Unlike some beliefs, Safety, Maintenance and, Production Effectiveness can and should go hand in hand. A very efficient operation is also a safe place to work. It makes no sense to be more productive if that is not achieved with a clean safety record. Lean/TPS and Six Sigma methodologies also reinforce the mitigation and elimination of safety hazards without adding unnecessary bureaucracy.
Cost of accidents is way beyond money. Lives cannot be restored if something bad happens. On the other hand, ensuring safety does not mean accepting inefficiencies in the safety area. Safety mentality must be incorporated into daily activities so it does not take additional time to comply with rules and regulations.
This brings the very first question: are we properly recording not just accidents and incidents, but also near misses and mitigating/eliminating safety hazards for the employees?
Near misses are leading indicators of potential accidents. A strong safety culture fosters the reporting of all near misses, reinforcing proactive risk management and providing valuable data for identifying and correcting unsafe conditions and behaviours.
Are we sure our employees are correctly using all the necessary PPEs? Are the risks properly identified in the tasks? Do we know what can go wrong and put people at peril? Are our people checking if the area is actually safe before starting to work? Are we complying with all safety rules and legislation? Can you go to sleep at night knowing there will be no accidents during the next 24/48 hours?
Unfortunately, over the years we saw some crazy things done by operators, mechanics, and electricians putting not just themselves at risk but also some colleagues. Creating a safe and efficient environment should be everybody’s business.
Let us help you make your operation safer and more efficient.
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