CHEP is a leading provider of pallet and container pooling services within industrial and retail supply chains. A subsidiary of Brambles, CHEP offers an array of products, including wooden and plastic pallets, small display pallets, crates, and Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs). In addition to supply, CHEP also manages the repair and cleaning of these items, operating multiple sites across Australia and New Zealand.
CHEP’s challenges included addressing machine safety hazards across a geographically dispersed plant network, ensuring all sites were brought up to a consistent standard and providing senior management with improved visibility of the gaps and key risks at each site.
Although CHEP had conducted internal assessments based on their internal reporting and assessment tools, they needed an independent review to ensure compliance with both their internal standards and external standards such as the ASNZS 4024 series of standards. The objective was to identify and mitigate any machine safety hazards, develop and apply standard solutions to key risks and ensure a consistent application of standards at each site.
TEG Risk was chosen for this task due to their extensive industry experience and geographical reach, with assessors based throughout Australia and New Zealand. The TEG Risk team currently has a staff of 10 engineers that have experience and formal training in Machine Safety Risk Assessment. Our core team is 100% TUV Certified in machine safety with a variety of Mechanical, Electrical, Automation and H&S engineering backgrounds providing diversity of skills/capability. Although this was the first collaboration between CHEP and TEG Risk, CHEP chose TEG Risk based on their reputation and proven track record in handling complex safety assignments.
To execute this large multi-site project TEG Risk approached the problem with a structured, multi-phase plan to ensure the project was delivered in line with customer expectations and ensured outputs were delivered in a timely fashion, feeding seamlessly into other business processes such as the businesses capex planning process.
Site Inspection and Machine Risk Assessments
The first phase involved detailed site inspections. TEG Risk Engineers conducted thorough assessments to evaluate the equipment against the CHEP Machinery Guarding Assessment tool, the CHEP Global Safety Standard and the ASNZS 4024 series of standards. This step aimed to identify hazards and work closely with site management and staff to develop practical solutions for reducing risks.
Develop Standard Solutions
For specific hazards, TEG Risk carried out more detailed assessments and developed standard solutions that were applied across sites with similar equipment. These studies focused on particular hazards such as inspection tables and pallet loading and unloading zones. These assessments provided in-depth analysis and tailored recommendations to address the identified risks effectively.
Developing Site Presentations
The recommendations from the machine risk assessments were compiled into comprehensive PowerPoint presentations. These presentations were designed to present information in a format that was easy to understand for a wide range of stakeholders with varying degrees of technical knowledge, ensuring that all stakeholders had a clear understanding of the identified hazards and proposed solutions.
Developing Scope of Works (SOW)
The next phase involved developing a detailed Scope of Works (SOW) document. This document outlined all required works with sufficient detail to enable project engineers to obtain accurate quotes from contractors, including the applicable standards, installation requirements and verification and validation requirements. The SOW document included milestones/phasing for provision and approval of required safety related design documentation to ensure works were done right the first time.
RFQ and Business Case Development
With well-developed SoW’s the TEG Projects team lead the RFQ, capex development and implementation phases. TEG Projects’ project management expertise combined with an existing and effective relationship with CHEP and familiarity with CHEP processes enabled business cases and capex requests to be developed to tight deadlines. This was carried out with a high level of transparency, ensuring that all commitments were clearly understood.
Implementation and Verification
TEG Projects coordinated and led the implementation of the approved scope of work on-site, leveraging TEG Risk’s expertise in verification and validation to ensure that each solution was thoroughly tested in stages. This approach ensured that CHEP’s expectations were fully met, achieving a 100% score on their internal guarding assessment tool and complying with local standards.
Records Management
A key tool used throughout the project was the MinRisk software. All machinery was risk assessed against AS/NZS 4024 in a highly consistent and high quality manner with photos of all conditions and used as a key reference for preparing the Scope of Works. When it came to verifying the as-built upgrades MinRisk’s mobile application was used by TEG Risk to review and update records providing CHEP with machine risk assessments of their new compliant plant.
Project Challenges
Several challenges arose during the project. The geographical spread with multiple sites, some in remote locations in Australia, posed logistical difficulties. The need for site visits and assessments being conducted on fully operational sites, which typically run two shifts (16 hours per day), six days a week, left minimal downtime for inspections. The project also required frequent online meetings to communicate findings, get alignment on proposed solutions and ensure stakeholders remained engaged as the project progressed.
Project Results
The project resulted in significant improvements for CHEP, implementing consistent machine safety solutions across multiple sites to ensure a uniform approach to risk management. The independent assessment and subsequent improvements significantly increased overall site safety, reducing the risk of accidents and associated costs. Additionally, the project management processes put in place facilitated smoother verification and validation when the improvements were commissioned. By proactively addressing safety hazards, CHEP reinforced their commitment to safety and operational excellence, enhancing their reputation in the industry.
The collaboration between CHEP and TEG Risk demonstrates how expert external assessments can provide invaluable insights and drive significant improvements in safety and efficiency. Through planning, thorough assessments, and clear communication, TEG Risk helped CHEP enhance their machine safety, demonstrating the critical role of expertise in overcoming complex challenges in industrial environments.
You can find out more about our Machine Safety Servies including risk assessments, training and project management here. Looking for a bespoke solution? Call Hamish today.