Application of Lean Manufacturing Philosophy to Improve Occupational Safety Results in a Mining Company

Abstract

The importance of lean manufacturing applications in industrial organizations grows as scientific research points out its main results: productivity increase and waste reduction. When we refer to the direct observation of the work in the safety area, we notice the need for the same efficiency in managing risk scenarios in the activities. The objective of this article is to demonstrate how the Lean Manufacturing philosophy contributes to the understanding and connection of the leaders and also of the executors to the risks associated with the execution of their routine activities in order to mitigate and/or eliminate them. This article was conducted through a case study in a mining company located in Espírito Santo and identifies and analyzes the improvements obtained in process management through the application of the Lean Manufacturing philosophy and its tools, especially FMDS (Factory Floor Management Development System) in the subject of occupational safety. The main result obtained is the reduction of work accidents measured through the Accident Frequency Rate – TRIFR.