Safety must never be sacrificed for productivity and business growth. Safe businesses are profitable businesses, and it’s essential for organizations to integrate safety into their core objectives. 

James Boretti, CSP, president/CEO of Boretti Inc., assisted a global electronics manufacturer in improving its safety management system to keep up with increasing demand while reducing injuries.

The Problem

An electronics component manufacturer with more than 3,400 employees worldwide had a high injury rate, with $1.4 millIon in injury costs per year in its U.S. location alone. The manufacturer was experiencing rapid growth, leading to shortfalls in its safety program. Injuries included strains and sprains from extended reaches and repetitive motion, as well as back injuries associated with manual handling tasks.

The Solution

The company conducted job safety analyses (JSAs) to understand the hazards of the job and determine safe job practices and training requirements. An additional assessment identified strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the current system. These steps helped the company understand resource needs and appropriate key performance indicators, as well as where “selling safety” would be required.

The manufacturer assembled a safety, health and environmental team of internal staff and provided educational support for those staff to be able to implement the solutions identified.

They also hired external staff with knowledge and experience in safety to support their initiatives. The manufacturer replicated this staffing model at all its locations around the globe. In addition, they invested in certifying to a safety management standard – first OHSAS 18001 and later ISO 45001.

The Outcome

As a result of these actions, the company now experiences an average of seven incidents annually, 87% of which do not result in an injury. This reduction in incidents led to a reduction in costs, which are now $1,000 or less globally. The program also led the company to be more proactive about risk management and implement prevention through design concepts.

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