Enhancing the Capability & Competency of Vendors for Continual Improvement in their Safety Performance at Tata Steel.

Abstract

Safety and health principles are universal, but how much action is needed will depend on the size of the organization, the hazards presented by its activities, the physical characteristics of the organization, products or services, and the adequacy of its existing arrangements. Many of the features of effective safety and health management are analogous to the sound management practices advocated by proponents of quality management, environmental protection, and business excellence. Commercially successful companies often excel at safety and health management as well, precisely because they apply the same efficient business expertise to safety and health as to all other aspects of their operations. Nearly a century ago, the Tata Steel management recognized the requirement of a dedicated Safety Department to focus on safe working for the people. It came into existence in early 1920s, more than two decades before it became a National statute in India, (vide ‘Factories Act-1948’). The guidelines of this statutory acts were strictly followed in the company. According to the internal requirements, the General Safety Committee was the main governing body to review and monitor safety. The amended Factories Act in the wake of the Bhopal disaster in 1984 was released in 1987, which prompted initiatives like health checking, regular safety audit, Safety Committees. Each department formed a committee under Joint Departmental council (JDC), where unsafe practices were discussed. After all such practices contract worker’s safety has been a major issue inside the premises of Tata Steel.

This study focuses all total on the safety of contract workers, its aims at identifying the gaps in the Contractor Safety Management System and actions taken for filling the gap. This study aims in enhancing the capability of contractors and increasing their competency to sustain in today’s modern competitive market. Develop a system that can be internally or externally audited and monitored to provide verification that safety performance is meeting expectations.

Also establish an effective safety management system that can provide evidence often required under contract tendering processes as competitive advantage to Vendors.
Though Tata Steel was long recognised to be a leader in most of the operational aspects for a steel plant, its safety performance had not been particularly enviable. Major construction works or maintenance jobs had frequent serious incidents, as unsafe practices like working at heights without scaffolds, or on machines connected to energy sources without isolation, or not using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used to be occurring widely. Vendors are not developed enough to meet and maintain modern safety systems. Level of commitment towards safety has been observed to be very low. Safety Culture within the vendors was poor and top management involvement in managing safety was very low.

In this study overall safety performance of vendors for last three years were evaluated and depending on performance vendors were selected for improvement. Ensafe system, field surveys and various LTI and FAC were analyzed. All selected vendors were developed through proper systematic training and many procedures were implemented for establishing an effective safety management system.
Around 70 vendors were developed and improved by this process in this study and out of which 40 vendors successfully crossed Third party audit conducted by certifying agency for OHSAS 18001 certification.
After implementation of the SMS it is hoped that there would be improved safety culture within vendors and a sustainable development within them for modern day competitive market. Also deliver long term cost efficiencies by avoiding workplace injuries and illnesses and reducing the cost impact on the business.