Every business is bound by law to protect its workers and manage risk within the workplace.

Protecting employees and staff on the front line from accidents and injuries, by putting measures in place that avoid, assess, and reduce identified risks – today, safety is as critical as productivity.

However, with manufacturing technology and processes advancing, this has led to an increase in more complex processes and an increase in potential hazards for workers.

With increased risk comes more costly accidents, injuries, and production downtime; hence, more and more manufacturers are turning to automation not just as a tool to improve efficiency but as a strategic tool to manage risk and control costs.

It’s all in the figures

Accidents at work, especially in large process and production run plants such as in manufacturing, are, unfortunately, unavoidable, no matter how much we try.

In the 23/24 period the Health and Safety Executive reported 17% of injuries were caused due to poor manual handling operations alone, in their 24/25 Work Related Fatal Injuries at Work report we see that there were 11 fatal injuries recorded in the manufacturing sector, and reported in Electrical Times we see that the Manufacturing sector is 6th (out of 10) for injuries sustained in the workplace, with a significant 51,000 incidences reported last year.

Automation is an area of advanced technology that is allowing businesses to reduce these numbers by improving worker safety and productivity twofold.

With a focus on balancing compliance with performance, can you afford to miss out?

Risk vs Solution

In the manufacturing sector, we see numerous safety protocols and areas of compliance that businesses must adhere to. Failure to comply can lead to accidents, production lines coming to a halt, and severe fines being imposed due to risks not being managed.

Automation in the workplace is now moving from a nice-to-have to help support an increase in productivity and output, to a must-have to offer manufacturers the business benefits while also supporting staff safety and meet increasing compliance standards.

For example:

Manual handling is a big area in manufacturing and one that we know sees workers put at risk regularly. The activity of manual handling involves lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying large loads, placing stress and strain on employees.

It is a requirement to provide all employees with appropriate manual handling training to reduce the risk and likelihood of accidents from occurring; however, this still doesn’t eradicate the risk entirely.

With the introduction of robotics, automated systems can now take care of the heavy lifting for you. In particular, with the right robotics designed for your processes, you can introduce automated pick and pack, significantly reducing manual handling risks. Staff can be redeployed to other areas of the business that require support and their skills, and upskilling staff to operate automation systems can help to increase motivation and wellbeing.

Exposure to hazardous situations, such as working in extreme temperatures or exposure to dangerous chemicals, has, over the years, caused significant payouts from employers to employees as they have failed to protect employees appropriately. Introducing automation can help manufacturers minimise levels of exposure and reduce risk as you remove the requirement for human intervention.

Repetitive strain injury – manufacturing processes involve a lot of repetitive tasks due to large production runs and high production volumes. This means the need for consistency and high-quality must be maintained at all levels. However, carried out manually, these repetitive tasks not only cause employees to suffer from repetitive strain injury resulting in time off work which can lead to lost days and a slowdown in production for employers but due to the repetitive nature and fatigue due to monotony setting in, it can also lead to a drop in consistency and more errors occurring.

By automating these repetitive tasks, you free up employee resources, allowing them to use their skills in other areas of the business. You reduce the risk of employees being off work sick and the risk of injury, and you will see a reduction in errors.

In addition, automation in this area allows you to maintain high production capacity, high levels of consistency, and high quality. It also allows you to reduce bottlenecks, which in turn reduces risk and improves safety.

Machine failure – machinery failure is significant to manufacturers as it can not only affect entire production lines, but it also has a significant impact on worker safety. With the introduction of automation components such as smart sensors and computer vision technology manufacturers can now use real time data (providing safety through predictive and AI technology) to monitor machinery, allowing employees to see and better predict potential failure, allowing preventative measures such as automatic adjustments to be put in place to improve safety, meet compliance standards linked to machinery, and improve overall operational efficiency.

Safety and compliance in manufacturing are significant, and with laws, guidelines, and standards in place, automation is now available to help support manufacturers in managing these risks without compromising on productivity.

Protecting your staff by reducing the need for direct human intervention, automation can help to ease pressure placed on staff, allow for upskilling and staff skills to be better utilised, and compliance standards to be met.

However, all automation systems must comply with safety at work standards; manufacturers must invest in automation that is suitable for their processes and production lines; and manufacturers must understand that automation is not “implemented then done” – it must be managed and maintained appropriately.

Safety in Manufacturing

We understand that the biggest pain points in manufacturing are safety and cost.

We also know that compliance standards and requirements are becoming more and more stringent.

That’s why, at a time when employee safety and ensuring consistent high quality are at the forefront of conversations in the sector, the team at Innomech provides bespoke automation systems and controls to support you.

Balancing compliance with performance, we help manufacturers remove old and inefficient equipment, systems, and processes, putting in place the right bespoke automation systems that embed quality control, consistency, improve production, enhance lean processes, offer agility in unstable market conditions, and most importantly, reduce risks in the workplace.

By integrating safety with automation, manufacturers are reshaping their sector, protecting people while optimising performance.
Looking for fit-for-purpose machinery – contact us today.