PRODUCTION FLOW FLUCTUATIONS
- MANAGING RISKS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY
1ST EDITION
OCTOBER 2005
MANUFACTURING
The following information is provided for people in the workplace who have responsibilities
under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act 2004 for ensuring a safe and healthy
work environment. It highlights some common causes and consequences for production
flow fluctuations and the types of initiatives which can be implemented to help reduce
the impact this may have on workplace health and safety.
Production flow fluctuations occur for many reasons.
Often, as a consequence, a variety of activities are
commonly undertaken to address any immediate
production deficiencies. If undertaken without proper
planning and consideration of safety, these activities
may expose employees to health and safety risks.
Forward planning, to ensure controls are in place to
protect the integrity of the existing OHS practice or
procedure, is just one of the many ways to prepare
for change or uncertainty in production operations.
Remember, OHS should be an ‘integral’ part of
normal business operations with all systems of
work operating to help sustain workplace health
and safety (see figure 1).
Production
Systems
Waste
Management
Systems
SYSTEMS
OF WORK
Maintenance
Systems
Figure 1
Supply
Chain
Systems
Safety,
Environment
& Quality
Systems
Working together
in sustaining
workplace health
& safety
PRODUCTION FLOW FLUCTUATIONS - MANAGING RISKS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY
PRODUCTION FLOW FLUCTUATIONS
IN INDUSTRY
1. Increased overtime, working weekends or
running additional shifts
The following circumstances can cause production
flow fluctuations:
• Machine breakdowns resulting in downtime
• Suppliers failing to deliver raw materials or
components on time
• Customers suddenly and significantly increasing
their order
• Delivery deadlines being imposed from outside
which require faster production
• Business interruptions due to loss of utilities
i.e. electricity or gas
Production fluctuations result in the short term
need for some or all employees to work increased
overtime, over weekends or on additional shifts.
• Assessments should be undertaken, in consultation,
to identify and control OHS risk when the following
is likely to occur:
– Reduced supervision to employee ratio
– Manual handling tasks being performed over
longer periods of time i.e. could the task
introduce hazardous manual handling if completed
over a longer period of time?
– Reduced employee numbers as compared
to normal working arrangements
– Physical or mental fatigue due to longer
working hours or week
• Increased exposure to noise and hazardous
substances. Where this is likely to happen,
adjustment to existing exposure assessments
should be made
• Access to first aid or medical services should be
available over the new working arrangements
• Avoid employees or contractors working alone.
Where this is not possible, identify the risks
involved in working alone (i.e. Job Safety Analysis)
and implement appropriate controls
• Supervision to employee ratio should be maintained
• Ensure access to expertise or services (i.e.
maintenance, Health and Safety Representatives
and decision makers) is available or alternative
arrangements have been made which meet
employee and production needs
• Ensure employees or contractors are not working
in unfamiliar roles or using unfamiliar equipment,
unless appropriate supervision and safe systems
of work are provided
• Incidents i.e. emergencies or quality issues
• Stoppages due to industrial action i.e. in-house
or at suppliers
In addressing the deficiencies caused by production
flow fluctuations, the following activities are often
undertaken:
1. Increased overtime, working weekends or running
additional shifts
2. Increasing plant speeds
3. Assembling previously unavailable parts out
of sequence
4. Introducing additional casual or hired labour
5. Rescheduling preventive maintenance, tool box
meetings, safety audits or training
6. Changes to supervision or increasing employee
to supervisor ratio
MANAGING THE RISKS
TO HEALTH AND SAFETY
Production flow fluctuations will happen
periodically, irrespective of how well things
are planned. Below are some important points
to consider when managing risks to health
and safety due to unexpected fluctuations.
• Investigate what can cause production fluctuations
both internally and externally. Review past
production schedules/sheets for evidence of
fluctuations. Look for trends, seasonal peaks or
early indicators. Which areas of production seem
to be effected the most and why? Identifying areas
within production which are ‘safety critical’ and
most vulnerable to unexpected change is another
good starting point
• Develop plans or strategies on how to best control
identified fluctuations before they occur
• Implement controls to prepare your production
operations for fluctuations. For example,
establishing an area for out of sequence assembly
so that all the necessary equipment and facilities
are readily available when required
• Monitor implemented risk controls to determine
ongoing effectiveness
2
2. Increasing plant speeds
Plant (including support equipment such as
forklifts, conveyors, cranes etc) may be working
faster than normal and employees may be
expending more effort to keep up.
