How Can We Ensure Safety Procedures Are Followed?

We utilized proven frameworks to bring structure to the open-ended question of whether the plant was operating safely. The first step was to catalogue hundreds of discrete factory activities and identify the employees involved. We then evaluated the safety considerations for each of these similar "exposure groups." 

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.