Machine safety in manufacturing (with Rohan Pandit)

We were so fortunate to speak with Rohan Pandit on the critical impact of machine safety in manufacturing environments. In this post, you’ll learn from his insights on common system failures, the need for change management, and practical advice on how to improve performance all-around.

Machine safety in manufacturing

In his position at PepsiCo, Rohan leans on his extensive background in engineering and product management to create safer and more efficient workplaces. His experiences offer a window into what it really takes to control, manage, and eliminate machine safety hazards in manufacturing facilities.

1. What do you think are some of the main challenges in the manufacturing environment that impact machine safety?

Effective resourcing, specialized knowledge, and competency are the biggest challenges in implementing a machine safety program. The standards are highly prescriptive, requiring control measures that go beyond behavioral safety aspects.

You need to make sure that your EHS team has the technical expertise to design, implement, and validate safety control systems in compliance with these standards.

2. In your experience, what are the preventable variables that cause safety control measures to fail in manufacturing?

In my experience, these are the biggest preventable mistakes that cause control measures to fail:

• Doing insufficient risk assessments that miss potential machine safety hazards
• Not getting diverse input from engineering, quality, operations, etc., for risk assessments
• Failing to accurately pair tasks with their associated hazards
• Providing inadequate training on safety protocols and control measures
• Skipping regular maintenance or not addressing safety issues promptly
• Not staying updated on changes to local and international safety requirements
• Over-relying on behavioral safety without integrating robust engineering controls
• Having poor communication that causes misunderstandings and compliance gaps

The team doing your manufacturing risk assessments should be diverse. I’d recommend having members from engineering, quality, maintenance, operations, and sanitation.

Although implementing a comprehensive task and risk-based assessment is cumbersome, it’s worth it to ensure that you have a full understanding of all tasks and their associated hazards.

3. To what extent does the human element factor into machine safety?

Human behavior, skills, and awareness significantly influence the safe operation of equipment. That’s why you should create an environment that makes employees feel responsible for driving safety outcomes.

Empowering and engaging local teams to play an active role in the machine safety program, rather than relying solely on leadership directives or a single organizational expert, is crucial to success.

4. What kinds of control measures should teams pursue to ensure that employees operate equipment safely each time?

I’ve found that you need both technical and organizational control measures to make sure employees follow machine safety protocols. You’ll need a detailed risk assessment and skilled team to get the right systems in place. That, plus a machine safety program, are essential to preventing unsafe behaviors in manufacturing processes.

Don’t forget that while we can use the hierarchy of controls to find the right safety measures, the human element still plays a major role. Ownership of standard operating procedures (SOPs), PPE, and an effective lockout tagout program depend on having the right safety culture and behavioral elements.

Creating a psychologically safe environment where employees feel free to voice concerns is also vital. Leadership teams must be effectively connected at this level to ensure open communication and continuous improvement in safety practices.

5. What sort of data should teams be collecting to ensure the safety of their machinery and systems?

Leveraging both smart automation solutions and smart safety solutions is key to the integration of efficiency and safety in manufacturing. The more you monitor system performance and analytics, the easier it is to control machine safety concerns. It also helps to minimize downtime and maximize efficiency.

I’ve found that combining safety and operational data offers a more comprehensive view of machine status. With that kind of data, you can make better decisions regarding safety compliance and operational performance.

Focus on collecting both real-time and historical data related to:

• Machine performance (vibration, temperature, pressure, and other operational parameters)
• Safety system status (activation logs for emergency stops, safety interlocks, and other critical safety functions)
• Near miss and incident data
• Maintenance records (detailed logs of inspections, repairs, and replacements)

This data gives insight into equipment reliability and potential failure modes, which are both essential for incident prevention.

6. Are there any metrics that you find to be most helpful and insightful?

The main metrics I use to gauge machine safety in manufacturing are:

• Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
• Mean time between failures (MTBF)
• Mean time to repair (MTTR)
• Safety compliance rate

7. Do you have any tips for process standardization? What can EHS professionals do to oversee and manage important safety protocols across multiple facilities?

