In industrial companies, workplace safety is the #1 driver behind many key decisions. Not only is safety essential for protecting workers, it’s also essential for consistent production. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a 39% increase in fatal injuries resulting from machinery between 2017 and 2018. In addition to fatal injuries, 2018 saw 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries reported in the U.S. alone.
Whether your team is on site, or working remotely, we know that your time is taxed by demanding workloads and new safety procedures. In an effort to take one task off your docket during COVID-19, we'd like to share some signage geared towards improving the sanitation efficiency of your workplace.
Cross-training is an essential component of any successful manufacturing company. The flexibility it creates enables your operations to continue regardless of what operators are on the line. Cross-training adds more skills to the factory floor and enables companies to better leverage the skills of its workforce. It also gives expert workers the opportunity to mentor new employees and pass along valuable knowledge.
While many industrial businesses are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, good news for U.S. manufacturers may be on the horizon. In the recent April industry report by ThomasNet, "COVID-19 Impact on North American Manufacturing," two out of three manufacturers are looking to re-shore as production begins to pick back up. This may lead to a domestic manufacturing boom here in the United States, as companies revaluate their supply chain.
Many industrial businesses have heard of the dangers of relying on tribal knowledge. But what exactly does tribal knowledge mean? How does tribal knowledge impact my organization? How do I capture tribal knowledge?
As the skills gap widens and more employees retire, decades of experience and company investment is predicted to walk out the door. With nearly ten thousand people turning retirement age daily, manufacturers will need to look towards proactive solutions to capture tribal knowledge and transfer it to the incoming workforce.
Manufacturing Institute estimated that 2.4 million job openings in manufacturing—accounting for half of all open positions—will go unfilled between 2018 and 2028 as a direct consequence of the skills gap.