewise, it keeps the employees safe on the ground, rather than requiring them to climb the steep, often two to three-story high tanks, to check if they should switch off the pumps. Pressure differential cell detectors are a clear necessity in such large-scale productions.
Since the health and safety of a company’s team members is a priority, this goal can be aided by automating processes. Incorporating machines in the design of a production line can also reduce contamination while ensuring a more efficient transfer of the material from one workstation to another.
