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China - 2007
Integrating Alcoa's EHS Standards, Culture into New China Facilities
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Integrating Alcoa's environment, health, and safety (EHS) standards and culture at two China locations involved a multi-layered action plan that included establishing an EHS organizational structure and focusing on risk management.
The first step was the development of a strategic plan—known as an A3 in the Alcoa Business System—to guide EHS deployment at the two facilities. All management levels participated in a two-day health and safety management training session, an indication of strong management support and commitment to making EHS an integral part of the locations' improvement processes.
Following training, every frontline manager was assigned responsibility for deploying one or more of the 50-plus EHS protocols by modeling successful implementation at other sites and receiving coaching from internal EHS experts.
Due to the volume of improvements that needed to be implemented, the facilities first focused on the following nine health and safety protocols deemed most critical by the locations and process experts:
- Lockout/tagout/verify;
- Mobile equipment;
- Confined space entry;
- Fall prevention;
- Contractor safety;
- Machine guarding;
- Hazardous materials;
- Electrical safety; and
- Molten metal.
Another major step in the integration process was coordinating all available regional EHS experts to coach the responsible personnel in deploying their programs. This effort was backed up by staff from each site's EHS department and an EHS change agent designated for each department in the facility. Communications, training, and audits supported all EHS efforts but were challenged with the need to translate existing Alcoa EHS documentation into the local language, as well as the availability of qualified trainers and experts.
Other EHS efforts included enforcing high compliance with personal protective equipment standards, making safety a part of daily management, and substantially improving the housekeeping and appearance of the facilities.
In late 2006, the facilities began using U.S.-based Alcoa EHS experts to assist in the knowledge transfer. Practical skill-building training—classroom theory combined with shop floor activities—and Internet-based training packages were also localized and introduced to all Alcoa locations in the country to further coordinate resources and develop an in-country EHS network.
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