As a global supplier of composite materials, Ferro Corp. knows that material quality has a direct impact on product performance. The company provides materials to manufacturers that make a wide range of products, including automotive, industrial equipment, appliances, electronics and furniture.

Safety Management System software captures real-time performance and safetyincident data that can be easily exported into reports. Photo courtesy Intelex Technologies

Ferro also knows the importance of having a well-trained workforce and a safe workplace. As a result, Ferro established a companywide Safe From Within program in 2009 to better track training and safety incidents at each of its manufacturing facilities.

The program includes the use of Safety Management System (SMS) software made by Intelex Technologies. Ferro likes the SMS’ user-friendly graphic interface, and that the software captures real-time performance and safety-incident data that can be easily exported into reports.

“SMS is an integral part of Safe from Within and is a critical piece of our larger effort to send all of our 6,500 employees around the world home safely to their families at the end of the day,” says Art Plow, systems and development manager for Ferro Corp.

Plow says that the accuracy of the reports, combined with the simplicity of the SMS platform, enable managers and workers to do their jobs more efficiently and safely. Thus far, 70 Ferro locations around the world have implemented the Safe From Within program.

SMS has four management and four safety applications. The Incidents and Risk Management application lets Ferro conduct root-cause analysis and generate and implement prevention strategies.

Activities related to equipment maintenance can be recorded and tracked with the Compliance and Legal Requirement Management application. Ferro can easily document, assign and track action items to ensure ongoing compliance with the latest legislation.

The Audits and Inspections Management application offers real-time status of non-conformances and other findings. In addition, the application allows the quick input and management of multiple checklists.

Old documents and associated editing revisions are automatically archived in the Document and Training Management application. It holds all revisions and approvals in a central, companywide database.

The safety applications focus on streamlining data, evaluating performance, mitigating litigation risk and implementing actions decided at meetings. All safety data from multiple departments or locations can be retrieved through a web-based portal.

To improve safety performance transparency, SMS provides users with key performance indicator (KPI) dashboards. The software also helps manufacturers mitigate their litigation risk by quickly preparing reports to comply with OSHA, OHSAS 18001 and CSA Z1000 regulations. Finally, SMS can track meeting occurrences, assign follow-up actions decided at meetings and send automated notifications.

For more information on training and safety management software, call 877-932-3747 or visit www.intelex.com.