Learn how the Security Pillar ensures more efficient processes in WCM

Large companies such as Fiat, Volvo, Nestlé, among others, are striving to improve their processes in order to obtain World Class Manufacturing certifications. Do you have any idea what that means? No? I'll explain!

Considered one of the most modern methodologies of continuous improvement, WCM ensures that companies obtain competitive advantages based on practices with low investment and involving the entire organization, presenting safety as one of its main pillars.

Although it is a broad term, the Security Pillar is strategic and necessary for companies, because it impacts on several productivity indicators, in addition to ensuring the quality of final products.

If you want to learn how to implement the security pillar within an organization, this is the right article for you. Here I will explain to you:

• What is the security pillar and what is its objective?
• What are the main indicators of the security pillar for a company?
• 7 steps to implement security in companies.

What is the security pillar and what is its objective?

The Security Pillar in the WCM concerns a method that is applied to maintain a healthy work environment, ensuring basic conditions for employees and processes.

The objective of this pillar is to develop a culture of problem prevention that the company may present, seeking to achieve a level of zero accidents and zero occupational diseases.

It is very interesting to realize that safety goes beyond that and provides motivation and a lighter environment for employees to feel comfortable performing their activities, impacting their productivity and employer branding.

So how about starting to go deeper?

Safety is one of the technical pillars of World Class Manufacturing (WCM) whose mission is to ensure zero accidents and zero occupational diseases with a consistent risk prevention system, developing an autonomous safety and health prevention culture.

Thus, the Safety pillar acts as a method capable of ensuring the constant improvement of working conditions for operators, reducing accidents with and without wasting time and serious accidents within the organization.

Do you want to know how these approaches are structured and how to apply them? Keep reading this article that I will teach you to step by step so that you can apply it to your company.

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What are the main indicators of the security pillar for a company?

If you aim to generate quick results, it is necessary to base yourself on indicators, because it is they who direct you on this journey.

"What can be measured can be improved" - Peter Drucker.

To make this argument more palpable, imagine that you want to move from point A to point B. There are different ways for you to get this route, and you can walk, by bicycle, plane, ship, among other possible solutions. But if you take into account speed, low investment and security, these possibilities will taper.

Going further, if you think about making this route more than once and getting better every time you do, then you will need to measure the time being spent, how much is being invested and also the security to compare and analyze if you are managing to improve continuously, right?

In this way, it is possible to analyze which are the most embezzled points and focus on improving them. As in this example, companies need this direction.

Therefore, let's know what are the main indicators of the security pillar that companies need to measure and apply improvements.

1. KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

• Accidents with the waste of time 
• Accidents without waste of time
• Near accidents
• Unsafe conditions
• Unsafe behavior.

1. KAI (Key Activity Indicator)

• Risks eliminated or reduced
• SMAT audit
• Security cards and checklist
• Security checklist
• Kaízen.

Now that you know the main indicators and the importance of the security pillar for the expansion of companies, let's learn how to implement them.

7 Steps to Implementation of the Security Pillar in Companies

Before applying the 7 steps that ensure safety within organizations, it is important to understand that accidents are caused by conditions in the workplace that offer danger to the worker added to the unsafe acts that are committed by him.

To attack these causes and prevent incidents, it is necessary to apply tools such as the Iceberg Principle, Heinrich’s Pyramid and Security Matrix. These tools help identify problems and should be considered as competencies for the team that is implementing the security pillar.

At this point, it is worth mentioning that the WCM is built progressively, that is, the implementation of the technical pillars begins by a model area and then it is expanding to the entire manufacturing unit. Therefore, let's understand the step by step of its implementation.

1. Analysis of accidents and their causes

The first step is to perform an analysis of accidents seeking to identify their root causes. This can be done by mapping the accidents by the Matrix S tool and monitoring the severity of these incidents through the Heinrich Pyramid.

Another very important tool in this step is the S-EWO (Safety Emergency Work Order) which in addition to helping to identify the root cause, seeks a solution and countermeasure to the risks encountered.

2. Countermeasures and expansion

Once you have identified the problems and those solved, it is necessary to apply the countermeasures so that that risk ceases to exist, and thus expand to areas that present similar risks.

Some tools used in this second step are standardization tools, such as PCOS, Point-to-Point Lesson, visual aid, PDCA and Kaizen.

3. Initial security standards

The focus of this stage is on the execution of what has been standardized in order to analyze the risks and promote countermeasures.

Such risks are divided into Risk Assessment, which are aimed at evaluating compliance with legislation and Risk Prediction, which are actions aimed at inhibiting unsafe behaviors.

4. General inspection.

In the fourth step, the general inspection aims to train people who are or will become responsible for taking care of safety. These people need to carry out periodic audits and know the correct measures for the problems that are identified.

Here tools such as TWTTP are used to prevent and train these people, SMAT audits, prioritization of incidents that should be treated and security checklist.

5. Autonomous inspection

The fifth stage aims to prevent failures, and it is important that some analyses and actions are done by the operator himself, who is dealing with that operation on a daily basis. This can result in several benefits for the company.

It is also possible to use the SMAT audit at this stage, but following a preventive approach, in which the operators themselves together with the safety leader can conduct the inspection.

6. Autonomous security standards

This step seeks to apply improvements to the standards that have been achieved, bringing the participation of operators in risk assessments, in the implementation of improvement activities and in the development of procedures, for example.

7. Security system implemented

Finally, it is necessary to ensure the implementation of security through each of these previous steps with a formalized and coherent management of all processes.

In addition to having a system for evaluating and controlling all processes, the company should also encourage physical exercise and healthy eating.

Now it's up to you!

After learning how to implement the security pillar within organizations following the WCM methodology, it is recommended that you practice using the tools that were mentioned at each step.

In addition, continuous improvement requires you to develop your ability to analyze and criticize processes in order to make them even better, both for the operator and for the product itself.

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