This week the Standard IFCL 8010:2023 for Safety Management Systems was published. It is a manual with examples specifically for logistics chains that want to greatly improve their safety culture and environmental safety by drawing up and implementing a Safety Management System. And it is precisely this logistics that finds it very difficult to set up and implement such a system with all parts.
Companies that fall under the European Seveso directive must have a SMS. The Seveso III Directive (2012/18/EU) was implemented in the EU in 2012 to reduce the risks associated with the storage and handling of hazardous chemicals. The application of the Seveso to chemical logistics is less well developed in the Seveso scheme and in examples than the sector would like. This is the reason for drawing up this Standard. The risks within this sector are also a lot lower than in other sectors and a ‘light’ version of a safety management system (SMS) of the chemical industry is therefore obvious.
A safety management system consists of seven elements which are indicated by Roman numerals. The aim of the Best practice is to clarify these elements for the companies in chemical logistics, to introduce a more structured mindset and to increase the safety culture within the companies towards the environment. The secondary goal is also to bring out the best; the structured thinking and acting in the field of safety. The combination provides more insight into how the different elements of a SMS interact with each other. Just as we can strive for continuous improvement in the field of quality, we can also strive for safety in the field of safety. The PDCA concept is a process used by organizations to achieve continuous improvement. A variant has been made which focuses specifically on the application within Seveso companies. Since this variant mainly focuses on the SMS also applicable within other companies that want to set up a Safety Management System.
It can be applied to a management system and to each of its individual elements as follows:
- Plan: identify and assess health and safety risks and opportunities and other risks and other opportunities, establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with the organization’s Health and Safety Policy;
- Do: implement the processes as planned;
- Check: monitor and measure activities and processes related to the Health and Safety Policy and their objectives and report the results;
- Act: take actions to continuously improve health and safety performance to achieve the intended results.
Within the Standard, the most important requirements of the element are explained for each element. It also indicates how the elements interact with each other. In addition, examples are given for each SMS element. This makes it a bit easier for users to set up a SMS within their own organization.
The stanard was partly realized with the collaboration of some chemical logistic companies and the trade association VNCW. The standard in English is available here.