Learning Teams, Appreciative Review, Empowered Workforce
The Engineering companies customers work in high hazard industries and expect exceptional standards in health and safety risk management. The company already had a good safety record, being ISO 9000 accredited and awarded. To take their safety to the next level, they updated to ISO 45001 and simplified health and safety management by integrating it into the overall management system.
Upgrading the company management systems to ISO 45001 has improved customer confidence, increased orders, and increased productivity tenfold. It also means that the business can pre-qualify for tender opportunities easily. New elements in the standard, particularly the new requirements around Human Factors and Worker participation have inspired eveyone in the company to get involved and with our help, share the challenges of every day work.
The Directors committed the company to achieving ISO45001. The process included a review of all management processes and integration of health and safety management into the system. The Directors also empowered the Quality, Audit and Safety Manager to manage changes once the outcomes from our facilitated Learning Teams were understood. Understanding the way work is done under normal conditions is vital. To aspire to a resilient workplace, the trade-offs, constraints and what hinders work need to be explored.
Key success factors were:
The initiative had the desired effect, improving health and safety performance in a number of areas, including:
Safety was more than just great for morale – it also improved Mach-Tool’s profitability through:
The Board of Directors embraced the adoption of a People centred approach and appointed Work Safety Hub to develop the safety management system and oversee its implementation.
Employees were encouraged to share at all times and in all places, regardless of their role. Continuous awareness initiatives include regular catch ups, learning teams, and appreciative safety reviews to engage staff in continuous improvement. Safety Management review meetings are held every month with representatives from staff, hourly paid employees, and the Managing Director. A committee meeting is held monthly and encourages representatives to raise all health and safety matters.
An employee safety improvement award scheme has been implemented to encourage the workforce to continue to seek improvements.
In recent years, the company has received formal recognition of its health and safety record.
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