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Safety programmes

Occupational hygiene and control of chemical exposures
GlaxoSmithKline’s current portfolio of pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare products is extensive and requires sites to control many chemicals used in synthesis and final products to ensure that employees are protected. In addition to existing products, GSK has a strong pipeline of new products some of which bring challenges due to their high potency and low occupational exposure limits (OELs) with increased manufacturing complexity. To manage these potential exposure issues, GSK has been focussing on chemical agent exposure for several years and will continue to do so.

GSK has a strategy for addressing the challenge of chemical exposures and for meeting our aspiration to achieve a ”respirator-free” workplace. This is a workplace where containment of chemicals during manufacture replaces the need for personal protective equipment. There are many examples of areas where we have already achieved this goal. These include many contained powder transfer systems and extensive use of glove-box technology in our new pilot plant facility in Cork, Ireland.

There are several elements to the occupational hygiene strategy, which include;

• Ensuring current controls are adequate, including the appropriate selection and use of respiratory protective equipment (RPE), when needed
• Where RPE is currently required, planning to improve containment to reduce the reliance on RPE
• Designing containment of chemicals into new facilities and into upgrades of existing facilities to eliminate the need for RPE
• Considering containment issues in the development of new pharmaceutical compounds so that manufacturing processes and formulations are easier to contain
• Understanding our opportunities for improvement so that we can prioritise interventions
• Sharing good practices and successful equipment designs via the internal web
• Improving resource levels and competency in occupational hygiene (the scientific discipline of assessing and controlling chemical exposures)

Process safety
Controlling process hazards is a continuing programme in GlaxoSmithKline with a goal of minimising risk through the use of expert engineering design and good manufacturing processes.   Many products begin with the formulation and processing of hazardous materials such as flammable solvents and combustible powders.  Through Green Chemistry and Green Technology programmes scientists look for opportunities to eliminate the use of these hazardous materials.

Where this substitution is not feasible our Process Safety Programme ensures that safety is built into the process.  GlaxoSmithKline EHS Standards require all hazardous operations to complete Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) studies that include the identification of hazards, the evaluation of risk and the development and implementation of corrective action where needed.  The Process Safety Programme is a continuing management system that is in-place for the life-cycle of every process ensuring that the highest level of safety is maintained as the process is operated, refined and finally decommissioned.

Operations use a process hazard analysis system in their routine operations.  This web-based application known as the Risk Assessment Tools & Evaluations system has standardised the Hazard and Operability (HAZOP), Failure Mode & Effects Criticality Analysis (FMECA) and Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) methodologies across GlaxoSmithKline and allows database access for the sharing of hazard information and control strategies.  This system is assisting engineers with the development of safer processes and ideal maintenance strategies for these operations.

Safety engineering
GlaxoSmithKline's safety engineering programme focuses on construction, plant safety and emergency response activities to ensure that our employees, contractors, visitors and the community are protected from the operational hazards within our facilities.  Through innovative programmes such as the Risk Assessment and Control Processes, Construction Contractor Safety Programme, Capital Project EHS Review Process and our Emergency Response Programmes we ensure that safety is built into and maintained at our sites worldwide.

A continuing process within our Safety Engineering Programme is the development and distribution of safety engineering guides and safety alerts.  These intranet-based tools provide engineered solutions to fire, explosion, electrical, machine guarding and other operational risks.  These guides provide a standardised global approach to managing safety risks.

 

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