The packaging industry faces unique safety and operational challenges. Between the threat of physical injury, safety hazards, sanitation issues, and expanding regulations, your frontline employees have a lot to manage. Addressing these concerns while maintaining high production levels will continue to test package manufacturing companies.

Here’s a deeper look at some goals for the Packaging industry in the upcoming months.

Ending Safety Incidents and Physical Hazards

Workers in packaging face several risks, including the usual dangers that come with manufacturing, such as slipping, tripping, or machinery mishaps. But they face unique challenges, too, like dealing with sharp objects, risk of fire and burns, and various chemical hazards. Making sure frontline employees wear PPE, proper safety measures and other best safety practices can only go so far to reduce incidents. An effective safety program must be engaging to reach all employees. Various methods of learning and reinforcement like interactive quizzes, digital signage, coordinated huddle guides, and visual posters can drive home important safety concepts. This webinar outlines how you can create a safety culture through multi-channel learning.

Cutting Down Waste 

It’s a balancing act juggling requirements and goals with regulations. Issues like packaging leaks contribute to waste, but equipment design shouldn’t be your sole focus. Safety training customized for your company, location, or facility is more effective than generic content. Investing in a safety program that lets even the least tech savvy person create tailor-made training content can help to reduce waste. When your frontline workers recognize themselves and their facility, they’re much more likely to pay attention and retain important information. Watch this presentation to learn how to reduce waste for increased profitability. 

Maintaining Compliance

Expanding regulations coupled with unannounced audits cost the packaging industry hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in lost revenue, especially when employees aren’t prepared. With higher demands placed on managers and floor supervisors, making certain frontline employees maintain compliance standards is becoming more of a challenge. An effective safety program incorporates on-the-floor observations with the ability to confirm and record GMPs in real time. The more time management spends on administrative concerns, the less time they can interact with employees. Check out this video to see how one-on-one coaching helps to reinforce important safety messaging. 

Reducing Turnover

High turnover is common in food manufacturing, including in Packaging. Knowledge gaps may account for a lot of the high turnover that occurs among the frontline workforce. Getting pertinent information to a workforce that spans cultures, education levels, and even generations is more essential than ever. This webinar shows how a multi-channel approach incorporating all types of learning materials, including posters, coordinated huddle guides, and interactive media keeps a diverse workforce up-to-date and engaged. 

The more educated your frontline employees are, the better decisions they can make to ultimately benefit your customers, your bottom line, and your brand. Keeping important messaging top of mind while on the floor promotes supervisor-employee interaction and provides more opportunities for verifying training and identifying issues as they arise. Plus, when your workforce is engaged, they’re more likely to drive positive change.

Learn more about how Alchemy can provide solutions for concerns specific to packaging industry employees.