Important improvements to make to your manufacturing business for the good of your employees

Running a manufacturing business can be, say the least, problematic – and there are so many balls for you to juggle at times you’re bound to feel overwhelmed and not know what to do next

This is far from ideal if you’re looking to build your business further or make improvements to either keep up with or overtake the competition – and it can be especially stressful if you know that the livelihoods of the people that work for you also depend on the decisions you’re about to make. In a situation like this, it is very easy not to do anything at all. Some key steps will help to improve your business and also the life of your employees

Invest in a fume extractor

If your business involves any sort of welding or possibly even soldiering, you need to look at the atmosphere this creates for the people who work for you every day. While it might not be significant, the fumes and dust created by such activity can have health implications, and there are obvious knock-on effects on the morale of employees working in these conditions.

By investing in a portable Fume Extractor, you can find that it will improve the air quality in the areas where such activities are taking place, and a portable unit can be wheeled out of the way when it is not being used so you are not taking the space that could be used for another machine.

Supply or improve the break room area

You will have no doubt worked out by now that people eating food at their workstations is not a good idea. This is both from the point of view of damaging any equipment or products that they happened to be working on at the time and the way the crumbs and other food debris are likely to encourage pests into places they would not normally venture.

If you haven’t already got a break room, find some space for one – even if it is just a table with a few chairs and maybe something to heat food up in (or vending machine). This means that food consumption is taking place outside of the shop floor, and also, there is the additional morale boost of your employees having their own break area.

Offer shift working and part-time roles

Offer shift working and part-time roles if productivity is a problem, and this might be tackled by offering a shift pattern of early and late shifts so that machinery is running for 16 hours a day instead of just eight or nine. This also allows people to take on part-time roles for either early morning or late night shifts or just to pop in for a few hours to keep various pieces of machinery running while the normal operators are enjoying their lunch breaks.

To sum everything up

Keeping your manufacturing business at the forefront of your niche might seem like an endless task, but ensuring your employees are looked after by ensuring their environment is clear of fumes and dust gives them a break room. Also, offering different shift patterns can add to efficiency as well as the morale of staff.