This industry includes:

  • clothing and textile production
  • engineering and metal fabrication
  • food products such as bakery goods, meat, dairy confectionery and beverages
  • joinery and cabinet making.

Occupations in this industry include:

  • fabrication engineering trades workers
  • factory workers
  • food process workers.

Manufacturing is one of the industries identified as a national priority for prevention activities in the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy.

Most common hazards and injuries

Workers in this industry are likely to be injured at work due to:

  • body stressing
  • falls, slips and trips
  • manual handling
  • musculoskeletal disorders
  • working with dangerous machinery and equipment

Common hazards include:

  • body strain from repetitive movements, or from lifting, pushing or pulling heavy loads
  • noise from machinery
  • crush injuries and fractures from workers getting hands or limbs caught in unguarded moving parts
  • burns
  • electric shock from plant that is not adequately protected or isolated.

Employer responsibilities

As an employer or PCBU you must:

  • provide workers with sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure that they are competent to work safely
  • never force a worker to work unsafely or without necessary safety equipment
  • provide an induction to new workers, including working through current policies and procedures, safety standards and expectations
  • have policies and procedures in place in relation to health and safety issues.

Worker responsibilities

You are required to:

  • take care of your own safety and the safety of others
  • never be forced to do anything that is unsafe
  • stop work if an unsafe situation arises and report it to your supervisor immediately
  • be properly inducted and trained when starting a new job so you are able to work safely
  • be supervised until you a competent in the tasks you are performing
  • ask questions or request assistance if you are unsure of a task to ensure you perform it safely
  • become familiar with your workplaces health and safety policies and procedures.

Safety solutions

We have information on the following topics relating to the manufacturing industry:

Angle grinders

Conveyors

Hazardous manual tasks

Plant and machinery

Nail guns

Noise and vibration