Complex Equipment and Facility Safety

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June 23, 2022 - As the global shortage of electronic goods, particularly semiconductors, continues to climb, the demand for high-tech manufacturing facilities, smarter tools, and scaled-up production rates has become crucial. 

 
These shortages have led to product launch delays and resource challenges within the medical, automotive, computing, aerospace, industrial, and communication sectors.
 
Organizations are forced to reevaluate and modify their current manufacturing standards, speeds, and procedures. (See Implications of the semiconductor shortage on EHS.) Unfortunately, increased production speeds and the use of new or modified complex equipment are often followed by workplace injuries and facility incidents.
 
Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) involvement in the commissioning and installation process of complex equipment enables safety issues to be resolved prior to start up. 
 
Commissioning is far more than just selecting a piece of equipment or technology to use.  It is the process of assessing organizational and production needs, prioritizing, planning, purchasing, and then monitoring each step to reach the safest, most compliant, and productive outcome. The facility itself as well as all equipment systems used must comply with: 
  •  Applicable codes and regulations.
  • Derived requirements based on hazard analysis and risk assessment.
  • Industry and engineering consensus best practices.
Business risk management that includes EHS risk management considerations results in a smooth equipment installation process that anticipates issues, resolves those issues before the equipment is installed and placed into production, and places workforce safety above all else. 
 
Mollie Anderson along with BSI Consultant Nathan Scott will present this topic at ASSP’s Safety 2022 conference on June 27 in Chicago. Register for the event here and for more EHS insights from BSI experts visit our Experts Corner.
Mollie Anderson

Mollie Anderson, BSI Principal Consultant, MSSM 

Mollie Anderson is recognized for industry expertise in product safety, hazard analysis, risk assessment, and sound customer/supplier relationships. She previously managed an EHS team within the semiconductor industry, focusing on regulatory and global compliance, and currently is a global program manager with BSI and leads the robotics technologies focus team. 
She has performed a broad spectrum of analyses and has conducted numerous management development and process hazard evaluations. She is competent in the What If? and Hazard and Operability study (HAZOP) methodologies, as well as preliminary and systems hazard analyses. 
 
Mollie Anderson is recognized for industry expertise in product safety, hazard analysis, risk assessment, and sound customer/supplier relationships. She has managed EHS teams within the semiconductor industry, focusing on regulatory and global compliance, and currently is a global project manager and co-leads the robotics technologies team.
 
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