A chemical incident management system is implemented

An incident management system is a comprehensive framework used to effectively respond to, manage and learn from incidents that disrupt normal operations.

Management system Implementation

Suppliers should implement the incident management procedure using the following four-step approach (MAIC):

Measure:

• Conduct random checks and tests to understand the problem and its magnitude.
• Record and analyse data from these checks to identify patterns and frequency of incidents.

Analyse:

• Use various root cause analysis techniques in order to identify the underlying issues.
• Document the findings and categorise the root causes for targeted interventions.

Improve:

• Determine the most effective solutions based on the analysis.
• Implement pilot projects to test the identified solutions.
• Verify the results of the pilot projects to ensure effectiveness.

Control:

• Develop a control plan or establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the effectiveness of corrective actions.
• Regularly review and update the control plan or KPIs to ensure continuous improvement.
• Ensure all staff are trained on the incident management procedure and the importance of each step in the process.

In a manufacturing facility, there may be incidents such as chemical accidents, RSL rejections, health & safety issues and other non-compliance cases. Such incidents should be recorded, along with a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to detect the root cause and eliminate it to prevent recurrence of the incident.

There are different methodologies for Root Cause Analysis (RCA). Select the best approach based on your particular incident, such as:

Fishbone diagrams:

This is a visualisation technique for categorising the potential causes of a specific problem and then arriving at the root cause. It is generally done as a brainstorming or mind mapping team exercise that makes you think about all potential causes of a given problem, rather than just one or two. It captures the relationship between potential causes and connects them to the main problem in the form of a fishbone chart. It is a great tool to solve complex problems and ensure the involvement of all team members.

5-WHY methodology:

This involves asking “WHY” to each reason given to a failure or incident until you reach the root cause of the problem. Actions can be initiated at each level of the ‘why’ to arrive at a holistic Corrective Action Plan (CAP). An example of how to use the “5-Why technique” is shown below for a finished article that is rejected and recalled for presence of a banned amine:

Sampling, testing and analysis of additional data:

Some problems or incidents would require collection of additional data or sampling and testing, the results of which should be analysed to find the root cause. This approach is typically used for wastewater or end-product failures (such as testing of input chemicals used) as well as incidents on spillages and chemical handling (such as testing of containers for strength).