Ensuring Safety in Factory Jobs

The United States is the world’s largest manufacturing economy with 21 percent of global manufactured goods produced here. Manufacturing ropes an estimated 18.6 million jobs in the U.S. which is about one in six of private sector jobs. Nearly 12 million Americans or 9% of the workforce are directly employed in manufacturing.

Having said that, the thriving manufacturing industry of this country cannot succeed with stringent safety systems put in place.

Workplace Safety specialists pursue factory jobs that help spot problems and put into action solutions; thus keeping the workplace safe. They keep a check on regular safeguarding, testing and maintenance schedules. They also pursue activities such as fire safety surveys, equipment servicing, extraction of dust and smoke, putting up safety signs, pipe identification, product storage and investment spill management kits to ensure safety.

Ensuring Safety in Factory Jobs

1.      Putting up Safety Signs in the form of posters, road signs, pipe-markers, statutory notices are made mandatory by regulatory safety bodies.

2.      Safety and security can be further ensured by investing in lock out, tag out equipment, padlocks and lockers.

3.      An array of fire products covering all forms of fire safety from detecting the fire and providing a first aid kits must be installed at a factor. Also equipment and product storage spaces should be designed as per fire prevention norms.

4.      Requirements should include maintaining the drips and leaks or provision should be made to handle major spill occurrences. Products like freestanding mats and floor coatings help prevent slips and falls.

5.      Packaging materials like tapes and shrink wraps, polyester and steel strapping’s should be stored and maintained in a safe manner.

6.      Invest in tools and equipments that make the use of Step stools, warehouse steps and heavy duty industrial ladders safer.

7.      The federal government makes it mandatory to put up Prohibition Signs, Safety Posters, external corrosion resistant wall Mounted ashtrays and Smoking Shelters that comply with the new laws and a selection of Stubbing out bins.

In order to manufacture a product safely, factory jobs may demand expertise in manufacturing of cars, electronics, foods, etc. in specific ways. Manufacturing unites work towards training their employees to instill safety conscious values in a routine work environment.

Different Types of Factory Jobs

Different kinds of specialized workers work in factories. The workers are placed in a role depending on their education, certification, and years of experience.

One kind of factory job is a welder. These workers set up and operate machines that heat, cut, and shape metals into place. The welder may work in a factory or similar space. Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth or oxygen furnaces to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel. Pourers and casters operate hand-controlled mechanisms to pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds to produce castings or ingots. Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders  set up or operate welding, soldering, or brazing machines or robots that weld, braze, solder, or heat treat metal products, components, or assemblies.

Another type of worker in a factory is a machinist. Machinists are skilled tradesmen and women who work with tools such as lathes, milling machines, and grinders to produce precision metal parts. They plan and carry out the operations needed to make machined products that meet precise specifications.

Fab shop operators set up and operate power press to trim, punch, shape, notch, draw or crimp metal components according to specifications.

General labors perform a variety of tasks including physically stacking cases on pallets, checking codes and product labels, applying labels in a sequential manner to the appropriate pallet. They collect, sort and process remelt including communication and coordination of re-melt quantities and inventories to the supervisor.

Maintenance workers perform many duties, including fixing switches, repairing motors, greasing and lubing parts, adding oil, repairing faulty wiring, and unclogging drains. They may walk the building two or three times a day searching for repairs to make. Typically the maintenance worker cleans up his own debris, sweeps the floor, and puts away his tools.

Material handlers in factories operate industrial truck equipment with lifting devices to push, pull, lift, stack, tier or move products, equipment and material in warehouse, storage yard or factory. They operate a tugger to deliver necessary parts from the warehouse to the worksite.

Manufacturing technicians ensure all processes are set up, operating and monitored in accordance with the requirements set forth by the manufacturing engineer and customer and support a smooth product transition into manufacturing. They support and perform research of customer and supplier documentation.

Assemblers assemble product, partially or completely, position parts according to knowledge of unit being assembled or follow blueprints, diagrams, layouts or oral instruction. They must be able to read build sheets and blueprints. They perform various mechanical and electrical re-op functions to correct defects identified during the assembly process and/or during test.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that projected factory employment will drop to 11.5 million workers by 2020, down from 11.9 million in January. Manufacturers' share of the labor market will likely drop to 7 percent by the end of the decade, according to the government projections.

There is an abundance of factory jobs in America. It's just a matter of finding the companies that are hiring. 

