You’re probably familiar with Murphy’s Law: anything that can go wrong will. That’s why experienced professionals ask a ton of “what-if” questions to anticipate how their plans might go awry and to figure out what steps they can take to protect themselves. In manufacturing, risk management is extremely crucial. In business, risk management is defined as the forecasting and evaluation of financial risks together with the identification of procedures to avoid or minimize their impact. Here, we’ll discuss risk management best practices that’ll help you ensure that quality products are delivered to your customers and help you avoid potential disasters.
In manufacturing, injury is one of the most significant risks. It can kill or maim a person, ruin the person’s life, and cost the worker and company a fortune. Among other things, injuries can be caused by defective equipment, cramped space, insufficient safeguards, unclean conditions, poor lighting and ventilation, unsuitable clothing, carelessness, insufficient training, and distraction.
Risk avoidance can take many forms. Dangerous equipment should have safeguards. Operators should wear appropriate safety gear and snug uniforms. Long hair should be tied up, pinned back, covered or trimmed. Netting and railings should be installed where appropriate. Aisles must be unobstructed. Machines should be modified so they can only be activated deliberately, and operators must be trained properly to use them. These precautions can protect against a lawsuit for negligence.
There are many complexities in today’s global supply chain and taking reasonable steps to perform due diligence by minimizing risks through accurate material identification should be high on the list of priorities for both suppliers and manufacturers. Quality recalls are costly and companies cannot jeopardize having downtime resulting from batch contamination and other risks involved in incorporating non-compliant raw materials and bogus subassemblies into their manufacturing process. Moreover, the distribution of unsafe products into the marketplace can cause a business irreparable and economic harm along with potential for human fatality. Nondestructive testing using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) can help manufacturers to accurately authenticate purchases and ensure that products introduced into the manufacturing process are compliant to local standards.
Due to the ever changing demands placed on manufacturing by new legislations, recycling, and global supply chains, it is imperative to have a due diligence program in place to screen for potential hidden problems. Having this capability within your organization can eliminate high, accumulating costs and will instill a higher level of confidence with your customers regarding your quality system, improve process efficiencies, and allow your organization to avoid problematic or high-risk situations.
What happens when something goes wrong? Download our free guide to learn how to effectively handle when things go wrong during a product inspection!