Elsevier

Safety Science

Volume 50, Issue 5, June 2012, Pages 1180-1189
Safety Science

The effect of integrated management system on safety and productivity indices: Case study; Iranian cement industries

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2012.01.004Get rights and content

Abstract

Nowadays, with implementation of management systems and environment management and due to the influence of safety and health issues on working processes, organizations have also sought to acquire health and safety management systems. This study which aims to examine the influence of integrated management system on safety and productivity indices has retrospective experimental nature. It was conducted in Cement Factories in which three systems are used: quality, environment and safety systems. The collected data were: accident reports and the investigation of events in 6 years during 2005–2010 (3 years before and 3 years after the implementation of the system). The safety indices that used in this study are: IFR, ISR, FSI, and Safe T. Score. Then, the data analyzed with the T-test, mean and standard deviation. The results showed a significant difference between various safety indices before and after the implementation. The examination of production indices such as increasing rate of productivity and production indicates the influence of these systems on production and productivity indices. The results have showed that the safety system existence cannot ensure productivity increase. Indices definition can be helpful for the safety system effectiveness and system continual improvement. It is important to say that there might be various indices definition in different industries.

Graphical abstract

The effect of safety system in production and productivity.

  1. Download : Download full-size image

Highlights

► IMS system not only decrease incident rate and safety degree but also increases quality and quantity production rate. ► Production indices were important for measuring safety system performance. ► IMS system was caused to achieve quality and environmental-friendly product. ► We examine the effect of IMS system on productivity and production.

Introduction

Health and safety standards have improved in various production and service organizations in 20th century. Seeking to achieve a better performance, organizations have implemented quality management as well as HSE-Q (health, safety, environment and quality) systems (Whitelaw, 2004, Bernardo et al., 2009, Zeng et al., 2007). These organizations have developed integrated management system (IMS) (ISO-9001, ISO-14001 and OHSAS-18001) to acquire and save their resources. In many companies, quality, health and safety and environmental management exist as three parallel systems (Fig. 1). Therefore, an IMS should integrate all currently formalized systems focusing on quality, health and safety, environment, personnel, finance, security, etc. What this means is that all the processes and the documents that describe them would be integrated. In IMS, daily work means not only correct running of plants, but also safety management of hazardous materials and the proper management of wastes including dead products at the end of their useful lifetimes.

Quality, environmental and health and safety managements are aspects of the same organization (Fresner and Engelhardt, 2004, Whitelaw, 2004). Ofori et al. believed that on acquiring ISO-9001, an organization can be qualified for receiving ISO-14001 through making minor revisions in the former, namely ISO-9001; hence, both can be implemented simultaneously by the process of integration (Ofori et al., 2002). In 2004, Tam et al. published a paper in which they considered the similarities and consistency among management systems as the main reason behind the combination and integration of systems (Tam et al., 2004). The integrated system has been defined differently in relevant literature. In 2009, Bernardo et al. considered many organizations which require implementing an IMS jointly, in parallel or sequentially, with other management systems (Bernardo et al., 2009). When this happens, there is an option of integrating all the systems in a single IMS. In 2007, Zeng et al. considered this system as a degree of adaptation in organizations (Zeng et al., 2007). Fresner and Engelhardt defined this system as a clear and rapid improvement in the performance of quality, environment, safety and health (Fresner and Engelhardt, 2004). Bragatto looked at this system as an integrated management system which is deemed as the most effective method to manage the affairs (Bragatto et al., 2007). Generally, the integrated management can be considered as an attempt to create a single management system which is built base on interrelationships among the various management systems with a focus on effectively satisfying the needs of interest groups. In 2005, many concepts of IMS were discussed by Bobreck and Sokovic. They were essential for achieving quality. Singapore productivity and standard board have announced that there is high potentiality to implement this system in Singapore’s cement production sector. The board believes that IMS is useful in cement sector for producing a product of quality with the least cost (Bobrek and Sokovic, 2005). Bernado have pointed to the increasing number of organizations adopting these systems. This is an indication of efficient managers who believe that integrated system can bring to all sections of organizations (Bernardo et al., 2009). In 2007, Zeng applied the same system to Chinese industry in order to promote the safety. They asserted that one needs to use these systems in combination with quality management systems for the purpose of achieving higher effectiveness (Zeng et al., 2007). In addition, there are several good reasons for integration, to:

  • Reduce duplication and therefore costs.

  • Reduce risks and increase profitability.

  • Balance conflicting objectives.

  • Eliminate conflicting responsibilities and relationships.

  • Diffuse the power system.

  • Turn the focus onto business goals.

  • Formalize informal systems.

  • Harmonies and optimize practices.

  • Create consistency.

  • Improve communication.

  • Facilitate training and development.

