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Safety Management Systems
Thomas R. Cutler, President & CEO, TR Cutler, Inc.
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Corn Products International, headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Westchester, Illinois, is a leading supplier of starches, sweeteners and other ingredients. It is the world’s largest producer of dextrose and a leading regional manufacturer of starches, syrups, and glucose. The company provides a wide variety of ingredients to customers in more than 60 industries, including the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, animal feed, corrugating, paper and textile sectors. Corn Products International is utilizing Intelex’s Integrated Management System, EHS Master Incidents Module, and iForms Builder. Even marquis brand H.J. Heinz Company, the most global US-based food company, with a world-class portfolio of powerful brands holding number-one and number-two market positions in more than fifty countries utilizes Intelex's iForms system to manage their quality metrics.
Similarly, United States Sugar Corporation was facing many challenges. The firm wanted to implement a flexible and customizable electronic system to streamline and automate safety management processes, thereby limiting the possibility of human error, yet required a system that could interface with the organization’s current data systems to efficiently manage safety management processes such as injury reporting, workers compensation claim management and incident investigations.
The company also required a better system for maintaining OSHA 300 Log as well as needing a ‘one stop shop’ EHS data management system that could be used for dashboards, trend analysis and the comparison of internal measurements and targets with industry standards.
The firm implemented Intelex’s Integrated Management System with a special focus on Training Management, Audits Management and Customized Master Incident Module. According to Bevin Lyon, Executive Account Manager, “The Intelex’s responsive client and technical services teams worked closely with the organization to customize the incident reporting module according to U.S. Sugar’s needs, including the addition of the OSHA 300 log into this particular module.”
Other food and agricultural firms, such as Agriliance are utilizing the Intelex System for Environmental, Quality, Health & Safety. The firm offers local cooperatives a full line of crop protection products, adjuvants and crop nutrients to help farmers grow better crops.
Bevin Lyon suggested the metrics for the effective Safety Management Systems, “Must help streamline safety processes and eliminate duplicate data as well as collect, track and report on all safety data from multiple departments or locations through one centralized web-based portal.”
He also noted these safety systems must allow an immediate evaluation of an organization’s safety performance, as well as gaining a full 360-degree view into entire organization's safety performance through instant real-time reports and KPI dashboards. Lyon said, “Log incidents across multiple departments or locations and enable complete safety performance transparency as well as reducing safety related incidents and saving time, money, and resources.”
Food safety requirement must execute a proactive and reactive approach to a safety program and easily identify, analyze and prioritize potential safety hazards and risks to avoid unnecessary incidents and expenses at both the facility and organization-wide level.
Food companies subject to regulatory compliance need a Safety Management Systems (SMS) which exceeds the standards established by:
- OSHA
- OHSAS 18001
- CSA Z1000
- ICAO
- Responsible Care
Some of the most frequently used safety modules in food and beverage arena include:
Incidents and Risk Management:
Modules: Standard Safety Incident Incidents Reporting, Work Observations, Safety Hazards and Risk Assessment, Safety Objectives, Safety Policy, Safety Meetings Management and Local Safety Meetings.
Compliance and Legal Requirement Management:
Modules: Monitoring and Measurement, Legal and Other Requirements, Permits Management, Operational Control and Emergency Response
Audits and Inspections Management:
Modules: Audits Management, Management Review, and Non-Conformances and Corrective/Preventative Actions.
Document and Training Management:
Modules: Document Control, Records Management, Training Management and Communications Management.
Thomas R. Cutler is President & CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based, TR Cutler, Inc. He is the founder of the Manufacturing Media Consortium of three thousand five hundred journalists and editors writing about trends in manufacturing. Thomas is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Online News Association, American Society of Business Publication Editors, Committee of Concerned Journalists, as well as author of more than 400 feature articles annually regarding the manufacturing sector. He is also the developer of lean technology C.E.O (Continuous Experiential Optimization). For article feedback, contact Thomas at trcutler@trcutlerinc.com
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