CLIENT BACKGROUND

A heavy industry was looking to review their machinery safety supplier

Our customer is a major steel producer. Ensuring machine safety in this complex, high-risk environment is a critical responsibility. The manager of the machine shop at one of our customer’s sites, needed a partner who could deliver a high standard of service while meeting the demands safety in this high risk, heavy industrial environment.

THE CHALLENGE

Replacing an unresponsive supplier with a proactive and responsive industrial safety partner.

Initially, another provider was the incumbent and default supplier for machine safety solutions. However, there were concerns about their responsiveness and the overall level of customer service. 

Our customer needed a supplier familiar with working in such sectors, with expertise in industrial safety compliance in heavy industrial environments, risk assessment and practical safety solutions. 

With a mix of new and ageing machinery requiring compliance upgrades, the machine shop manager needed a supplier who could not only install safety systems efficiently but also be relied on to provide both proactive and reactive ongoing support, risk assessment, and turnkey solutions.

OBJECTIVES

Enhancing the quality of service and safeguarding, developing trust, ensuring compliance.

The machine shop manager at our customer’s site had some clear objectives. They needed to improve the level of service and the quality of safeguarding they received from their industrial safety solutions supplier. It was important to be able to establish a high degree of trust with the supplier.

Our customer has a good working knowledge of Health & Safety regulations but nevertheless needed an expert to rely on to provide specialist advice on areas of machinery safety compliance.

There was a recognition that the overall standard of safety had slipped and this needed to be addressed. There needed to be a streamlined process from enquiry through to installation and certification.

SOLUTION

A site audit, customer-specific upgrade proposal and comprehensive safety solution implementation.

The first step was to carry out a thorough audit of the specific working environment. This served to provide a comprehensive list of machinery, how it was used, how often it was used, by whom, for what function, with what material, at what volume.

The location of each machine within the machine shop, its position in relation to other machines, the state of compliance of each machine and the safety of the workshop as a whole was assessed.

We were able to identify which machines and working areas were compliant and which needed work. Our report included a series of recommendations. These were discussed with our customer who asked us to provide a proposal to fulfil those recommendations.

Having already completed the comprehensive audit we were able to provide a detailed proposal for the update of mechanical and electrical guarding and in some cases the repositioning of machines to facilitate the implementation of effective safeguards.

The proposal was reviewed and following some further refinement, we moved to install the guarding solutions, advise on the relocation of some equipment and issue certification of the final installations. Additionally, we advised on floor marking for clear pedestrian walkways, pedestrian barriers for effective separation of people from vehicle movements and also new, complaint safety signage.

RESULTS AND BENEFITS

A seamless, professional upgrade with timely completion and full compliance.

Our customer was delighted with the entire process, from the initial enquiry through consultation, site inspection, workplace safety proposal, and subsequent installation. They found the process to be seamless, from our immediate responses to phone queries, prompt site visits – typically within a week – comprehensive proposals and quotes that included appropriate solutions tailored to heavy industry.

In addition, our customer was impressed with our professionalism and extensive experience. Our teams arrived punctually, communicated effectively, and were fully equipped with the appropriate PPE and tools for the site environment. 

Despite thorough preparation, unforeseen issues occasionally arose, particularly with older machinery. However, our effective and proactive problem-solving ensured that the work was completed on time and within budget. Furthermore, we provided full documentation and certification promptly upon completion of the work.

CONCLUSION

Becoming the trusted safety partner, displacing the previous supplier

After concerns with their previous supplier, our customer gave Safey Systems Technology the opportunity to modernise their machine shop. The positive experience we provided meant that with our service, quality guarding, and proactive problem-solving, we have displaced the former supplier. Our customer now relies on us for health and safety advice and ensuring the facility remains compliant.