Shop implements system of safety tickets

As you may know, I am heavily involved in and a big advocate of lean manufacturing. It results in more parts being made with less waste and leads to a clean, safe workplace. Many facilities focus on the former while ignoring the latter. Even at facilities that concentrate on having a clean workplace, too many do not sufficiently address the safety aspect.

A lot of shops just concentrate on the obvious hazards found in a manufacturing environment. Eliminating tripping hazards comes to mind. But what about the less obvious threats to worker safety? How do you take those elements into account?

To address this concern, our shop uses unsafe acts or conditions tickets (UACTs). The form is specific to our needs. The internet has many samples; you can take a little from various samples until you ultimately fashion a ticket that suits your needs.

UACTs help identify and deal with potential safety issues before they become actual safety hazards. UACTs are also used to identify shop equipment or areas that need attention before they become safety concerns. Even associates who perform unsafe acts can have a UACT written about them.