PAPER & DISPOSABLES
Reducing disposable use in the workshop
Lee Radzki from Tork manufacturer Essity looks at how the right disposable wiping system in the right place can help to reduce paper waste, de-clutter the environment and improve productivity in the workshop.
The problem with workshops is that they tend to generate a great deal of dirt. This is because operatives in these environments will spend much of their day working with substances such as paint, oil, engine fluids and grease. Excess quantities of these substances will then need to be removed from surfaces, equipment, components and the hands of employees.
Textile rags were once primarily employed for this purpose. Used rags would then end up left lying around the workshop where they would clutter up units and workbenches. Some would give out pungent fumes after having been soaked in strong detergents or solvents before use.
Textile rags have now largely been replaced by disposable wipers in many workshops, since these by their very nature are thrown away after use. This switch to disposables has helped to free up space on workbenches and avoid the risk of harmful substances in rags being allowed to linger in the atmosphere.
However, most ethical companies are keen to reduce their use of disposables wherever possible these days in order to enhance their sustainability credentials. So, how can businesses achieve the ideal balance between health, safety and sustainability?
Workshop managers can substantially reduce their disposable use by choosing the right type of system for their premises. Many industrial managers provide their
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workforce with disposable wipers in loose rolls because these are considered to be a low-cost, convenient and portable solution. However, the reality is very different.
Loose rolls have a tendency to go missing either because they have been mislaid, pilfered or allowed to roll onto the floor where they may become wet, soiled and unusable. Operatives will then waste valuable time every day hunting around for a wiper roll when they need one. This could lead to a slowdown in the manufacturing process and poorer productivity.
Our own research has revealed that 44% of machine operators need to break off from what they’re doing at least 20 times a day to fetch or dispose of wipers. According to the same study, 74% of machine operators will take more wiper than they need to avoid having to fetch more if the source is not placed conveniently close to hand. 90% said their work satisfaction would be enhanced by having professional industrial wipers located close by.
Once the operative has managed to locate a usable wiping roll, they are likely to tear off a long length of paper, whether to avoid having to repeat the process or because the roll makes it easy to do so. Not all of this paper will be required and as a result, much will be wasted.
So, all disposables should be housed in a dispenser that naturally reduces consumption so that each operative only takes out the paper they need for the task in hand.
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