Action research for HyTest to improve health, safety and environment matters
Aaltonen, Elli (2021)
Aaltonen, Elli
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021061716224
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2021061716224
Tiivistelmä
Responsible business is increasingly affected by expectations, requirements, and policies. Expectations come from, among others, global megatrends, requirements are controlled by legislation, and policies are created by large, international organizations such as the United Nations. To facilitate the management of responsible operations in companies, international standards have been created. Such standards are for example the Environmental Management Standard ISO 14001 and the Occupational Health and Safety Management Standard ISO 45001. With the help of standards, a company can clarify its health, safety, and environmental (HSE) practices, which are an essential part of responsible business conduct.
This thesis was commissioned by HyTest, a Finnish-origin company founded in 1994. HyTest develops, produces, and supplies antibodies and other raw materials for the In Vitro diagnostic industry to more than 50 different countries. HyTest reports its responsibility issues to its owner, Summa Equity, and would like to improve the level of its HSE performance. HyTest chose ISO 14001 and 45001 as its improvement tools because the company already has a certified Quality Management System based on the ISO 9001 standard. The objective of the thesis was to find out the current state of HyTest compared with the requirements of standards 14001 and 45001, and to develop and make proposals for improving the level of health, safety, and environmental performance.
The thesis was carried out as an action research, which is characterized by the researcher's participation in the development of the action and its progress in cycles. The thesis represents one research cycle, where the first stage was the planning of the work, the second the data collection and the third the analysis of the collected material. After analyzing the data, a measure to improve HyTest’s HSE matters was planned and implemented, and the effectiveness of the measure was assessed. The material was collected by reviewing the company's existing documentation on HSE issues. The Quality Management System, work instructions and indicators were also studied. In addition to getting acquainted with the documentation, the members of the Occupational Safety and Health Committee, among others, were asked for more information.
As part of the research, an HSE manual was created for HyTest. In addition, the thesis presents suggestions for further improvement of HyTest’s HSE issues. It was decided to introduce the HSE manual as a clarifying document that could be developed and improved if HyTest wanted to certify an HSE management system. The implementation of the manual will improve the level of HSE operations compared to the current state.
This thesis was commissioned by HyTest, a Finnish-origin company founded in 1994. HyTest develops, produces, and supplies antibodies and other raw materials for the In Vitro diagnostic industry to more than 50 different countries. HyTest reports its responsibility issues to its owner, Summa Equity, and would like to improve the level of its HSE performance. HyTest chose ISO 14001 and 45001 as its improvement tools because the company already has a certified Quality Management System based on the ISO 9001 standard. The objective of the thesis was to find out the current state of HyTest compared with the requirements of standards 14001 and 45001, and to develop and make proposals for improving the level of health, safety, and environmental performance.
The thesis was carried out as an action research, which is characterized by the researcher's participation in the development of the action and its progress in cycles. The thesis represents one research cycle, where the first stage was the planning of the work, the second the data collection and the third the analysis of the collected material. After analyzing the data, a measure to improve HyTest’s HSE matters was planned and implemented, and the effectiveness of the measure was assessed. The material was collected by reviewing the company's existing documentation on HSE issues. The Quality Management System, work instructions and indicators were also studied. In addition to getting acquainted with the documentation, the members of the Occupational Safety and Health Committee, among others, were asked for more information.
As part of the research, an HSE manual was created for HyTest. In addition, the thesis presents suggestions for further improvement of HyTest’s HSE issues. It was decided to introduce the HSE manual as a clarifying document that could be developed and improved if HyTest wanted to certify an HSE management system. The implementation of the manual will improve the level of HSE operations compared to the current state.