Your Guide to Working in Healthcare Manufacturing

Working in healthcare manufacturing is one of the riskiest industries to face. Nearly every medical-grade product has to be sterilized, inspected and packaged carefully before it’s shipped. As a manufacturer, identify every defect that could become a health and safety hazard, and maintain high levels of productivity. Review this guide to improve your work in a manufacturing environment.

Report Potential Risks

Avoid resolving problems after they occur. Take the initiative to keep your workplace free of dangers, whether you’re an employee or supervisor. It’s not the auditor’s or inspector’s job to keep you safe at all times if you’re using the equipment firsthand. Report any risk if you know for certain that it’s unsafe or you think it might be.

Maintain Cleanliness

Focus on maintaining daily sanitation at your workstations. Your company may perform lateral flow test assembly kitting of highly sensitive medical products. There are some medical items that are inserted into the body and need to be thoroughly sterilized for safety purposes. Provide cleaning supplies next to your workers, and provide regular training about high-quality sanitation and cleanliness to them.

Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Know your responsibilities when it comes to protecting your hands, head, eyes and other parts from manufacturing dangers. You’re working very closely to loud, fast moving machines, and in some cases, touching toxic chemicals by hand. In addition, there are increased risks of fires, explosions, slips and falls and falling debris. Work with the safety gear that the employer gives you, but also wear your own protective boots, gloves and jackets that you provide on your own.

Follow Daily To-Do Checklists

Most manufacturing projects consist of multiple steps in a guide. It’s easy to skip a step by accident or when you’re in a rush. Maintain a written list of every step that needs to be completed for the entire project to be effective. An example is an equipment inspection checklist that some manufacturers have to follow at the start of each shift. Manufacturing itself consists of different steps, such as casting, molding, forming, machining and prototyping, and skipping one step is disastrous to the entire project.