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The Dangers of Poor Machinery Maintenance in the Manufacturing Sector

Manufacturing companies are legally responsible for ensuring all machinery is in good working order. Neglected manufacturing machinery contributes to a large number of the 846,700 workplace injuries. The dangers of overlooking machinery maintenance in the manufacturing sector range from electrocution to traumatic amputation.

Fires

Manufacturing machinery contains intricate electronics and moving parts, which must be regularly maintained to ensure they work properly. When machines go without maintenance, the moving parts can cause unnecessary friction that can lead to sparks flying. Additionally, electrical circuits can malfunction. Both of these can lead to uncontrollable fires, which will cause extensive property damage and will likely lead to severe burns or death.

Electrocution

When machinery isn’t properly maintained, the electrical components can become damaged, which can lead to electrocution during typical machinery operations. Electrocution happens when currents pass through people, and the consequences can be truly devastating. Victims may immediately experience respiratory arrest, seizures, and amnesia. In the long term, electrocution can cause brain injuries and extensive damage to the nerves.

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Slips, trips, and falls are the largest culprit of workplace accidents, and they can be caused by any number of hazards including poorly maintained machinery. For example, if a piece of machinery isn’t cleaned regularly, it may begin to leak oil over the floor. Eventually, an unsuspected person will slip and seriously injure themselves or be killed.

Even though these types of accidents are the most common in the workplace, they are all avoidable with proper management and maintenance. Businesses should have strict policies in place to ensure machinery is being maintained, but human error and overlooked issues still occur.

Catastrophic Injuries

Manufacturing machinery contains a lot of moving parts, and they aren’t typically designed to take in human beings. However, a poorly maintained machine can do just that, and the result would be a catastrophic injury. For example, an industrial saw may malfunction and lead to a traumatic amputation.

These types of injuries are often life-changing, with a long road to recovery or no recovery. Typically, catastrophic injuries leave victims out of work, which puts strain on their home lives in all aspects from finances to relationships.

Workplace Liability

Even when businesses keep up with their maintenance schedules, there can still be severe accidents in the workplace. When this happens, companies have what’s called workplace liability, which is in place to pay compensation to cover medical expenses and other damages.

Successfully receiving this financial relief can be difficult, which is why we recommend having one of our expert lawyers on your side. We will investigate the accident and determine where the responsibility lies, and then we’ll put together a reasonable and fair compensation price in an attempt to reach a settlement.

When manufacturing companies neglect machinery maintenance, the consequence is often a serious accident that leads to life-changing injuries or death. These resulting damages can be claimed as compensation, and we’ll be there to help every step of the way.

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