Safety tech offers a lifeline for the bottom line

| April 21, 2018

There is a common misconception that safety and productivity are opposing interests. This idea is formed from ill-designed safety methodologies that continue to embrace legacy technologies and outmoded management approaches.

The problem with traditional safety technologies

Up until the 1990s, these attitudes were grounded in practical reality. The mission critical nature of factory-level infrastructure, and the general lack of confidence in – and regulation of – microprocessor systems, meant that early microprocessor-based safety control systems were generally disfavoured as an industry technology.

These ‘traditional’ safety systems were typically hard-wired, relay-based systems, operating independently to guarantee the highest possible availability.  This ensured that a failure in “normal” operations wouldn’t compromise or degrade the overall safety process.

One of the fundamental drawbacks of this ‘siloed’ approach is that the safety system, by default, had a lower level of “intelligence” capability than the machine control system. This discrepancy imposed serious limitations on the integration capabilities between the two systems.

The introduction of industry standards in the late 1990s, particularly IEC 61508, paved the way for microprocessor-based controllers for manufacturing safety systems. This in turn supported greater integration between the machine control and safety control systems, leading to improved diagnostic capabilities and cooperation between control systems.

The benefits of adopting newer safety control technologies include the flexibility provided by software configurable/ programmable devices. This means that the inevitable changes to production techniques, processes or materials, requiring revision of the safety control system are more easily addressed.

The use of modern safety automation technologies makes the adoption of new safety standards – and the reaping of the benefits they bring – a much simpler process.

What’s more, the costs of maintaining legacy technologies can grossly outweigh the expense of upgrading.  This includes the increasingly high costs of labour and, in the event of a safety related stoppage, troubleshooting and production downtime.

Experience shows that manufacturers who invest in integrated safety technologies will not only reduce manufacturing risks and streamline standards compliance, but will drastically improve workplace productivity.

Yet despite the obvious advantages of an integrated approach, these legacy safety systems still dominate today’s manufacturing landscape.

Closing the cultural gap – The costs of injury vs. safety

A 2010 Aberdeen Group study into industrial safety and productivity found that safety culture in manufacturing is still largely driven by pressure to comply with regulatory standards.

While today’s ‘Best-in-Class’ companies recognise a corporate duty to deliver a safe working environment, many businesses maintain a retroactive attitude to compliance, acting only when commercially expedient.

The potential fallout from non-compliance, however, extends far beyond concerns over brand equity, with the imposition of costly penalties, plant shutdowns and the potential for serious worker injury.

Of course, simply acknowledging recognised safety standards isn’t enough to guarantee ground level compliance. Without a supportive management team, poor safety habits and ill-discipline can proliferate, shattering staff morale and creating workplace cultures where avoidance is cure and critical safety hazards go unreported.

Alcoa’s bold safety shake-up in the 1990s showed that simple strategies can go a long way to improving injury incidence figures and, as a result, worker productivity. Enacting positive procedural changes, such as ‘no-guilt’ hazard reporting and regular fostered engagement between ground staff and management, can help transform any business from safety liability into a productive powerhouse.

In terms of financial cost, the high failure rate of outmoded safety technologies and methodologies can prove a crippling business expense.  The costs of even relatively minor manufacturing downtimes can run between thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour.

Financial pressures like this can defeat the value of any safety program, as workers who are pushed to meet deadlines or efficiency targets can forgo safety when needed most. Such practices are rife throughout today’s manufacturing industry, extending from issues of basic machine safety, to abandoning personal protective equipment and taking dangerous short cuts.

Companies who are proactive with regulatory changes (including ISO 61800-1), who evolve with new technology and implement proper safety control systems, should be able to enjoy high level production on a more predictable basis and reap the benefits from reduced downtime and injury risk.

Deciding to upgrade safety systems is an investment requiring specialised industry and equipment knowledge. This should ensure that every decision is made in-line with current Australian and global legal requirements, and in full accordance with particular production needs, safety systems, and corporate responsibilities.

Scalable safety solutions are required in many ordinary working environments, from wash down environments in food and beverage manufacturing, to the timber and cold storage industries. Everything from simple machine guard door interlocks to intelligent safety light curtains, cameras, laser scanners and programmable safety controllers with motion monitoring capabilities can help keep employees safe and productive.

This article is based on a white paper released by SICK, a market leading vendor of automated safety products.

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