The Federal Government estimates that COVID-19 closures have cost the national economy $4bn a week. This has long-term implications for the financial wellbeing of all Australians. But as we’ve seen from other nations that have relaxed their restrictions, this is a dangerous time because everywhere is now a high-risk environment. Alistair Venn explains how manufacturers can make safety their edge in a post-COVID world.
For most manufacturers, COVID-19 has been one of the most challenging periods, with organisations having had to navigate large hits to the bottom line. The crisis saw shifts in labour, supply and demand critically affect the entire industry. Manufacturers have had to deal with a sharp decline in consumer spending, disrupted supply chains, and facility shutdowns — often, all at once.
As the world gets back to business, the key challenge for manufacturers lies in normalising safety procedures, ramping up operations as demand for goods return to normal levels, and minimising the risk of COVID-19 being contracted and spread throughout their facilities — resulting in halted operations and putting local communities at risk.
The businesses who will come out on top are those who implement an early warning system — a set of procedures to guide the organisation as restrictions loosen, but to also enable leaders to react quickly if another outbreak occurs. These early warning processes will help manufacturers build long-term immunity to risk and disruption.
SafetyCulture is one of the world’s leading platforms for workplace safety and efficiency. Working with more than 27,000 companies around the world, we have witnessed how COVID-19 has exposed the failings of a top-down business compliance model, where traditionally, safety has been the responsibility of a compliance officer.
This is true in the manufacturing industry too. To stay ahead in today’s environment, managing a business’ health & safety obligations can no longer simply be a box-ticking exercise to meet compliance requirements. Safety is the responsibility of everybody. Democratising safety by empowering teams to act appropriately, reporting issues, and taking action to solve problems is how the manufacturing world can get safely back to business.
As we look to life post COVID-19, it’s the people on the frontline of every industry who have the visibility to build a culture of safety from the ground up. It’s down to each and every member of your team to ensure procedures and guidelines are followed.
Here’s how manufacturers can take action to ramp up operations and inspire confidence in employees and suppliers:
Make safety the #1 priority
Consistently high standards in managing hygiene, exposure and traceability have always been important in the industry, but they are now imperative. Reduce opportunities for contamination by removing unnecessary processes that involve human interaction and implement strict safety protocols for all – including staff and visitors to facilities. Make sure everyone knows they are responsible for ensuring strict cleaning regimens are being applied to all touchpoints throughout factories and warehouses – and reporting when they are not.
Create an early warning system
A huge priority will be establishing an early warning system that provides real-time data and the transparency required for staff to trust the new factory environment. Increasing the frequency of checks is critical as you get back to business. Empower front-line staff with simple, digitised checklists and inspection processes that give you real-time insights and turn issues into actions while creating an audit trail to keep track of everything. Get rid of inefficient paper-based safety inspections.
Make safety everyone’s responsibility
Employees are looking for confidence to sustainably get back to work. Communication is going to be critical. Everyone needs to take responsibility to create a genuine culture of safety, from the frontline to senior management, putting the safety of their colleagues and customers first. Compliance alone won’t cut it. Use checklists to cover areas including correct personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing and hygiene processes.
Lead by example
Manufacturing has always been a risky industry. Use your years of experience to lead by example and become a sector that others look to for tips and guidance.
A digital approach
Using SafetyCulture’s iAuditor app, thousands of businesses worldwide have been able to simplify the auditing process and gain visibility and insights to help raise safety and quality standards across their organisations during COVID-19. Acting as an inspection management software, iAuditor is an easy-to-use application that enables your team on the frontline collect consistent data, standardise operations, send reports, identify failed areas and get problems resolved fast
To support Australia’s manufacturing industry, SafetyCulture has digitised hundreds of the world’s COVID-19 reopening guidelines into simple mobile checklists in an inspection app that any team member can use in minutes. The ‘Return to Work’ templates, based on policies and procedures recommended by the Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy, and guidelines from health organisations like the WHO, can be relied upon to guide organisations through this challenging time.
Alistair Venn is the Chief Operating Officer at SafetyCulture.