Here are some examples of technologies and systems that help with process standardization:

• Thoroughly document risk assessments, safety requirements specifications (SRS), verification and validation processes, and SOPs.
• Use visual aids like flowcharts and infographics to simplify complex procedures.
• Store all your safety protocols, audits, and training records digitally for easy monitoring and updating across multiple sites.
• Install IoT sensors and machine safety software to monitor conditions in real time.
• Use the same training content for machine operation, emergency procedures, and risk mitigation at all your facilities for consistent education.
• Schedule machine safety audits and use the same criteria each time.
• Create a preventative maintenance schedule for all manufacturing machines.
• Use predictive analytics to find potential machine failures before they happen.
• Make sure all manufacturing machinery has emergency stops, guards, and other built-in safety systems to prevent incidents.
• Where possible, automate tasks that pose significant risks to workers.

These are some of my tips that relate to employee engagement in machine safety:

• Have teams do peer reviews of safety protocols to find overlooked risks.
• Encourage participation through safety committees and internal reporting systems.
• Form self-organizing, lean, autonomous, multidisciplinary (SLAM) teams at each facility that oversee machine safety.
• Make it easy for workers to provide feedback and follow up with them when the feedback deals with safety concerns, incidents, etc.
• Train facility managers and supervisors on process standardization and give them the framework to hold workers accountable to safety systems.

8. What are some signs that a team may need to update its management of change process?

In my experience, an increase in near misses and incidents suggests that you’re not effectively managing risks. And from a machine safety perspective, unmanaged risks are among the greatest threats to worker safety. Even when you invest in state-of-the-art, fully compliant machines, any unmanaged changes to the equipment, processes, or interactions can quickly undermine these efforts, putting people at serious risk.

Some other red flags to look for are:

• Communication gaps
• Regulatory non-compliance
• Overlooked risks
• Resistance to change
• Frequent delays
• Unmet objectives
• Negative team feedback

If your existing MOC process is too cumbersome, your employees might start to avoid going through it to complete changes. This leads to unsafe shortcuts and undermines the entire program.

9. In your opinion, what are the keys to a successful management of change program—especially in manufacturing facilities with complex processes and equipment?

The core of effective MOC remains a comprehensive approach to risk assessment, planning, communication, validation, and continuous improvement. Successful change management also requires open communication and a supportive company culture. Communication ensures everyone understands the impact of the change, while a healthy culture prevents the MOC process from becoming cumbersome or overly bureaucratic.

I recommend MOC software to automate approval systems and manage changes. It’s great for keeping your records organized. But digitization is just one aspect of success.

Manufacturing facilities should understand their unique risks and implement a risk-based approach to change management. A helpful way to do this is to differentiate between routine changes (e.g., standard maintenance, like-for-like replacements) and those with potential to introduce or alter risk profiles.

10. What’s your best advice for ensuring that safety is always a consideration of the engineering team?

For starters, you need to create a culture where safety is not just a buzzword, but a core value ingrained in every decision and action. Your site leadership team is essential to making this happen. They need to empower and encourage engineers to voice safety concerns without fear of reprisal. This leads to a more proactive hazard control approach.

You also need to integrate safety as a factor in your engineering process. I’d recommend:

• Having safety considerations as part of your initial design phase
• Using tools like hazard analysis and risk assessment to understand the safety variables within the process
• Conducting regular safety reviews throughout the development cycle
• Implementing rigorous testing and validation procedures to make sure designs adhere to your safety standards
• Providing ongoing safety training to engineers
• Offering continuous learning opportunities to keep engineers updated on the latest safety technologies and best practices
• Using software to document risk assessments, track performance, and manage engineering designs

The goal is to ensure that safety is not just a checkbox but an integral part of the engineering DNA.

Rohan’s favorite manufacturing resources

We asked Rohan to share some of his favorite resources for EHS practitioners in manufacturing. Check out his recommendations below!

Machine safety resources

I rely on a combination of resources to keep informed and engaged, but these are the top ones I use are machine safety specialist organizations, regulatory bodies, industry leaders and experts, and online resources.

Some of my favorite places to get information are:

• Pilz (Check out their “Safety of Packaging and Associated Machinery”)
• Rockwell Automation
• Keenan Technical Safety Management
• Safe Work Australia (I especially like their “Guide to machine safety”)

Overall, I’d say a mix of resources is the best way to stay updated on the major developments in machine safety.

Advice for EHS professionals

“Effective EHS leadership requires a delicate balance between fostering collaboration and upholding unwavering governance.” It’s not just about ticking boxes and enforcing rules. It’s about building genuine relationships, empowering your team to own safety alongside you, while never compromising on the standards that protect them. At the heart of it, EHS leadership is about looking out for your people and creating a culture where everyone feels safe, heard, and valued.