• Assessments should be performed, in consultation,
to identify, assess and control any new or increased
OHS risk due to increased pace of work i.e. pace of
work may increase/introduce risks of developing
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD)*
• Ensure Health and Safety Representatives and
employees affected are consulted before increasing
pace of work
• Plant and process should be audited prior to speed
increases to ensure its capabilities are suited
to the new pace of work
• Preventative maintenance program/plans should be
modified to take into consideration the increased
pace of work
* Refer to WorkSafe Victoria’s publication Manual Handling
in the Automotive Industry (March 2005) and Manual
Handling Code of Practice (CoP No.25 April 2000)
WORKSAFE VICTORIA / PRODUCTION FLOW FLUCTUATIONS_MANAGING RISKS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY
PRODUCTION FLOW FLUCTUATIONS - MANAGING RISKS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY
3. Assembling of previously unavailable
parts out of sequence
5. Rescheduling preventative maintenance,
tool box meetings, safety audits or training
Parts which were previously unavailable are
now assembled out of sequence or off line.
• A risk assessment (i.e. Job Safety Analysis) should
be completed, in consultation, before out of
sequence assembly commences
• Ensure systems have been developed to ensure
production assembled out of sequence is safely
managed back into mainstream production or
completed off line. For example, a vehicle which is
moved off line to have a late part fitted, but has no
brakes yet installed, is not able to be moved until
appropriate measures are taken to ensure its safe
progression
• Ensure equipment normally available at the
assembly work station is also available at the
out of sequence assembly point
• Ensure out of sequence work stations don’t
interfere or impinge on adjoining work stations
or production areas
• Ensure additional equipment or labour is made
available particular to the out of sequence
assembly required
Rescheduling planned preventative maintenance,
tool box meetings, safety audits or training due
to immediate production demands or deficiency.
• Plant and process which is ‘safety critical’ should
be identified in advance and arrangements made
to ensure this plant is carefully monitored and
maintained irrespective of fluctuations in production
– safety first!
• Where reschedules are unavoidable, short term
corrective actions should be instigated in
consultation with the affected Health and
Safety Representative and employees, i.e.:
– Increase preliminary maintenance inspections
– Alternative tool box or shop floor communication
arrangements
– Ensure scheduled safety audits or training is
rescheduled in the shortest possible time frame
4. Introducing additional casual or hired labour*
Inexperienced or unfamiliar labour is introduced
into the work place.
• A comprehensive induction program should
be provided to all new casual or hired labour
• Ensure casual or hired labour are assigned tasks
which match their level of competency and have
demonstrated that competency to the satisfaction
of supervision or front line management
• Casual or hired labour should be part of a
Designated Work Group (if formed) and encouraged
to raise health and safety concerns
with supervisor, line manager and Health and
Safety Representative where elected
* Refer to WorkSafe Victoria’s publication – Placing Workers In
Safe Workplaces: Safety management systems guide for labour
hire agencies
6. Changes to supervision or increasing
employee to supervisor ratio
Additional staff (casual or permanent) is employed
and/or changes in supervision has occurred due to
new temporary shift arrangements introduced to
address deficiencies caused by production
fluctuations.
• Allocated supervision should ensure adequate tools
or equipment is readily available and in place to
provide safe operating conditions (i.e. Personal
Protective Equipment is being worn as required
by safe operating procedures)
• Allocated supervision should be able to appropriately
induct new employees (including casual labour) or
contractors into the workplace, if required
• Allocated supervision should be able to train in task
specific performance, inform on safe work practices
and monitor this on an ongoing basis
• Ensure allocated supervision has the necessary
experience and training required to deal with
OHS issues or concerns
WORKSAFE VICTORIA / PRODUCTION FLOW FLUCTUATIONS_MANAGING RISKS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY
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PRODUCTION FLOW FLUCTUATIONS - MANAGING RISKS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY
IN SUMMARY
• Fluctuations in production may increase
risks to employee health and safety
• Prepare a control plan in advance for
safely managing deficiencies caused by
production fluctuations
• Make OHS an integral part of your
business operations
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
For more information on how to make your workplace
safe and healthy, contact WorkSafe on 1800 136 089
or visit www.worksafe.vic.gov.au
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This guide has been developed using information
identified by the Motor Vehicle and Parts Industry
following a workshop held in August 2004.
Thank you to the Motor Vehicle & Parts OHS Working
Group and Industry for its assistance in the
development of this document.
WORKSAFE VICTORIA
Advisory Service
222 Exhibition Street
Melbourne 3000
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03 9641 1444
Toll-free . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1800 136 089
Email . . . . . info@workcover.vic.gov.au
Web . . . . . . www.workcover.vic.gov.au
The information contained in this publication is protected by copyright. The Victorian WorkCover Authority hereby grants a non-exclusive licence in this publication to the
recipient of this publication on the condition that it is not disseminated for profit. The Victorian WorkCover Authority encourages the free transfer, copying and printing of the
information in this publication if such activities support the purposes and intent for which the publication was developed.
WorkSafe Victoria is a division of the Victorian WorkCover Authority
VWA968/01/09.05
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WORKSAFE VICTORIA / PRODUCTION FLOW FLUCTUATIONS_MANAGING RISKS TO HEALTH AND SAFETY