BEWI consolidates chemical management in Workplace Safety
Photo courtesy of BEWI.
With Workplace Safety, BEWI has consolidated its chemical management in one shared solution across the company’s departments in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. For the factory in Øksnes, this has delivered better oversight, easier access to safety information and greater control in day-to-day work.
About BEWI
BEWI is a leading international supplier of packaging, component and insulation solutions, with 76 wholly or partly owned factories and over 3,000 employees in 14 European countries. The company supplies industries including aquaculture, construction, industry and logistics, where its solutions are used, amongst other things, for the safe transport of seafood and effective insulation in building projects.
A need for better oversight
At BEWI, chemicals are part of everyday working life. At the factory in Øksnes, chemicals are used daily in everything from production and maintenance to cleaning, welding and larger tasks such as overhaul work. In total, 56 chemicals are registered at the location, including raw materials, lubricants, cleaning agents and paints. With multiple chemicals in use, the need for better oversight was clear.
Photo courtesy of BEWI.
“We had a large number of chemicals and wanted better control. We have achieved that now,” says Hugo Reinholtsen, safety representative at BEWI Øksnes.
When BEWI chose Workplace Safety, several factors were decisive. Flexibility, ease of use, price and good dialogue were among the most important considerations.
“BEWI wanted a solution that was both flexible and straightforward to work in. At the same time, it was important to build a structure that makes it possible to bring multiple locations together in the same solution,” says Ask Hide, delivery manager for Workplace Safety.
Easier access in day-to-day work
The system has been well received at the factory in Øksnes and has provided better oversight and control of the chemicals used in daily operations.
To make the chemical register easily accessible, posters with QR codes have been placed at several points around the factory. This makes it simple for employees to find safety data sheets and risk assessments when they need them. The other departments in Norway have equivalent posters tailored to their factory.
In day-to-day work, risk assessments are used most frequently. For Reinholtsen, being able to quickly locate previous assessments and safety data sheets is a major advantage.
“I use risk assessments most in day-to-day work. It is straightforward to find previous assessments that have been carried out and to find safety data sheets,” says Reinholtsen.
Better collaboration across departments
One of the advantages of the solution is that it makes it easier to share experiences and gain insight into which chemicals are used at other departments. For BEWI, this means it is easier to identify safer alternatives and work on the substitution of hazardous substances.
“Knowledge sharing has become easier. We can more easily see which chemicals other departments are using and assess safer alternatives,” says Reinholtsen.
A system in development – with close follow-up
Workplace Safety is continuously developed with new features and improvements, something BEWI sees as a significant advantage in day-to-day use.
“New and smarter features are constantly being added to Workplace Safety. Uploading data sheets has become much faster, and the global database has grown in content. This means we spend less time uploading data sheets ourselves.”
At the same time, the collaboration with Workplace Safety is highlighted as an important part of the overall experience.
“The dialogue has been good — I have received help with things I have been unsure about. Suggestions for improvements seem to be well received. This shows that the system is being well looked after,” concludes Reinholtsen.
Today, Workplace Safety is used across BEWI’s departments in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and the solution has become an important part of the work of maintaining oversight of chemicals and safety information.