Ensuring health and safety throughout a supply chain is tricky, but it’s also imperative. One slip up in one part of the supply chain can have a knock-on effect for the rest of it. From manufacturers to retailers, everyone needs to be responsible for keeping employees and customers safe. You might not be able to control what other companies do, but you can make smart choices about which companies you choose to work with. You also have plenty of control over certain parts of your supply chain, so you can make sure they are performing to the right standards. Use the following advice to maintain safety throughout your supply chain.
How Health and Safety Can Move Down the Supply Chain
It’s important to understand how health and safety can affect your supply chain. Something that happens in one part of the supply chain can easily have ongoing repercussions. For example, if a supplier chooses to package their goods in heavy, difficult to manage packaging, it could mean health and safety problems for the delivery drivers, warehouse workers or retailers who have to handle them in other parts of the supply chain. Therefore, it’s essential to consider not just how a choice will affect one area but how it could have a wider effect too.
Gather Data to Monitor Risks
One of the best things any company can do to improve safety along their supply chain is to collect relevant data. Big data is becoming more and more important throughout different industries, and it has many different applications. Collecting data and information from throughout your supply chain can help you to spot any safety issues and make the best decisions about how to address them. Some monitoring can be done automatically, using sensors and other high-tech tools. Other information can be gathered with the input of staff or even customers. With the right information, you can identify the best ways to improve safety.
Make Sure Third-party Buyers and Suppliers Are Being Safe
It’s difficult to have a lot of control over what third-party suppliers or buyers are doing. However, you can examine them carefully and ensure that they’re working safely. You can also set guidelines that you expect them to follow as part of your supply chain. If you’re not happy with the conduct of anyone concerning safety, there is always the option of cutting your losses and working with someone else. If any part of your supply chain has issues with safety, it can reflect badly on you. Auditing your suppliers and buyers will help you to keep everything in line.
Use the Right Packaging Solutions
One specific issue that you might need to consider for your supply chain is how things are packaged. Packaging can make a big difference to several factors related to handling products in your supply chain. It can dictate how much contact people have with a product, as well as how the product must be transported. Some liquid products might need to be transported in steel drums like those from www.clsmith.com to ensure proper safety standards. Some products may need to be packaged in sizes, shapes and weights that can easily be carried manually, without the risk of injury. It’s essential to think about this throughout the supply chain.
Examine the Impact of Customer Requirements
Businesses should think about how customer requirements could impact on safety within the supply chain. For example, customers could have particular requirements for processing or presentation of products that make it difficult to achieve proper health and safety. Hygiene requirements could even have an effect on safety. For example, keeping floors clean could lead to slippery surfaces. This makes it important to work together with customers to ensure that the correct levels of safety are being maintained.
Fulfill Legal Responsibilities
It’s always important to check your legal responsibilities where safety is concerned. Your requirements can vary, depending on your industry, your location, and even the size of your business. If you’re not sure, you can check local and federal websites to find the relevant regulations. Failing to follow the law could not only lead to injuries, but it could also mean that your business gets in a lot of trouble. If you want to avoid big fines or getting sued, you should comply with regulations.
Check Your Workers’ Knowledge and Experience
You need your employees to cooperate if you want to improve safety throughout your supply chain. However, if you’re unsure about how well they are currently able to help you, you need to ask them. Conduct a survey to ask your workers about their knowledge and experience related to health and safety. Use the survey to find out about what they know, and whether they feel that safety practices are carried out adequately.
Provide Training to Staff
If your survey raises any issues, you need to make sure that the correct training is provided to staff. Of course, you also need to ensure everyone has the tools and the management necessary to help them work safely. Staff training gives your workers the knowledge they need to work safely. You can also partner with suppliers and customers to make sure that they are also paying attention to their employees. Good management is also key to training so make sure that it is in place.
Develop Stronger Guidelines
You don’t have to just pay attention to the legal requirements imposed on your business. You can show that you’re willing to go further and take responsibility without being compelled to do so by the law. Creating your own robust guidelines for ensuring safety throughout your supply chain is a smart and useful thing to do. These guidelines can be useful not just for your own company but for anyone you partner with too. You might create guidelines concerning how materials should be packaged, handled or transported, for example.
Start improving safety in your supply chain to make sweeping improvements throughout your business. There are many ways you can improve safety and make things better for everyone.
