Effectiveness of Applying World Class Manufacturing (WCM) Principles on Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems to Reduce Work Losses in a Food Processing Factory: A Case Study in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of applying World Class Manufacturing (WCM) principles to an occupational health and safety management system to reduce work-related losses in a processed food factory. Data were collected before and after the application of WCM principles to the factory's occupational health and safety management system. The effectiveness of WCM application was evaluated using the systems theory of overall management from 2020 to 2022. The results showed that the application was effective, with most scores falling within the "good" to "very good" range. The evaluation covered three key components. First, the input factors had five main indicators, which included policies, working committees, time, budget, and training. Second, the process factors had five main indicators, which included root cause analysis, risk assessment for problem-solving and standard development, monitoring of safety measures, expansion of safety standards from pilot units to all areas of the factory, and employee participation. Lastly, the output factors had four main indicators, which included losses, safety statistics, organizational safety culture, and legal compliance. The scores for each component were 25.01, 21.84, and 36.0, respectively. The overall effectiveness of the factory's occupational health and safety management system was 82.85 out of 100, which was categorized as "good." The application of WCM principles to the occupational health and safety management system led to positive changes, resulting in a structured and systematic approach to safety management. The accident frequency rate and severity of accidents also decreased, leading to lower accident-related costs, such as medical expenses, damage costs, and compensation contributions to the workers’ compensation fund.