How Can We Ensure Safety Procedures Are Followed?

The Challenge

A global manufacturer was struggling to scale their operations in step with increased demand. But ramping up production goals can lead workers and management to cut corners on safety procedures, likely as they strive to come up with faster ways of doing things that the initial safety procedures didn't anticipate.

While our client had extensive procedures documented in manuals, they needed to understand how the rules were being applied in the real factory setting.

Ģ��tv's industrial hygiene services are unique in that we combine rigorous scientific assessment with robust quantitative methodologies — and our diverse industry experience enables us to help our clients elevate best practices.

Ģ��tv's MULTIDISCPLINARY Solution

Our experts in industrial hygiene conducted a comprehensive investigation that included reviewing written safety procedures, studying employee behavior, applying quantitative risk factors, and prioritizing problems areas in need of mitigation.

Our experts observed the manufacturing processes and compared the reality with what was on paper. Did workers remove or alter safety gear because of comfort or movement issues? Had they found "better" ways of doing things that changed safety considerations?
In one instance, workers were saving time by spray painting a part, rather than using a paintbrush. But since the safety policies were written for brush use, no ventilation or breathing protection had been stipulated — putting worker health at risk.
We pursued several key questions to evaluate the use of chemicals in the plant. What were workers coming into contact with? For how long? What controls were in place (e.g., ventilation)?
We found some workers were using acetone to clean paint, rather than the intended isopropyl alcohol. We assessed the hazard posed by the different chemical and whether the existing safety gear was still appropriate.
In another case, we found employees dipping parts in a chemical bath by hand. While they were wearing earplugs for noise exposure, they were not protecting their skin or lungs.
To put numbers to our findings, we employed quantitative risk modeling to assign values to the risks posed by various hazards.
- We started by defining the "most hazardous" chemical handled in an area to establish a hazard ranking.
- We then provided an exposure ranking based on duration/quantity of contact (is it a tablespoon of the chemical or a barrel?).
- We combined the hazard and exposure rankings and added an uncertainty factor, with lower uncertainty correlating to those exposures with established industrial hygiene data.
- We applied color coding in our spreadsheets to easily separate out high, medium, and low risks.

EXPONENT's Impact

While our assessment found the plant to be operating reasonably well, we did flag several trouble spots and provide prioritized remediation guidance. In addition to guidance, we gave the client tools and frameworks to keep tracking safety as the plant's personnel and processes continue to expand.

The project gave the company reassurance that they were providing a solid standard of care during a period in which they'd faced negative publicity for worker safety. It also gave them the ability to maintain safety in the long term.

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