Are You Manufacturing ENDS Products? Then You Need To Know About OSHA

With so much talk about the FDA today, I see people forgetting about another crucial regulatory body that may be more likely to visit your facility.

That regulatory body is called OSHA.

OSHA is responsible for keeping workers safe from hazards presented at their place of employment. Every production facility has hazards. This means it also has an OSHA responsibility to its workers and employees.

Accidents can happen during any and all aspects of the production process:

  • Tripping over a loose wire in production
  • Nicotine spills and splashes

FDA is for the protection of PUBLIC health and focuses solely on the quality of products being sold into the US market. OSHA was created to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women.

As a manufacturer, you need to protect your workers according to OSHA guidelines.

OSHA stands for “Occupational Safety and Health Administration”

OSHA involves a set of requirements for laboratories, production facilities, and factories to have proper safety equipment and written standards in place to handle accidents and incidents.

OSHA is in place for the safety of every worker in our country. Under OSHA guidelines, any worker who has been exposed to dangerous or harmful materials needs to have access to an emergency station where they can wash their skin quickly, or flush out their eyes.

A first aid kit is also required. You’ll need to check for the requirements, based on the number of workers at your facility.

What are some risks that current ENDS manufacturers face and how can you rectify them?

Some common risks associated with manufacturing ENDS products are:

  • Mixing, pouring, filling of flavorings and nicotine
  • Warehouses utilizing high-density racks
  • Repetitive motion injury

Some common fixes to these problems are:

  • The use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as lab coats, gloves, and goggles
  • Warehouse safety training such as forklift certification and creation of a safety program
  • Cross-training employees to switch out workers doing repetitious work.

Other OSHA Requirements

There are also other requirements. If your plant has extreme temperatures, your safety equipment may need to be protected from heat or cold. It may also need to be stored in corrosion-resistant materials. This equipment also needs to be regularly examined and checked. Don’t forget that certain injuries must be documented and maintained for 5 years according to OSHA regulation.