If your business involves manufacturing or warehousing, then you know how much money gets poured into equipment and tools. You’ll remember the budgetary constraints of buying everything that you need, but how have you secured it all? How have you arranged to keep all of your business equipment secure? Do you have a plan in place for it and are you educating your employees on how to keep things safe in your business?
If you don’t yet have one, then you need to get one because you could be unknowingly voiding your insurance. In fact, you could be dealing with a bigger problem in your security by risking theft from the outside. If you are in warehousing, this could be critical and you should consider how you can keep your equipment safe. Let’s take a look at how you can do it:
- Invest wisely in your machines. Machines and equipment are usually a one-time investment, especially if we’re talking about large manufacturing processing machines. You’ll spend money maintaining them, sure, but you have to think about what to do with the smaller ones. You can bet that no one will spend time stealing large processors, but the smaller machines such as tractors or even laptops need to be as secure as possible. Comms tech, computers and iPads can all be secured in digital lockers but you need better security for the larger pieces of equipment. Consider what you spend here and what you budget for it.
- Only hire those who know how to operate machines. Handling heavy machinery isn’t easy and so you have to think about hiring people who know what they’re doing. You need to have people on your side who are highly trained and know what they’re doing. If an individual is not properly trained in handling certain types of equipment, things can go very wrong very fast. Safety isn’t just about preventing theft, but preventing your losses when machinery isn’t used correctly.
- Keep your machinery maintained. There is nothing more dangerous than warehousing and manufacturing equipment that is not adequately maintained. No matter the size, equipment needs to be maintained properly and if a company delays the maintenance of the equipment, they’re putting everyone – including the machinery they heavily invested in – at risk of breaking down. A lack of maintenance can do more to harm your business than anything else, so keeping workplace equipment safe is an absolute must.
- Train people. Training your employees on how to ensure that equipment is safe should be at the top of your list. Even if you have hired trained operators, it doesn’t mean that they don’t need continued development. You need your teams to attend health and safety and training classes, and if there are any software or hardware updates, they should be educated on those, too.
Safety in the workplace is a must but you have to think about how you can keep your equipment safe, too. Put a plan together and you’ll be able to stay on top of things.
