Rockwell Automation recently announced the Safety Maturity Index (SMI) tool, a self-guided assessment that gives manufacturers visibility into the effectiveness of their safety programmes and the ability to optimise plant performance. Applicable to any industry, any plant size and any location in the world, the SMI tool helps manufacturers see where they measure in safety culture, compliance and capital. Most importantly, it provides recommendations to help achieve best-in-class safety performance.
The three principal components of a successful safe workplace – culture (behavioural), compliance (procedural) and capital (technical) – are equally critical and interdependent in developing a strong, sustainable safety programme. For example, creating and maintaining a robust safety culture but not investing in safety technologies and/or complying with standards lowers a company’s ability to provide a safe workplace. Likewise, the possibility of risk remains when manufacturers invest in safety technologies but fail to emphasise the importance of safety culture throughout the organisation.
Each safety pillar is measureable in the SMI tool using four categories – SMI 1: minimising investment, SMI 2: attaining compliance, SMI 3: cost avoidance and SMI 4: operational excellence. By answering a series of questions, manufacturers can complete the SMI assessment and determine how they measure in each of the four categories. The report also provides recommendations for improvement, if needed.
“The benefits of optimising safety through the SMI assessment can result in fewer injuries and fines, as well as improved plant productivity, greater efficiencies and enhanced employee morale,” said Christo Buys, business manager for control systems, Rockwell Automation, Sub-Saharan Africa. “Achieving best-in-class safety performance begins with assessing current practices companywide, and now customers can do this on their own.”
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