Where to find American Factory Jobs

While there appear to be many American factory jobs, one fact remains clear: there is a critical shortage of skilled workers to fill these jobs. Machinists in particular are one of the most sought-after workers.

Machinists are skilled tradesmen and women who work with tools such as lathes, milling machines, and grinders to produce precision metal parts. They plan and carry out the operations needed to make machined products that meet precise specifications.

They work on creating small amounts of products or highly specialized products. They must have a solid knowledge of the working properties of metal and at least a basic knowledge of chemistry. They should know trigonometry and geometry and blueprint reading, metalworking, and drafting.

Being a machinist is a highly technical craft that requires knowledge of computers, programming, and geometry.

Enrollment in technical schools by those who want to become a machinist has been down several years in a row, which partly explains the dire need and shortage of these workers.

At the same time, domestic contract manufacturers are enjoying a boon in business, but it is hard to keep up with demand when there isn't enough skilled labor to fill orders. Many employers have jobs available but can't find the skill sets needed.

Employers especially are looking for  manual machinists, quality control inspectors and machinists trained to use computer-controlled systems. But if employers cannot find workers already educated and experienced to perform these jobs, they may instead hire less-skilled workers and train them on the job, which could take months and even years.

Because the United States has been outsourcing its manufacturing jobs over the last few decades, talent in the manufacturing industry is hard to come by. Employers continue to struggle finding skilled tradesmen to fill these important jobs that are critical to the economy.

The income for a machinist is substantial, better than expected. Employers say that many machinists make an average of $60,000 but that number can swell to the six figures when overtime is included.

As older machinists retire, the shortage becomes even greater. It's up to employers to educate potential recruits starting in high school and to tell them that this is a great job that requires specialized training. Instead of a traditional four-year school, students may consider training as a machinist instead.

New data shows that U.S. manufacturers are hiring at the fastest pace in more than a decade to keep up with new orders from companies both abroad and here.

Employers are possibly looking at a new way to fill factory jobs if they can't get human bodies in them. Robots present a possible solution to the critical talent shortage. Robots will perform the machinist work, while engineers and programmers monitor and operate the machines.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that projected factory employment will drop to 11.5 million workers by 2020, down from 11.9 million in January. Manufacturers' share of the labor market will likely drop to 7 percent by the end of the decade, according to the government projections. This is projected employment. For now, job growth continues. Last year factories added 237,000 jobs, the most since 1997. The United States accounts for one-fifth of global factory output.

Best Factory Jobs

The best factory jobs are located at cutting-edge companies that value their workers. Because factory jobs change depending on economic trends, it's important to remain flexible and keep your skill set updated so that you can change jobs if need be.

Examples of factory jobs include general laborers, supervisors, chemists, machinists, plant operators, engineers, and managers.

General labors perform a variety of tasks including physically stacking cases on pallets, checking codes and product labels, applying labels in a sequential manner to the appropriate pallet. They also collect, sort and process remelt including communication and coordination of re-melt quantities and inventories to the supervisor.

Plenty of production workers also work in factories. Welders weld metal components of products as specified by layout, blueprints, diagrams, work orders, weld procedures or oral instructions, using electric arc-welding equipment.

Assemblers assemble product, partially or completely, position parts according to knowledge of unit being assembled or follow blueprints, diagrams, layouts or oral instruction. They must be able to read build sheets and blueprints.

Assemblers also perform various mechanical and electrical re-op functions to correct defects identified during the assembly process and/or during test. They perform routine preventative and corrective maintenance functions involving the tools and equipment utilized in the assembly and re-op of motors.

Manufacturing technicians ensure all processes are set up, operating and monitored in accordance with the requirements set forth by the manufacturing engineer and customer and support a smooth product transition into manufacturing. They support and perform research of customer and supplier documentation (datasheets, drawings, etc.) to ensure material conforms to specifications.

Machinists set up and operate lathe equipment to perform machining operations, such as turning, boring, facing and threading parts according to specifications on process sheets, blueprints and sketches of parts to determine machining to be done, dimensional specifications, set up and operating requirements.

Material handlers in factories operate industrial truck equipment with lifting devices to push, pull, lift, stack, tier or move products, equipment and material in warehouse, storage yard or factory. They operate a tugger to deliver necessary parts from the warehouse to the worksite.

Fab shop operators set up and operate power press to trim, punch, shape, notch, draw or crimp metal components according to specifications.