Workplace health, safety and wellbeing for Rubber Moulding Units: hot presses, moulds and trimming
Hot plates, steam, heavy moulds and trimming knives share a rubber floor. Safe habits at each press and a daily check keep new and old operators alike from injury.
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Share your requirementsWhy workplace health, safety and wellbeing matters in rubber moulding units
Operators reach across hot plates to remove parts because it is quicker. Mould changes are done by lifting without aids when the fitter is busy. Trimmers use knives with worn handles and no gloves. Steam and heat tire people in the afternoon, when errors rise. Burns are treated with a cloth and not recorded, so the cause is not addressed. New joiners copy the habits of the people next to them.
Good looks like a daily check per press group: guards, stop buttons, hot area marks, lifting aids and gear. Mould changes use aids and a second person for heavy moulds. Trimmers have knives in good condition and gloves. Drinking water and a short break are planned for hot afternoons. Every burn and near miss is written in a notebook and read monthly.
How to set it up
1. Walk each press with the operator
Note where hands go near hot plates, steam and moving parts. Write three safe habits per press group in plain words.
2. Fix the daily start check
Guards, stop buttons, hot area marks, lifting aids, gear and first aid. The shift supervisor signs. Missed checks are raised the same day.
3. Set rules for mould changes
Lifting aids always, a second person for heavy moulds, and a cooling rule before handling. See workplace health, safety and wellbeing for a wider routine.
4. Look after trimmers
Check knives and gloves weekly, and set short breaks at the table. Repeated trimming strains hands and eyes.
5. Plan for hot afternoons
Provide water, planned breaks and a rule that anyone feeling unwell tells the supervisor. Record burns and near misses and read the notebook monthly.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- Count burns and near misses recorded in the last six months by press group.
- Check whether lifting aids are in use on your next mould change.
- Inspect trimmers' knives and gloves at the table.
- Ask an operator what to do for a burn and where first aid is.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach workplace health, safety and wellbeing in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
Never reach across hot plates, use aids for moulds, know the stop button, wear gear and report burns. Teach these first and check them at the start of each shift.
Make it easy and blame free. A notebook at the press and a supervisor who asks about causes, not fault, builds the habit. Show one change made from the notes.
For moulds beyond what one person can lift safely, yes. Set the limit with the fitters and write it down. Pair the fitter with a trained operator so the second person is not a stranger.