As manufacturing has become more advanced, safety practices have evolved to keep pace. Today, training, compliance, and workforce management work together through data-driven systems, helping manufacturers create safer workplaces and protect their teams more effectively than ever before.
Manufacturing is a key driver of jobs and economic growth in North America. In the U.S. alone, about 12.7 million people work in this sector; in Canada, it’s 1.7 million, roughly 9% of all jobs. These numbers show how much manufacturing matters, not just to our economies but to our everyday lives.
Despite its economic contributions, manufacturing has historically been associated with higher workplace risk. Even now, it ranks among industries with elevated rates of injuries and fatalities. In the U.S., 5,283 workers lost their lives on the job in 2023, and in Canada, reports indicate 1,056 workers died from work-related causes across all industries, including manufacturing.
These figures are sobering, yet they also highlight just how much progress manufacturing has made in health and safety. Over the past two decades, the industry has transformed with improved regulation, technology, and accountability, dramatically reducing risks and creating safer workplaces.
Workplace Practices That Traditionally Contributed to Safety Incidents
Limited Safety Controls
Prior to formal safety programs, many facilities lacked documented controls. Personal protective equipment was present, but enforcement was inconsistent. Safety policies were often informal or unclear, increasing the risk of preventable injuries.
In contrast, today’s landscape looks very different. Manufacturers now implement structured safety programs, define explicit policies, and enforce them consistently across their environments. This transition has created a much stronger baseline for worker protection and sets the stage for further advances in other risk areas.
Substandard Equipment Safeguards
In earlier decades, staff often removed machine guards to speed up work, increasing injury risk. Today’s standards mandate organizations safeguard equipment, install interlocks, and carry out lockout/tagout procedures. Removal of safety guards is rare, and supervisors strictly enforce the use of hearing, eye, and breathing protection under specified conditions.
Inadequate Procedures for Handling Hazardous Materials
Historically, businesses prioritized powerful chemicals for cleaning, surface preparation, and coating over worker safety and environmental protection. Managers documented, enforced, or standardized procedures for storing, handling, and disposing of hazardous materials inconsistently. Some waste was combined or improperly discarded, increasing the risk of worker exposure, environmental damage, and noncompliance.
Today, rigorous standards govern hazardous material management. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Hazard Communication Standard requires facilities to properly classify chemicals, label containers, provide accessible safety data sheets (SDS), and document worker training. Canada’s Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System enforces similar expectations.
The most significant change is the daily management of requirements. Modern manufacturers use centralized systems to track training, maintain SDS documentation, verify certifications, and maintain audit readiness. This approach reduces exposure risks and ensures consistent compliance.
Minimal Safety Training
Previously, organizations relied on informal job shadowing for safety training. New employees observed experienced workers, but managers rarely provided standardized instruction on hazards, emergencies, and equipment safety, leaving gaps in knowledge and accountability.
Today, manufacturers implement structured onboarding, document training programs, and conduct recurring safety education to decrease incidents and protect workers. With these improvements in training, manufacturers also embrace increased automation and system integration to further advance workplace safety.
Discover how structured onboarding and training systems help manufacturers reduce incidents and improve compliance. Get the free eBook.
Automation and System Integration
Over the past two decades, manufacturers have increasingly adopted automation and system integration. In the early 2000s, organizations manually managed scheduling, safety documentation, HR, and payroll with tools such as spreadsheets, standalone software, and paper records. Fragmented data made it hard for staff to find training records and forced managers to rely on printed or posted notices for work assignments, slowing the quick assessment of worker qualifications and the prevention of safety gaps.
With automation and system integration, organizations now connect scheduling, time and attendance, training, payroll, and compliance data through unified platforms. Leaders can determine in real time who is working, what each worker qualifies for, and where any safety or compliance concerns might exist. This shift improves oversight and better aligns worker skills with job requirements, directly supporting safer operations.
This digital transformation is about more than just efficiency; it is a critical driver of safer workplaces by proactively reducing fatigue risk, matching qualified workers to tasks, and improving oversight.
What Manufacturing Organizations Do Today
Modern manufacturing organizations now manage health and safety proactively through system-driven methods. They often use unified HCM platforms to centralize data, manage training, enforce scheduling, and support compliance reporting.
Integrated data enables manufacturers to prevent incidents, drive continuous improvement, and operate more safely and efficiently.
How StarGarden Helps Support Safer Manufacturing Environments
Modern manufacturing safety depends on connected systems, accountability, and real-time visibility of the workforce: moving far beyond policies and PPE. StarGarden enables manufacturers to implement essential safety practices that strengthen workplace safety.
StarGarden’s HCM platform unites HR, payroll, scheduling, training, and compliance data for complex, regulated, or unionized environments. This integration enhances oversight, reduces risk, and ensures qualified people are placed in the right roles.
For manufacturing organizations, this means:
- Better tracking of safety training and certifications
- Improved scheduling accuracy to reduce fatigue-related risk
- Stronger audit readiness and compliance reporting
- Support for complex workforce rules in unionized environments
StarGarden connects workforce management with business needs, helping manufacturers build safer, more compliant, and resilient workplaces without added administrative burden.
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Take the next step to improve safety, compliance, and workforce management in manufacturing. Contact StarGarden to see how our solutions support your organization.
