Ned Fayson
Ned Fayson -- USF SafetyFlorida Safety and Health Consultant
Working the sprawling Jacksonville region, Ned Fayson’s base of expertise in Industrial Hygiene. He covers manufacturing and construction companies as well. Ned’s clients praise his quiet, personable style and appreciate his diligent attention to their safety concerns.
Talking safety with Ned Fayson
Safety Leads to 33 Percent Productivity Gain for Pump Manufacturer
When was the last time you had employees volunteer to come to work on a Saturday – without pay? For one manufacturer, a safety solution provided by employees was the magic ingredient that brought them to their workplace on the weekend.
Ned Fayson is the USF SafetyFlorida consultant serving companies in the Jacksonville area. Here’s a safety-on-Saturday story he knows firsthand.
“A pool-pump manufacturer’s employees were experiencing a large number of wrist and shoulder strains from repetitive motions,” he said. “The employees sat at a work bench and used various hand tools to assemble the pool pumps. Wanting to eliminate the repetitive-motion injuries, the employer solicited input from employees about what changes the company could make. The employees made several suggestions, and the results were fantastic.
“First, employees redesigned the work flow to allow all the pump parts to be placed in bins in front of the work station. With the parts in this new location, they could avoid twisting and reaching back toward the old shelving. Second, they suggested that their tools be suspended from overhead cables and ergonomically designed with rubber soft grips. And third, because their work bench was stationary, they asked for adjustable stools with back supports.
“The employer purchased the new adjustable stools to accommodate persons of different heights to work comfortably at the work bench. The employees volunteered to come in on Saturday to install the new equipment and tools. Everything was up and running smoothly for work to begin the following Monday. All assemblers were happy with the new design, and the number of units assembled increased 33 percent. Safety awareness increased, and employee participation increased as well.”
Fayson also has a productivity safety tip for masonry employers. Your employees risk hearing damage by cutting cut blocks and bricks with an abrasive-blade hand saw. You can reduce harmful noise levels and make faster cuts using a diamond blade.
“On a local construction site, a worker’s time-weighted average exposure to noise is greatly reduced when wet-cutting using a diamond blade; nevertheless, hearing protection [ear plugs or muffs] should still be worn,” he said.