Seeking to ameliorate the environmental effects of companies, Fresner and Engelhardt proposed the clean strategy whose implementation was possible by IMS (Fresner and Engelhardt, 2004). In 2008, Casadesus considered this system necessary due to the existence of many internal and external stimuli (Casadesus et al., 2008). They explained variety of the factors influencing safety and environmental conditions of companies in which we used integrate management systems to achieve a quality and environment-friendly product. In 2004, having studied the safety conditions in Chinese cement industry, Tam et al. concluded that there was a high rate of accidents in this section. They maintained that government regulations and the implementation of programs such as IMS could considerably reduce the number of accidents (Tam et al., 2004). In 2005, Teo et al. conducted some researches on cement industry in Singapore, and found inappropriate policy, unsafe actions and the employees’ low attitudes toward safe behavior and insufficient commitment that mangers have toward their organizations. They offered IMS as a solution to overcome these shortcomings (Teo et al., 2005). According to the article which was published by Celik, “Integrated management system can decrease the bureaucratic formalities; hence indication of the system efficacy can contribute to the organizations” (Celik, 2009a, Celik, 2009b). Celik believed that integrated management system could reinforce the senior managers’ credibility. These managers appeal to IMS in order to improve their social and professional profile. In 2005, Yeung and Mok pointed out that the implementation of integrated management system may be inspired by a drive to improve standards (Yeung and Mok, 2005). In 2007, Muniz et al. claimed that safety management system and its integration with other management systems were the most effective method through which resources could be allocated to safety measures (Muniz et al., 2007). Muniz’s study on Spanish industries (2007–2009) concluded that Spain suffers from low safety standards in industry hence proposing safety management system and its integration with other management systems (Muniz et al., 2009). Labodova said that IMS is useful and plausible in all organizations (Labodova, 2009). Salomone’s study on 104 Italian companies showed the effect of factors such as structure, size and economy on the integration of management systems (Salomone, 2008). Karapetrovic and Casadesus (2009) studies on 176 Spanish companies showed some influential factors including; range of systems application, the sequence of systems application, the time needed for systems to be implemented and the range of systems integration (Karapetrovic and Casadesus, 2009). In 2008, Zeng et al. studied the sequence in which systems are used as well as the factors that influencing the implementation of IMS in 104 Chinese companies. They came to the conclusion that all companies (100%) have initially adopted a quality management system followed by management systems of other disciplines (Zeng et al., 2008). Battini et al. Claimed that environmental and technological variables affect on ergonomics and productivity (Battini et al., 2011). The factors which are influencing the implementation in the companies were given as the following: internal factors including human resources, organizational structure, organizational culture, perceptive factors, external factors including technical guidelines, licensing organizations, shareholders, customers and organization contexts (Zeng et al., 2008, Fernandez-Muniz et al., 2007). In 2010, Abbaspour et al. claimed that HSE system and its integration with other management systems are the most effective methods to achieve a quality and environment-friendly product (Abbaspour et al., 2010). This study is descriptive-analytic one which reviews past literature. The hypotheses which have examined in this study are as follow:

  • H1: IMS system implementation has positive impact on the human productivity.

  • H2: IMS system implementation has positive impact on the production quality.

  • H3: IMS system implementation has positive impact on the losses decline.

  • H4: IMS system implementation has positive impact on personnel’s complaints decrease.

  • H5: IMS system implementation has positive impact on the personnel’s absence decrease.

  • H6: IMS system implementation has positive impacts on the accident decrease.

One of the biggest industries in Iran is cement production. Having daily cement with the output of 9000 tons (taking account of mixed cement) and the average of staff population of each factory was 600. The cement production factories are considered as one of the biggest and the most dangerous companies in Iran. Thus, it is very essential to take advantages of the latest managerial methods and strategies for the sake of offering better products and services as well as protecting environment and promoting safety standards. This study seeks to analyze the safety indices before the implementation of integrated management system (which integrates three systems of quality management (ISO-9001), environment management (ISO-14001) and safety system (OHSAS-18001; 2007) and those safety indices achieved after the implementation phase. The study was done in all of active cement industries in Iran within the time span of 2005–2010. This study which aims to examine the influence of integrated management system on safety and productivity indices has a retrospective experimental nature.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

This study which is retrospective descriptive-analytic in nature was conducted in four cement production companies, drawing on the data collected in 6 years during 2005–2010. There were four active cement industries in Iran during 2005–2010 which Implemented IMS management system. The workers number in each company and demographics of the companies under study are shown Table 1.

The aim of this study is to determine IMS role in safety indices and productivity. To this end, the statistical indices

Results

As Fig. 3, personnel agreement percentage in the 4th company compared to the other companies is lower. As Fig. 3 shows, in all under-studied companies, 85.6% of the personnel have had positive responses regarding the effectiveness of the integrated management system implementation. The survey showed that the 4th company personnel have participated in the safety program for horror. They have not believed them. So that, management or safety department press to them was caused that they did safety

Conclusion and discussion

One of the most important conclusions that can be highlighted from the findings is that integrated management system focus on team work. Continuous improvement of quality, environmental aspects and health and safety can help to ensure that a company’s leadership is committed to get on the continuous improvement journey toward sustainable development. They are more likely to continue on that journey with their employees, suppliers, shareholders, Customers and other stakeholders. Such stakeholder

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to appreciate QIAU’s contributions to this work. We are also grateful to Mr. Doosti for providing us with his insightful guidelines for data collection.

References (28)

Cited by (0)

View full text